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 or UWP
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), ITU, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Juliet
Elaine MALLET PHILLIP
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
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: The economy remains vulnerable due to its heavy dependence on banana production, which is subject to periodic droughts and tropical storms. 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. In 1997, strong activity in tourism and other service sectors offset the contraction in agriculture, manufacturing, and construction sectors. Improvement in the construction sector and growth of the tourism industry was expected to expand GDP in 1998. The agriculture sector registered its fifth year of decline in 1997 primarily because of a severe decline in banana production.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$625 million (1997 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: 2.2% (1997)