c droughts and tropical
storms. Indeed, the destructive effect of Tropical Storm Debbie in
mid-1994 caused the loss of 60% of the year's banana crop. Increased
competition from Latin American bananas will probably further reduce
market prices, exacerbating Saint Lucia's need to diversify its
economy in coming years, e.g., by expanding tourism, manufacturing,
and construction

National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $610 million (1994
est.)

National product real growth rate: 2% (1994 est.)

National product per capita: $4,200 (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.8% (1993)

Unemployment rate: 25% (1993 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $121 million
expenditures: $127 million, including capital expenditures of $104
million (1992 est.)

Exports: $122.8 million (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities: bananas 60%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut
oil
partners: UK 56%, US 22%, CARICOM 19% (1991)

Imports: $276 million (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities: manufactured goods 21%, machinery and transportation
equipment 21%, food and live animals, chemicals, fuels
partners: US 34%, CARICOM 17%, UK 14%, Japan 7%, Canada 4% (1991)

External debt: $96.4 million (1992 est.)

Industrial production: growth rate 3.5% (1990 est.); accounts for 12%
of GDP

Electricity:
capacity: 20,000 kW
production: 112 million kWh
consumption per capita: 693 kWh (1993)

Industries: clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages,
corrugated cardboard boxes, tourism, lime processing, coconut
processing

Agriculture: accounts for 14% of GDP and 43% of labor force; crops -
bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus fruit, root crops, cocoa;
imports food for the tourist industry

Illicit drugs: transit country for South American drugs destined for
the US and Europe

Economic aid:
recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-89), $120 million

Currency: 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed
rate since 1976)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

@Saint Lucia:Transportation

Railroads: 0 km

Highways:
total: 760 km
paved: 500 km
unpaved: otherwise improved 260 km

Ports: Castries, Vieux Fort

Merchant marine: none

Airports:
total: 3
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
with paved runways under 914 m: 1

@Saint Lucia:Com