Part 49
Exports: $11.5 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--machinery and equipment 34.7%, fuels, minerals and metals 24.7%, manufactured consumer goods 16.9%, agricultural materials and forestry products 11.9%, other 11.6% (1986); partners--USSR 27%, Eastern Europe 23%, EC 15%, US 5%, China 4% (1987)
Imports: $8.75 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--fuels, minerals, and metals 51.0%, machinery and equipment 26.7%, agricultural and forestry products 11.0%, manufactured consumer goods 4.2% (1986); partners--Communist countries 60%, non-Communist countries 40% (1987)
External debt: none (mid-1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 3.6% (1988)
Electricity: 22,640,000 kW capacity; 80,000 million kWh produced, 3,440 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: mining, timber, construction materials, metallurgy, chemicals, machine building, food processing, petroleum
Agriculture: accounts for 15% of GNP and 28% of labor force; major wheat and corn producer; other products--sugar beets, sunflower seed, potatoes, milk, eggs, meat, grapes
Aid: donor--$4.3 billion in bilateral aid to non-Communist less developed countries (1956-88)
Currency: leu (plural--lei); 1 leu (L) = 100 bani
Exchange rates: lei (L) per US$1--20.96 (February 1990), 14.922 (1989), 14.277 (1988), 14.557 (1987), 16.153 (1986), 17.141 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 11,221 km total; 10,755 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 421 km narrow gauge, 45 km broad gauge; 3,328 km electrified, 3,060 km double track; government owned (1986)
Highways: 72,799 km total; 15,762 km concrete, asphalt, stone block; 20,208 km asphalt treated; 27,729 km gravel, crushed stone, and other paved surfaces; 9,100 km unpaved roads (1985)
Inland waterways: 1,724 km (1984)
Pipelines: 2,800 km crude oil; 1,429 km refined products; 6,400 km natural gas
Ports: Constanta, Galati, Braila, Mangalia; inland ports are Giurgiu, Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Orsova
Merchant marine: 282 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,313,320 GRT/5,134,335 DWT; includes 1 passenger-cargo, 184 cargo, 1 container, 1 rail-car carrier, 14 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 livestock carrier, 10 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 69 bulk
Civil air: 70 major transport aircraft
Airports: 165 total, 165 usable; 25 with permanent-surface runways; 15 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 15 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: stations--39 AM, 30 FM, 38 TV; 3,910,000 TV sets; 3,225,000 radio receivers; satellite earth stations--1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
- Defense Forces Branches: Romanian Army, Security Troops, Air and Air Defense Forces, Romanian Navy
Military manpower: males 15-49, 5,736,783; 4,860,427 fit for military service; 193,537 reach military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures: 11.8 billion lei, 2.8% of total budget (1989); note--conversion of the military budget into US dollars using the official administratively set exchange rate would produce misleading results ---------------------------------------------------- Country: Rwanda - Geography Total area: 26,340 km2; land area: 24,950 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries: 893 km total; Burundi 290 km, Tanzania 217 km, Uganda 169 km, Zaire 217 km
Coastline: none--landlocked
Maritime claims: none--landlocked
Climate: temperate; two rainy seasons (February to April, November to January); mild in mountains with frost and snow possible
Terrain: mostly grassy uplands and hills; mountains in west
Natural resources: gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore), natural gas, hydropower
Land use: 29% arable land; 11% permanent crops; 18% meadows and pastures; 10% forest and woodland; 32% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: deforestation; overgrazing; soil exhaustion; soil erosion; periodic droughts
Note: landlocked
- People Population: 7,609,119 (July 1990), growth rate 3.8% (1990)
Birth rate: 53 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 15 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 113 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 50 years male, 54 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 8.5 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun and adjective--Rwandan(s)
Ethnic divisions: Hutu 90%, Tutsi 9%, Twa (Pygmoid) 1%
Religion: Roman Catholic 65%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 1%, indigenous beliefs and other 25%
Language: Kinyarwanda, French (official); Kiswahili used in commercial centers
Literacy: 46.6%
Labor force: 3,600,000; 93% agriculture, 5% government and services, 2% industry and commerce; 49% of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor: NA
- Government Long-form name: Republic of Rwanda
Type: republic; presidential system in which military leaders hold key offices
Capital: Kigali
Administrative divisions: 10 prefectures (prefectures, singular--prefecture in French; plural--NA, singular--prefegitura in Kinyarwanda); Butare, Byumba, Cyangugu, Gikongoro, Gisenyi, Gitarama, Kibungo, Kibuye, Rigali, Ruhengeri
Constitution: 17 December 1978
Independence: 1 July 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian administration)
Legal system: based on German and Belgian civil law systems and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 July (1962)
Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National Development Council (Conseil pour le Developpement National)
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court (consists of the Court of Cassation and the Council of State in joint session)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Maj. Gen. Juvenal HABYARIMANA (since 5 July 1973)
Political parties and leaders: only party--National Revolutionary Movement for Development (MRND), Maj. Gen. Juvenal Habyarimana (officially a development movement, not a party)
Suffrage: universal adult, exact age NA
Elections: President--last held 19 December 1988 (next to be held December 1993); results--President Maj. Gen. Juvenal Habyarimana reelected;
National Development Council--last held 19 December 1988 (next to be held December 1993); results--MRND is the only party; seats--(70 total); MRND 70
Communists: no Communist party
Member of: ACP, AfDB, EAMA, CCC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, NAM, OAU, OCAM, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Aloys UWIMANA; Chancery at 1714 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 232-2882; US--Ambassador Leonard H. O. SPEARMAN, Sr.; Embassy at Boulevard de la Revolution, Kigali (mailing address is B. P. 28, Kigali); telephone [205] 75601 through 75603 or 72126 through 72128
Flag: three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side), yellow, and green with a large black letter R centered in the yellow band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Guinea, which has a plain yellow band
- Economy Overview: About 40% of GDP comes from the agricultural sector; coffee and tea make up 80-90% of total exports. The amount of fertile land is limited, however, and deforestation and soil erosion have created problems. The industrial sector in Rwanda is small, contributing less than 20% to GDP. Manufacturing focuses mainly on the processing of agricultural products. The Rwandan economy remains dependent on coffee exports and foreign aid, with no relief in sight. Weak international prices since 1986 have caused the economy to contract and per capita GDP to decline.
GDP: $2.3 billion, per capita $325; real growth rate - 2.5% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (1988)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $413 million; expenditures $522 million, including capital expenditures of $230 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $118 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--coffee 85%, tea, tin, cassiterite, wolframite, pyrethrum; partners--FRG, Belgium, Italy, Uganda, UK, France, US
Imports: $278 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--textiles, foodstuffs, machines and equipment, capital goods, steel, petroleum products, cement and construction material; partners--US, Belgium, FRG, Kenya, Japan
External debt: $645 million (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 1.2% (1988)
Electricity: 26,000 kW capacity; 112 million kWh produced, 15 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: mining of cassiterite (tin ore) and wolframite (tungsten ore), tin, cement, agricultural processing, small-scale beverage production, soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes
Agriculture: cash crops--coffee, tea, pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums); main food crops--bananas, beans, sorghum, potatoes; stock raising; self-sufficiency declining; country imports foodstuffs as farm production fails to keep up with a 3.8% annual growth in population
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $118 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.7 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $45 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $58 million
Currency: Rwandan franc (plural--francs); 1 Rwandan franc (RF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Rwandan francs (RF) per US$1--78.99 (December 1989), 79.98 (1989), 76.45 (1988), 79.67 (1987), 87.64 (1986), 101.26 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Highways: 4,885 km total; 460 km paved, 1,725 km gravel and/or improved earth, 2,700 km unimproved
Inland waterways: Lac Kivu navigable by shallow-draft barges and native craft
Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft
Airports: 8 total, 8 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: fair system with low-capacity radio relay system centered on Kigali; 6,600 telephones; stations--2 AM, 5 FM, no TV; satellite earth stations--1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 SYMPHONIE
- Defense Forces Branches: Army, paramilitary, Gendarmerie
Military manpower: males 15-49, 1,586,989; 810,560 fit for military service; no conscription
Defense expenditures: 2.1% of GDP (1987) ---------------------------------------------------- Country: St. Helena (dependent territory of the UK) - Geography Total area: 410 km2; land area: 410 km2; includes Ascension, Gough Island, Inaccessible Island, Nightingale Island, and Tristan da Cunha
Comparative area: slightly more than 2.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 60 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; marine; mild, tempered by trade winds
Terrain: rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plains
Natural resources: fish; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtles and sooty terns; no minerals
Land use: 7% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 7% meadows and pastures; 3% forest and woodland; 83% other
Environment: very few perennial streams
Note: Napoleon Bonaparte's place of exile and burial; the remains were taken to Paris in 1840
- People Population: 6,657 (July 1990), growth rate 0.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 13 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: NEGl migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 46 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male, 75 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.4 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--St. Helenian(s); adjective--St. Helenian
Ethnic divisions: NA
Religion: Anglican majority; also Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist, and Roman Catholic
Language: English
Literacy: NA%, but probably high
Labor force: NA
Organized labor: St. Helena General Workers' Union, 472 members; 17% crafts, 10% professional and technical, 10% service, 9% management and clerical, 9% farming and fishing, 6% transport, 5% sales, 1% security, and 33% other
- Government Long-form name: none
Type: dependent territory of the UK
Capital: Jamestown
Administrative divisions: 2 dependencies and 1 administrative area*; Ascension*, Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha
Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Constitution: 1 January 1967
Legal system: NA
National holiday: Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen (second Saturday in June), 10 June 1989
Executive branch: British monarch, governor, Executive Council (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
Head of Government--Governor and Commander in Chief Robert F. STIMSON (since 1987)
Political parties and leaders: St. Helena Labor Party, G. A. O. Thornton; St. Helena Progressive Party, leader unknown; note--both political parties inactive since 1976
Suffrage: NA
Elections: Legislative Council--last held October 1984 (next to be held NA); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(15 total, 12 elected) number of seats by party NA
Communists: probably none
Diplomatic representation: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the St. Helenian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield features a rocky coastline and three-masted sailing ship
- Economy Overview: The economy depends primarily on financial assistance from the UK. The local population earns some income from fishing, the rearing of livestock, and sales of handicrafts. Because there are few jobs, a large proportion of the work force have left to seek employment overseas.
GDP: $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): - 1.1% (1986)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $3.2 million; expenditures $2.9 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1984)
Exports: $23.9 thousand (f.o.b., 1984); commodities--fish (frozen skipjack, tuna, salt-dried skipjack), handicrafts; partners--South Africa, UK
Imports: $2.4 million (c.i.f., 1984); commodities--food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts; partners--UK, South Africa
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 9,800 kW capacity; 10 million kWh produced, 1,390 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fish
Agriculture: maize, potatoes, vegetables; timber production being developed; crawfishing on Tristan da Cunha
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $168 million
Currency: St. Helenian pound (plural--pounds); 1 St. Helenian pound (LS) = 100 pence
Exchange rates: St. Helenian pounds (LS) per US$1--0.6055 (January 1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985); note--the St. Helenian pound is at par with the British pound
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- Communications Highways: 87 km bitumen-sealed roads, 20 km earth roads on St. Helena; 80 km bitumen-sealed on Ascension; 2.7 km bitumen-sealed on Tristan da Cunha
Ports: Jamestown (St. Helena), Georgetown (Ascension)
Merchant marine: 1 passenger-cargo ship totaling 3,150 GRT/2,264 DWT
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 2,440-3,659 m on Ascension
Telecommunications: 1,500 radio receivers; stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV; 550 telephones in automatic network; HF radio links to Ascension, then into worldwide submarine cable and satellite networks; major coaxial cable relay point between South Africa, Portugal, and UK at Ascension; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK ---------------------------------------------------- Country: St. Kitts and Nevis - Geography Total area: 360 km2; land area: 360 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 135 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: subtropical tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
Terrain: volcanic with mountainous interiors
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: 22% arable land; 17% permanent crops; 3% meadows and pastures; 17% forest and woodland; 41% other
Environment: subject to hurricanes (July to October)
Note: located 320 km southeast of Puerto Rico
- People Population: 40,157 (July 1990), growth rate 0.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 24 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 11 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 40 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male, 71 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.7 children born/woman (1990)
Ethnic divisions: mainly of black African descent
Nationality: noun--Kittsian(s), Nevisian(s); adjective--Kittsian, Nevisian
Religion: Anglican, other Protestant sects, Roman Catholic
Language: English
Literacy: 80%
Labor force: 20,000 (1981)
Organized labor: 6,700
- Government Long-form name: Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Basseterre
