GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 5.5%
industry: 22.5%
services: 72% (1996)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 18,172 (June 1995)
Labor force - by occupation: NA
Unemployment rate: 4.5% (1997)
Budget:
revenues: $64.1 million
expenditures: $73.3 million, including capital expenditures of $10.4
million (1997 est.)
Industries: sugar processing, tourism, cotton, salt, copra, clothing,
footwear, beverages
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 85 million kWh (1998)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1998)
Electricity - consumption: 79 million kWh (1998)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1998)
Agriculture - products: sugarcane, rice, yams, vegetables, bananas;
fish
Exports: $42 million (1998)
Exports - commodities: machinery, food, electronics, beverages,
tobacco
Exports - partners: US 68.5%, UK 22.3%, Caricom countries 5.5% (1995
est.)
Imports: $160 million (1998)
Imports - commodities: machinery, manufactures, food, fuels
Imports - partners: US 42.4%, Caricom countries 17.2%, UK 11.3% (1995
est.)
Debt - external: $62 million (1997)
Economic aid - recipient: $5.5 million (1995)
Currency: 1 East Caribbean dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.7000 (fixed
rate since 1976)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Saint Kitts and Nevis:Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 14,000 (1995)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 0 (1995)
Telephone system: good interisland VHF/UHF/SHF radiotelephone
connections and international link via Antigua and Barbuda and Saint
Martin (Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles)
domestic: interisland links are handled by VHF/UHF/SHF radiotelephone
international: international calls are carried by radiotelephone to
Antigua and Barbuda and from there switched to submarine cable or to
Intelsat, or carried to Saint Martin (Guadeloupe and Netherlands
Antilles) by radiotelephone and switched to Intelsat
Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 28,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (plus three repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 10,000 (1997)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA
@Saint Kitts and Nevis:Transportation
Railways:
total: 58 km
narrow gauge: 58 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts to serve sugarcane
plantations (1995)
Highways:
total: 320 km
paved: 136 km
unpaved: 184 km (1996 est.)
Ports and harbors: Basseterre, Charlestown
Merchant marine: none (1999 est.)
Airports: 2 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1999 est.)
@Saint Kitts and Nevis:Military
Military branches: Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Police Force, Coast
Guard, Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Defense Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%
@Saint Kitts and Nevis:Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for South American drugs destined
for the US and Europe
______________________________________________________________________
SAINT LUCIA
@Saint Lucia:Introduction
Background: The island, with its fine natural harbor at Castries, was
contested between England and France throughout the 17th and early
18th centuries (changing possession 14 times); it was finally ceded to
the UK in 1814. Self government was granted in 1967 and independence
in 1979.
@Saint Lucia:Geography
Location: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North
Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
Geographic coordinates: 13 53 N, 60 68 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 620 sq km
land: 610 sq km
water: 10 sq km
Area - comparative: 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 158 km
Maritime claims: 200 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical, moderated by northeast trade 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, Castries,
Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, Gros Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin,
Soufriere, Vieux Fort
Independence: 22 February 1979 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 22 February (1979)
Constitution: 22 February 1979
Legal system: based on English common law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General Dr. Pearlette LOUISY (since September
1997)
head of government: Prime Minister Kenneth ANTHONY (since 24 May 1997)
and Deputy Prime Minister Mario MICHEL (since 24 May 1997)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of
the prime minister
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is
appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader
of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually
appointed prime minister by the governor general
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (11
seats; six members appointed on the advice of the prime minister,
three on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and two after
consultation with religious, economic, and social groups) and the
House of Assembly (17 seats; members are elected by popular vote from
single-member constituencies to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Assembly - last held 23 May 1997 (next to be held
NA 2002)
election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - SLP 16, UWP 1
Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (jurisdiction extends
to Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands,
Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
Political parties and leaders: National Freedom Party or NFP [Martinus
FRANCOIS]; Saint Lucia Labor Party or SLP ; United
Workers Party or UWP
International organization participation: ACCT (associate), ACP, C,
Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol,
IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Sonia Merlyn JOHNNY
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: (202) 364-6792 through 6795
FAX: (202) 364-6728
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy
in Saint Lucia; the US Ambassador in Barbados is accredited to Saint
Lucia
Flag description: blue, with a gold isosceles triangle below a black
arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border
@Saint Lucia:Economy
Economy - overview: The recent changes in the EU import preference
regime and the increased competition from Latin American bananas have
made economic diversification increasingly important in Saint Lucia.
