Saint Lucia

Map of Saint Lucia

Country	Saint Lucia
Capital	Castries
Independence	22 February 1979 (from the UK)
National holiday	Independence Day, 22 February (1979)
Population	162,178 (July 2012 est.)
Sex ratio	1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Nationality	Saint Lucian(s)
Religions	Roman Catholic 67.5%, Protestant 18.2% (Seventh-Day Adventist 8.5%, Pentecostal 5.7%, Anglican 2%, Evangelical 2%), other Christian 5.1%, Rastafarian 2.1%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.5%, none 4.5% (2001 census)
Languages	English (official), French patois
Literacy	Age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 90.1% male: 89.5% female: 90.6% (2001 est.)
Location	Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
Geographic coordinates	13 53 N, 60 58 W
Map references	Central America and the Caribbean
Area	Total: 616 sq km Land: 606 sq km Wwater: 10 sq km
Area - comparative	Three and a half times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries	0 km
Coastline	158 km
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate	Tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season January to April, rainy season 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
Exports - commodities	Bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, avacados, mangoes, coconut oil
Imports - commodities	Food 23%, manufactured goods 21%, machinery and transportation equipment 19%, chemicals, fuels
Land use	Arable land: 6.45% Permanent crops: 22.58% Other: 70.97% (2005)
Irrigated land	30 sq km (2003)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)	total: 0.01 per capita: 81 cu m/yr (1997)
Natural hazards	hurricanes; volcanic activity
Environment - current issues	deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note	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