rade winds; dry season from
January to April, rainy season from May to August

Terrain: volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Gimie 950 m

Natural resources: forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral
springs, geothermal potential

Land use:
arable land: 8%
permanent crops: 21%
permanent pastures: 5%
forests and woodland: 13%
other: 53% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: hurricanes and volcanic activity

Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion,
particularly in the northern region

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

@Saint Lucia:People

Population: 156,260 (July 2000 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 33% (male 26,087; female 25,159)
15-64 years: 62% (male 47,420; female 49,290)
65 years and over: 5% (male 3,113; female 5,191) (2000 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.21% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 22.19 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 5.43 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: -4.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 15.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.31 years
male: 68.74 years
female: 76.14 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.42 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Saint Lucian(s)
adjective: Saint Lucian

Ethnic groups: black 90%, mixed 6%, East Indian 3%, white 1%

Religions: Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 7%, Anglican 3%

Languages: English (official), French patois

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 67%
male: 65%
female: 69% (1980 est.)

@Saint Lucia:Government

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Saint Lucia

Data code: ST

Government type: Westminster-style parliamentary democracy

Capital: Castries

Administrative divisions: 11 quarters; Anse-la-Raye, Castr