Improvement in the construction sector and growth of the tourism
industry helped expand GDP in 1998-99. The agriculture sector
registered its fifth year of decline in 1997 primarily because of a
severe decline in banana production. The manufacturing sector is the
most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean, and the government is beginning
to develop regulations for the small offshore financial sector.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $656 million (1998 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2.9% (1998 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,300 (1998 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 10.7%
industry: 32.3%
services: 57% (1996 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.7% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 43,800
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 43.4%, services 38.9%,
industry and commerce 17.7% (1983 est.)
Unemployment rate: 15% (1996 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $141.2 million
expenditures: $146.7 million, including capital expenditures of $25.1
million (FY97/98 est.)
Industries: clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages,
corrugated cardboard boxes, tourism, lime processing, coconut
processing
Industrial production growth rate: -8.9% (1997 est.)
Electricity - production: 110 million kWh (1998)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1998)
Electricity - consumption: 102 million kWh (1998)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1998)
Agriculture - products: bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root
crops, cocoa
Exports: $75 million (1998)
Exports - commodities: bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables,
fruits, coconut oil
Exports - partners: UK 50%, US 24%, Caricom countries 16% (1995)
Imports: $290 million (1998)
Imports - commodities: food 23%, manufactured goods 21%, machinery and
transportation equipment 19%, chemicals, fuels
Imports - partners: US 36%, Caricom countries 22%, UK 11%, Japan 5%,
Canada 4% (1995)
Debt - external: $135 million (1998)
Economic aid - recipient: $51.8 million (1995)
Currency: 1 East Caribbean dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.7000 (fixed
rate since 1976)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
@Saint Lucia:Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 31,000 (1995)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 1,000 (1995)
Telephone system:
domestic: system is automatically switched
international: direct microwave radio relay link with Martinique and
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; tropospheric scatter to Barbados;
international calls beyond these countries are carried by Intelsat
from Martinique
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 7 (plus 3 repeaters), shortwave 0
(1998)
Radios: 111,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 3 (of which two are commercial stations
and one is a community antenna television or CATV channel) (1997)
Televisions: 32,000 (1997)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA
@Saint Lucia:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 1,210 km
paved: 63 km
unpaved: 1,147 km (1996 est.)
Ports and harbors: Castries, Vieux Fort
Merchant marine: none (1999 est.)
Airports: 2 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1999 est.)
@Saint Lucia:Military
Military branches: Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (includes Special
Service Unit), Coast Guard
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $5 million (FY91/92)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2% (FY91/92)
@Saint Lucia:Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
Illicit drugs: transit point for South American drugs destined for the
US and Europe
______________________________________________________________________
SAINT PIERRE AND MIQUELON
@Saint Pierre and Miquelon:Introduction
Background: First settled by the French in the early 17th century, the
islands represent the sole remaining vestige of France's once vast
North American possessions.
@Saint Pierre and Miquelon:Geography
Location: Northern North America, islands in the North Atlantic Ocean,
south of Newfoundland (Canada)
Geographic coordinates: 46 50 N, 56 20 W
Map references: North America
Area:
total: 242 sq km
land: 242 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes eight small islands in the Saint Pierre and the
Miquelon groups
Area - comparative: 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 120 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: cold and wet, with much mist and fog; spring and autumn are
windy
Terrain: mostly barren rock
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morne de la Grande Montagne 240 m
Natural resources: fish, deepwater ports
Land use:
arable land: 13%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 4%
other: 83% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: persistent fog throughout the year can be a maritime
hazard
Environment - current issues: NA
Geography - note: vegetation scanty
@Saint Pierre and Miquelon:People
Population: 6,896 (July 2000 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 26.19% (male 924; female 882)
15-64 years: 64.01% (male 2,254; female 2,160)
65 years and over: 9.8% (male 286; female 390) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.49% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 16.53 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 6.67 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: -4.93 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 8.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.6 years
male: 75.36 years
female: 79.95 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.14 children born/woman (2000 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)
adjective: French
Ethnic groups: Basques and Bretons (French fishermen)
Religions: Roman Catholic 99%
Languages: French
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (1982 est.)