Administrative divisions: 14 parishs; Christ Church Nichola Town, Saint Anne Sandy Point, Saint George Basseterre, Saint George Gingerland, Saint James Windward, Saint John Capisterre, Saint John Figtree, Saint Mary Cayon, Saint Paul Capisterre, Saint Paul Charlestown, Saint Peter Basseterre, Saint Thomas Lowland, Saint Thomas Middle Island, Trinity Palmetto Point
Independence: 19 September 1983 (from UK)
Constitution: 19 September 1983
Legal system: based on English common law
National holiday: Independence Day, 19 September (1983)
Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly (sometimes referred to as the National Assembly)
Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Clement Athelston ARRINDELL (since 19 September 1983, previously Governor General of the Associated State since November 1981);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Dr. Kennedy Alphonse SIMMONDS (since 19 September 1983, previously Premier of the Associated State since February 1980); Deputy Prime Minister Michael Oliver POWELL (since NA)
Political parties and leaders: People's Action Movement (PAM), Kennedy Simmonds; St. Kitts and Nevis Labor Party (SKNLP), Lee Moore; Nevis Reformation Party (NRP), Simeon Daniel; Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM), Vance Amory
Suffrage: universal adult at age NA
Elections: House of Assembly--last held 21 March 1989 (next to be held by 21 March 1994); seats--(14 total, 11 elected) PAM 6, SKNLP 2, NRP 2, CCM 1
Communists: none known
Member of: ACP, CARICOM, Commonwealth, FAO, IBRD, IMF, ISO, OAS, OECS, UN
Diplomatic representation: Minister-Counselor (Deputy Chief of Mission), Charge d'Affaires ad interim Erstein M. EDWARDS; Chancery at Suite 540, 2501 M Street NW, Washington DC 20037; telephone (202) 833-3550; US--none
Flag: divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a broad black band bearing two white five-pointed stars; the black band is edged in yellow; the upper triangle is green, the lower triangle is red
- Economy Overview: The economy has historically depended on the growing and processing of sugarcane and on remittances from overseas workers. In recent years, tourism and export-oriented manufacturing have assumed larger roles.
GDP: $119 million, per capita $3,240; real growth rate 6% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.9% (1987)
Unemployment rate: 20-25% (1987)
Budget: revenues $38.5 million; expenditures $45.0 million, including capital expenditures of $15.8 million (1988)
Exports: $30.3 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--sugar, manufactures, postage stamps; partners--US 44%, UK 30%, Trinidad and Tobago 12% (1987)
Imports: $94.7 million (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--foodstuffs, intermediate manufactures, machinery, fuels; partners--US 35%, UK 18%, Trinidad and Tobago 10%, Canada 6%, Japan 4% (1987)
External debt: $27.6 million (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 5.8% (1986)
Electricity: 15,800 kW capacity; 45 million kWh produced, 1,120 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: sugar processing, tourism, cotton, salt, copra, clothing, footwear, beverages
Agriculture: accounts for 10% of GDP; cash crop--sugarcane; subsistence crops--rice, yams, bananas; fishing potential not fully exploited; most food imported
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $13.6 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $46 million
Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural--dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1--2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 58 km 0.760-meter narrow gauge on St. Kitts for sugarcane
Highways: 300 km total; 125 km paved, 125 km otherwise improved, 50 km unimproved earth
Ports: Basseterre (St. Kitts), Charlestown (Nevis)
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; none with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: good interisland VHF/UHF/SHF radio connections and international link via Antigua and Barbuda and St. Martin; 2,400 telephones; stations--2 AM, no FM, 4 TV
- Defense Forces Branches: Royal St. Kitts and Nevis Police Force
Military manpower: NA
Defense expenditures: NA ---------------------------------------------------- Country: St. Lucia - Geography Total area: 620 km2; land area: 610 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 158 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season from January to April, rainy season from May to August
Terrain: volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys
Natural resources: forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential
Land use: 8% arable land; 20% permanent crops; 5% meadows and pastures; 13% forest and woodland; 54% other; includes 2% irrigated
Environment: subject to hurricanes and volcanic activity; deforestation; soil erosion
Note: located 700 km southeast of Puerto Rico
- People Population: 153,196 (July 1990), growth rate 2.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 33 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 2 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 18 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 74 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.8 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun--St. Lucian(s); adjective--St. Lucian
Ethnic divisions: 90.3% African descent, 5.5% mixed, 3.2% East Indian, 0.8% Caucasian
Religion: 90% Roman Catholic, 7% Protestant, 3% Anglican
Language: English (official), French patois
Literacy: 78%
Labor force: 43,800; 43.4% agriculture, 38.9% services, 17.7% industry and commerce (1983 est.)
