Saint Lucia is an island nation in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north of the islands of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique.

It is also known as the "Helen of the West Indies" because the island switched between British and French control so often it was likened to the mythical Helen of Troy.Saint Lucia is one of the Windward Islands, named for Saint Lucy of Syracuse.

It was first visited by Europeans in about the year 1500 and first colonized successfully by France who signed a treaty with the native Carib peoples in 1660.

Great Britain then took control of the island from 1663-1667 before going to war with France over it fourteen times.

The British finally took complete control of the island in 1814. Representative government came about in 1924 (with universal adult suffrage from 1953) and from 1958 to 1962 the island was a member of the Federation of the West Indies.

Finally, on Feb. 22, 1979, Saint Lucia became an independent state of the Commonwealth of Nations.

The island nation celebrates this every year with a public holiday.

Source: CIA World Fact Book

Population: 170,649 (July 2007 est.)

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Age structure: 0-14 years: 29.4% (male 25,869/female 24,248) 15-64 years: 65.5% (male 55,115/female 56,641) 65 years and over: 5.1% (male 3,200/female 5,576) (2007 est.)

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Median age: total: 25.6 years male: 24.8 years female: 26.5 years (2007 est.)

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Population growth rate: 1.297% (2007 est.)

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Birth rate: 19.28 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Death rate: 5.03 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Net migration rate: -1.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.067 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.973 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.574 male(s)/female total population: 0.974 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

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Infant mortality rate: total: 12.81 deaths/1,000 live births male: 13.93 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

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Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.08 years male: 70.53 years female: 77.88 years (2007 est.)

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Total fertility rate: 2.15 children born/woman (2007 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: NA

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Nationality: noun: Saint Lucian(s) adjective: Saint Lucian

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Ethnic groups: black 82.5%, mixed 11.9%, East Indian 2.4%, other or unspecified 3.1% (2001 census)

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Religions: Roman Catholic 67.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 8.5%, Pentecostal 5.7%, Rastafarian 2.1%, Anglican 2%, Evangelical 2%, other Christian 5.1%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.5%, none 4.5% (2001 census)

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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: 90.1% male: 89.5% female: 90.6% (2001 est.)

Changes in the EU import preference regime and the increased competition from Latin American bananas have made economic diversification increasingly important in Saint Lucia. The island nation has been able to attract foreign business and investment, especially in its offshore banking and tourism industries. Tourism is the main source of foreign exchange, with more than 700,000 arrivals in 2005. The manufacturing sector is the most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean area, and the government is trying to revitalize the banana industry. Economic fundamentals remain solid, even though unemployment needs to be cut. GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.179 billion (2006 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $825 million (2005) GDP - real growth rate: 5.1% (2005 est.) GDP - per capita (PPP): $4,800 (2005 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 5% industry: 15% services: 80% (2005 est.) Labor force: 43,800 (2001 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 21.7% industry: 24.7% services: 53.6% (2002 est.) Unemployment rate: 20% (2003 est.) 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): 2.9% (2005 est.)

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Budget: revenues: $141.2 million expenditures: $146.7 million; including capital expenditures of $25.1 million (2000 est.)

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Agriculture - products: bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoa

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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: -8.9% (1997 est.)

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Electricity - production: 290 million kWh (2004)

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Electricity - consumption: 269.7 million kWh (2004)

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Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - consumption: 2,800 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - exports: NA bbl/day

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Oil - imports: NA bbl/day

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Oil - proved reserves: 0 bbl

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Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Exports: $82 million (2004 est.)

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Exports - commodities: bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil

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Exports - partners: France 69.1%, US 10.1%, UK 8.7% (2006)

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Imports: $410 million (2004 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 19.9%, Trinidad and Tobago 14.1%, Italy 11.6%, France 11.1%, UK 6.5%, Argentina 6.4%, Netherlands 5.5%, Venezuela 5.1% (2006)

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Debt - external: $257 million (2004)

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Economic aid - recipient: $21.5 million (2004)

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Currency (code): East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

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Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002)

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Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March