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

People

Population: 154,020 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 33% (male 26,068; female 25,359)
15-64 years: 61% (male 46,265; female 48,100)
65 years and over: 6% (male 3,097; female 5,131) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.09% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 21.63 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 5.58 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -5.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 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 (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 16.55 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.81 years
male: 68.14 years
female: 75.74 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.27 children born/woman (1999 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.)

Government

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

Data code: ST

Government type: constitutional monarchy

Capital: Castries

Administrative divisions: 11 quarters; Anse-la-Raye, Castries,
Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, Gros Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin,
Soufr