Organized labor: 20% of labor force
- Government Long-form name: none
Type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Castries
Administrative divisions: 11 parishes; Anse-la-Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort
Independence: 22 February 1979 (from UK)
Constitution: 22 February 1979
Legal system: based on English common law
National holiday: Independence Day, 22 February (1979)
Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Assembly
Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Stanislaus Anthony JAMES (since 10 October 1988);
Head of Government--Prime Minister John George Melvin COMPTON (since 3 May 1982)
Political parties and leaders: United Workers' Party (UWP), John Compton; St. Lucia Labor Party (SLP), Julian Hunte; Progressive Labor Party (PLP), George Odlum
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: House of Assembly--last held 6 April 1987 (next to be held April 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(17 total) UWP 10, SLP 7
Communists: negligible
Member of: ACP, CARICOM, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, NAM, OAS, OECS, PAHO, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Dr. Joseph Edsel EDMUNDS; Chancery at Suite 309, 2100 M Street NW, Washington DC 30037; telephone (202) 463-7378 or 7379; there is a St. Lucian Consulate General in New York; US--none
Flag: blue with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border
- Economy Overview: Since 1983 the economy has shown an impressive average annual growth rate of almost 5% because of strong agricultural and tourist industry sectors. There is also an expanding industrial base supported by foreign investment in manufacturing and other activities, such as in data processing. The economy, however, remains vulnerable because the important agricultural sector is dominated by banana production. St. Lucia is subject to periodic droughts and/or tropical storms, and its protected market agreement with the UK for bananas may end in 1992.
GDP: $172 million, per capita $1,258; real growth rate 6.8% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.0% (1987)
Unemployment rate: 18.6% (1986)
Budget: revenues $71.7 million; expenditures $79.3 million, including capital expenditures of $19.6 million (1987)
Exports: $76.8 million (f.o.b., 1987); commodities--bananas 67%, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil, clothing; partners--UK 55%, CARICOM 21%, US 18%, other 6%
Imports: $178.1 million (c.i.f., 1987); commodities--manufactured goods 22%, machinery and transportation equipment 21%, food and live animals 20%, mineral fuels, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fertilizers, petroleum products; partners--US 33%, UK 16%, CARICOM 14.8%, Japan 6.5%, other 29.7%
External debt: $39.5 million (December 1987)
Industrial production: growth rate 2.4% (1987)
Electricity: 20,000 kW capacity; 80 million kWh produced, 530 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated boxes, tourism, lime processing, coconut processing
Agriculture: accounts for 15% of GDP and 43% of labor force; crops--bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus fruit, root crops, cocoa; imports food for the tourist industry
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $4 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $93 million
Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural--dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1--2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
Fiscal Year: 1 April-31 March
- Communications Highways: 760 km total; 500 km paved; 260 km otherwise improved
Ports: Castries
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439
Telecommunications: fully automatic telephone system; 9,500 telephones; direct radio relay link with Martinique and St. Vincent and the Grenadines; interisland troposcatter link to Barbados; stations--4 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV (cable)
- Defense Forces Branches: Royal St. Lucia Police Force
Military manpower: NA
Defense expenditures: NA ---------------------------------------------------- Country: St. Pierre and Miquelon (territorial collectivity of France) - Geography Total area: 242 km2; land area: 242 km2; includes eight small islands in the St. Pierre and the Miquelon groups
Comparative area: slightly less than 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 120 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: focus of maritime boundary dispute between Canada and France
Climate: cold and wet, with much mist and fog; spring and autumn are windy
Terrain: mostly barren rock
Natural resources: fish, deepwater ports