Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, jurisdiction extends
to Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands,
Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Political parties and leaders: United Workers' Party (UWP), Vaughn
LEWIS; Saint Lucia Labor Party (SLP), Kenneth ANTHONY; Saint Lucia
Freedom Party (SLFP), Martinus FRANCOIS
International organization participation: ACCT (associate), ACP, C,
Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol,
IOC, ISO (subscriber), NAM, OAS, OECS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Joseph Edsel EDMUNDS chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6792 through 6795 FAX: [1] (202) 364-6728 consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Saint Lucia; the Ambassador to Saint Lucia resides in Bridgetown (Barbados)
Flag description: blue with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border
Economy
Economy - overview: Though foreign investment in manufacturing and information processing in recent years has increased Saint Lucia's industrial base, the economy remains vulnerable due to its heavy dependence on banana production, which is subject to periodic droughts and tropical storms. Indeed, the destructive effect of Tropical Storm Iris in mid-1995 caused the loss of 20% 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 further expanding tourism, manufacturing, and construction.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $695 million (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4.3% (1996 est.)