@Saint Pierre and Miquelon:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Territorial Collectivity of Saint Pierre and
Miquelon
conventional short form: Saint Pierre and Miquelon
local long form: Departement de Saint-Pierre et Miquelon
local short form: Saint-Pierre et Miquelon
Data code: SB
Dependency status: self-governing territorial collectivity of France
Government type: NA
Capital: Saint-Pierre
Administrative divisions: none (territorial collectivity of France)
note: there are no first-order administrative divisions approved by
the US Government, but there are two communes - Saint Pierre, Miquelon
Independence: none (territorial collectivity of France; has been under
French control since 1763)
National holiday: National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system: French law with special adaptations for local
conditions, such as housing and taxation
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May
1995), represented by Prefect Remi THUAU (since NA)
head of government: President of the General Council Bernard LE SOAVEC
(since NA 1996)
cabinet: NA
elections: French president elected by popular vote for a seven-year
term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the
French Ministry of Interior; president of the General Council is
elected by the members of the council
Legislative branch: unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19
seats - 15 from Saint Pierre and 4 from Miquelon; members are elected
by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
elections: elections last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held NA April
2000)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR
15, other 4
note: Saint Pierre and Miquelon elect 1 seat to the French Senate;
elections last held NA September 1995 (next to be held NA September
2004); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR
1; Saint Pierre and Miquelon also elects 1 seat to the French National
Assembly; elections last held 25 May-1 June 1997 (next to be held NA
2002); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UDF 1
Judicial branch: Superior Tribunal of Appeals or Tribunal Superieur
d'Appel
Political parties and leaders: Rassemblement pour la Republique or RPR
; Socialist Party or PS ; Union pour la
Democratie Francaise or UDF
International organization participation: FZ, WFTU
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territorial collectivity of
France)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (territorial collectivity
of France)
Flag description: a yellow sailing ship facing the hoist side rides on
a dark blue background with a black wave line under the ship; on the
hoist side, a vertical band is divided into three parts: the top part
is red with a green diagonal cross extending to the corners overlaid
by a white cross dividing the square into four sections; the middle
part has a white background with an ermine pattern; the third part has
a red background with two stylized yellow lions outlined in black, one
on top of the other; the flag of France is used for official occasions
@Saint Pierre and Miquelon:Economy
Economy - overview: The inhabitants have traditionally earned their
livelihood by fishing and by servicing fishing fleets operating off
the coast of Newfoundland. The economy has been declining, however,
because of disputes with Canada over fishing quotas and a steady
decline in the number of ships stopping at Saint Pierre. In 1992, an
arbitration panel awarded the islands an exclusive economic zone of
12,348 sq km to settle a longstanding territorial dispute with Canada,
although it represents only 25% of what France had sought. The islands
are heavily subsidized by France to the great betterment of living
standards. The government hopes an expansion of tourism will boost
economic prospects.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $74 million (1996 est.); supplemented
by annual payments from France of about $65 million
GDP - real growth rate: NA%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $11,000 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.1% (1991-96 average)
Labor force: 3,000 (1997)
Labor force - by occupation: fishing 18%, industry (mainly
fish-processing) 41%, services 41% (1996 est.)
Unemployment rate: 9.8% (1997)
Budget:
revenues: $70 million
expenditures: $60 million, including capital expenditures of $24
million (1996 est.)
Industries: fish processing and supply base for fishing fleets;
tourism
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 40 million kWh (1998)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1998)
Electricity - consumption: 37 million kWh (1998)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1998)
Agriculture - products: vegetables; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish
Exports: $5 million (f.o.b., 1997)
Exports - commodities: fish and fish products, mollusks and
crustaceans, fox and mink pelts
Exports - partners: US, France, UK, Canada, Portugal
Imports: $66 million (c.i.f., 1997 est.)
Imports - commodities: meat, clothing, fuel, electrical equipment,
machinery, building materials
Imports - partners: Canada, France, US, Netherlands, UK
Debt - external: $NA
Economic aid - recipient: approximately $65 million in annual grants
from France
Currency: 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: euros per US$1 - 0.98673 (January 2000), 0.93863
(1999); French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.65 (January 1999), 5.8995
(1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Saint Pierre and Miquelon:Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 4,000 (1994)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 0 (1994)
Telephone system:
domestic: NA
international: radiotelephone communication with most countries in the
world; 1 earth station in French domestic satellite system
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 4,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 0 (there are, however, two repeaters
which rebroadcast programs from France, Canada, and the US) (1997)
Televisions: 4,000 (1997)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA
@Saint Pierre and Miquelon:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 114 km
paved: 69 km
unpaved: 45 km (1994 est.)
Ports and harbors: Saint Pierre
Merchant marine: none (1999 est.)
Airports: 2 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1999 est.)
@Saint Pierre and Miquelon:Military
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France
@Saint Pierre and Miquelon:Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
______________________________________________________________________
SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
@Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:Introduction
Background: Disputed between France and Great Britain in the 18th
century, Saint Vincent was ceded to the latter in 1783. Autonomy was
granted in 1969, and independence in 1979.
@Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:Geography
Location: Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, north of Trinidad
and Tobago
Geographic coordinates: 13 15 N, 61 12 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 389 sq km (Saint Vincent 344 sq km)
land: 389 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 84 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season
(May to November)
Terrain: volcanic, mountainous