NA

International organization participation:

ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, ITUC,
MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Michael LOUIS chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: (202) 364-6792 through 6795 FAX: (202) 364-6723 consulate(s) general: Miami, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:

the US does not have an embassy in Saint Lucia; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint Lucia

Flag description:

blue, with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border

Economy
Saint Lucia

Economy - overview:

The island nation has been able to attract foreign business and investment, especially in its offshore banking and tourism industries, with a surge in foreign direct investment in 2006, attributed to the construction of several tourism projects. Tourism is the main source of foreign exchange, with almost 900,000 arrivals in 2007. The manufacturing sector is the most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean area, and the government is trying to revitalize the banana industry. Saint Lucia is vulnerable to a variety of external shocks including declines in European Union banana preferences, volatile tourism receipts, natural disasters, and dependence on foreign oil. High debt servicing obligations constrain the KING administration's ability to respond to adverse external shocks. Economic fundamentals remain solid, even though unemployment needs to be reduced.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$1.794 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$958 million (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

3.2% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$10,700 (2007 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: