rth rate: 33 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: - 2 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Infant mortality rate: 18 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 74 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 3.8 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality: noun--St. Lucian(s); adjective--St. Lucian

Ethnic divisions: 90.3% African descent, 5.5% mixed, 3.2% East Indian,
0.8% Caucasian

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

Language: English (official), French patois

Literacy: 78%

Labor force: 43,800; 43.4% agriculture, 38.9% services, 17.7% industry
and commerce (1983 est.)

Organized labor: 20% of labor force

- Government
Long-form name: none

Type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Castries

Administrative divisions: 11 parishes; Anse-la-Raye, Castries, Choiseul,
Dauphin, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort

Independence: 22 February 1979 (from UK)

Constitution: 22 February 1979

Legal system: based on English common law

National holiday: Independence Day, 22 February (1979)

Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister,
Cabinet

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper
house or Senate and a lower house or House of Assembly

Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court

Leaders:
Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented
by Governor General Stanislaus Anthony JAMES (since 10 October 1988);

Head of Government--Prime Minister John George Melvin COMPTON (since
3 May 1982)

Political parties and leaders: United Workers' Party (UWP), John Compton;
St. Lucia Labor Party (SLP), Julian Hunte; Progressive Labor Party (PLP), George
Odlum

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Elections:
House of Assembly--last held 6 April 1987 (next to be held
April 1992);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(17 total) UWP 10, SLP 7

Communists: negligible

Member of: ACP, CARICOM, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, NAM, OAS, OECS, PAHO, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Dr. Joseph Edsel EDMUNDS;
Chancery at Suite 309, 2100 M Street NW, Washington DC 30037;
telephone (202) 463-7378 or 7379; there is a St. Lucian Consulate General
in New York;
US--none

Flag: blue with a gold isosceles triangle below a black a