Saint Lucia

LOCATED BETWEEN THE Caribbean Sea and the north Atlantic Ocean, the island of Saint Lucia is 27 miles long and 14 miles wide. Because of its excellent harbors, England and France hotly contested ownership of Saint Lucia in the 17th and 18th centuries, but the United Kingdom ultimately established possession in 1814.

Saint Lucia became independent in 1979 after 10 years of self-government, achieving both political and economic stability. Saint Lucia's sandy beaches and mineral springs attract large numbers of tourists, and the island has become a popular wedding spot.

Saint Lucia has a diversified economy, with 53.6 percent of the labor force involved in service industries. Only 21.7 percent are engaged in agriculture, mostly the export of bananas. This enterprise has been seriously threatened by international events and increasing competition from Latin American countries. Saint Lucia is experienced an unemployment rate of 20 percent in 2005, despite the fact that foreign business and investment, particularly offshore banking and tourist-related enterprises, were steadily increasing. Saint Lucia's manufacturing sector is considered the most diverse in the eastern Caribbean area, and the island is believed to have geothermal potential.

Economic stability on Saint Lucia is important in protecting the quality of life for Saint Lucians, particularly among the poorest segment of the population, because resources are unevenly distributed. The poorest 20 percent own only 5.2 percent of the island's resources, while the richest 20 percent share 48.3 percent. Saint Lucia is ranked 42.6 percent on the Gini Index of Human Inequality.

While official poverty assessments are unavailable, a report by the Caribbean Development Bank states that 18.7 percent of Saint Lucian households and 25.1 percent of all individuals are poor when the concept is defined according to the amount of money spent on food and nonfood items. The report also reveals that poverty is most prevalent in rural areas.

Life expectancy has increased in Saint Lucia over the last few decades. The population of 166,312 enjoys a life expectancy of 73.05 years, with women surviving their cohorts by an average of more than seven years. The median age is 24.81 years. Over 30 percent of the population are under the age of 14, and 5.2 percent are at least 65 years old.

Most Saint Lucians have access to good healthcare and basic needs. However, two percent do not have safe drinking water and 11 percent lack access to proper sanitation. These individuals are generally those who live in remote areas. There are 58 physicians per 100,000 residents, but 20 to 50 percent of Saint Lucians are unable to afford essential drugs.

On Saint Lucia, infant mortality occurs at the rate of 13.53 deaths per 1,000 live births. That rate declined from 19 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1990. Between 1990 and 2003, the mortality rate of all children under 5 fell from 24 deaths per 1,000 to 18 deaths per 1,000. Eight percent of all babies are underweight at birth. Approximately 14 percent of all children under 5 suffer from malnutrition. About 11 percent of this group suffer from moderate to severe stunting, and six percent experience moderate to severe wasting. Childhood immunizations are readily available in Saint Lucia, and rates are stable in the 90 percent range.

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