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Red
Sea Management provides Saint Lucia offshore incorporation, Saint
Lucia offshore asset protection and a full range of services. |
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Report on Saint
Lucia
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| Background:
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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.
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| Location:
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Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean,
north of Trinidad and Tobago
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Geographic coordinates:
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13 53 N, 60 68 W
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| Map
references:
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Central America and the Caribbean
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Area:
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total: 620 sq km
land: 610 sq km
water: 10 sq km
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| Area -
comparative:
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3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
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| Land
boundaries:
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0 km
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Coastline:
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158 km
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| Maritime
claims:
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contiguous zone: 24 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental
margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
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| Climate:
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tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season from January
to April, rainy season from May to August
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| Terrain:
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volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys
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| Elevation
extremes:
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lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Gimie 950 m
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| Natural
resources:
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forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal
potential
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| Land use:
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arable land: 8%
permanent crops: 21%
permanent pastures: 5%
forests and woodland: 13%
other: 53% (1993 est.)
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| Irrigated
land:
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10 sq km (1993 est.)
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| Natural
hazards:
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hurricanes and volcanic activity
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region
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| Environment
- international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
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| Geography
- note:
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the twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), striking cone-shaped
peaks south of Soufriere, are one of the scenic natural highlights of
the Caribbean
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Population: |
158,178 (July 2001 est.)
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| Age
structure: |
0-14 years: 32.13% (male 25,951; female 24,874)
15-64 years: 62.59% (male 48,568; female 50,430)
65 years and over: 5.28% (male 3,120; female 5,235) (2001 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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1.23% (2001 est.)
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| Birth
rate: |
21.8 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
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| Death
rate: |
5.36 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
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| Net
migration rate: |
-4.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
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| 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 (2001 est.)
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| Infant
mortality rate: |
15.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
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| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population: 72.57 years
male: 69 years
female: 76.39 years (2001 est.)
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| Total
fertility rate: |
2.38 children born/woman (2001 est.)
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| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
NA%
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| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA
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| HIV/AIDS
- deaths:
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NA
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Nationality: |
noun: Saint Lucian(s)
adjective: Saint Lucian
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| Ethnic
groups:
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black 90%, mixed 6%, East Indian 3%, white 1%
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 7%, Anglican 3%
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Languages: |
English (official), French patois
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| Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 67%
male: 65%
female: 69% (1980 est.)
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| Country
name:
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Saint Lucia
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Government type:
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Westminster-style parliamentary democracy
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| Capital:
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Castries
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Administrative divisions:
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11 quarters; Anse-la-Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, Gros
Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux Fort
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Independence: |
22 February 1979 (from UK)
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| National
holiday: |
Independence Day, 22 February (1979)
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Constitution:
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22 February 1979
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| Legal
system: |
based on English common law
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| Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General Dr. Perlette 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
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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
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| Judicial
branch:
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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)
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| Political
parties and leaders:
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National Freedom Party or NFP [Martinus FRANCOIS]; Saint Lucia Labor
Party or SLP [Kenneth ANTHONY]; United Workers Party or UWP [Dr.
Morella JOSEPH]
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| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA
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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
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Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador Sonia Merlyn JOHNNY
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] (202) 364-6792 through 6795
FAX: [1] (202) 364-6728
consulate(s) general: Miami and New York
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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
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| Flag
description: |
blue, with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the
upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border
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| Economy
- overview:
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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.
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| GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $700 million (2000 est.)
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| GDP -
real growth rate: |
0.5% (2000 est.)
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| GDP - per
capita: |
purchasing power parity - $4,500 (2000 est.)
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| GDP -
composition by sector: |
agriculture: 10.7%
industry: 32.3%
services: 57% (1996 est.)
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Population below poverty line: |
NA%
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| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
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| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
2.5% (2000 est.)
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| Labor
force: |
43,800
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| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture 43.4%, services 38.9%, industry and commerce 17.7% (1983
est.)
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Unemployment rate: |
15% (1996 est.)
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| Budget:
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revenues: $141.2 million
expenditures: $146.7 million, including capital expenditures of
$25.1 million (FY97/98 est.)
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Industries: |
clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated
cardboard boxes, tourism, lime processing, coconut processing
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Industrial production growth rate:
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-8.9% (1997 est.)
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| Electricity
- production:
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110 million kWh (1999
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| Electricity
- production by source:
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fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999)
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Electricity - consumption:
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102.3 million kWh (1999)
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| Electricity
- exports:
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0 kWh (1999)
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Electricity - imports: |
0 kWh (1999)
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Agriculture - products:
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bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoa
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| Exports: |
$68.3 million (2000 est.)
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| Exports -
commodities: |
bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil
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| Exports -
partners: |
UK 50%, US 24%, Caricom countries 16% (1995)
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| Imports: |
$319.4 million (2000 est.)
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| Imports -
commodities: |
food 23%, manufactured goods 21%, machinery and transportation
equipment 19%, chemicals, fuels
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| Imports -
partners: |
US 36%, Caricom countries 22%, UK 11%, Japan 5%, Canada 4% (1995)
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| Debt -
external: |
$131.6 million (1998)
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| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$51.8 million (1995)
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| Currency:
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East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
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| Currency
code: |
XCD
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| Exchange
rates:
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East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976)
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| Fiscal
year: |
1 April - 31 March
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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37,000 (1997)
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Telephones - mobile cellular: |
1,600 (1997)
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Telephone system: |
general assessment: adequate 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
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| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 2, FM 7 (plus 3 repeaters), shortwave 0 (1998)
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| Radios: |
111,000 (1997)
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Television broadcast stations: |
3 (of which two are commercial stations and one is a community antenna
television or CATV channel) (1997)
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Televisions: |
32,000 (1997)
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| Internet
country code: |
.lc
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| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
15 (2000)
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| Internet
users: |
5,000 (2000)
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| Railways:
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0 km
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| Highways: |
total: 1,210 km
paved: 63 km
unpaved: 1,147 km (1996)
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Waterways: |
none
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| Ports and
harbors: |
Castries, Vieux Fort
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| Merchant
marine: |
none (2000 est.)
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| Airports: |
2 (2000 est.)
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| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.)
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| Military
branches: |
Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (includes Special Service Unit), Coast
Guard
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| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$5 million (FY91/92)
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| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
2% (FY91/92)
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| Disputes
- international: |
none
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| Illicit
drugs: |
transit point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe
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