ResourcesOverview
St. Lucia is a high volcanic island. Coral reefs are generally poorly developed, often only forming a thin veneer over the underlying volcanic substrates. The best developed reefs are in the south and east, although the best studied and most heavily utilized coral communities occur along the west coast. Certain reefs around Soufriere showed up to 50 percent live coral cover, but these sites were strongly impacted by Hurricane Lenny in 1999, which brought strong wave action on the leeward coast. Fishing is a very important activity around the island and overexploitation is a problem. Concerted efforts have recently been undertaken to manage the nearshore fisheries, and in the Soufriere Marine Management Area a number of no-take reserves have been established, interspersed with other use zones. Studies have shown huge increases in fish biomass in the reserves, while fishermen have reported significant increases in their catches from adjacent fishing priority areas. Studies have shown a tripling of fish biomass in the marine reserves, while fishermen have reported significant increases in their catches from adjacent areas. Tourism is also popular in the islands, and diving is increasingly focussed towards sites in the marine management area. Fees from divers, and anchor fees from yachts, mean that the management authority is now self-financing. This provides perhaps the best example in the region of reef management for multiple uses with full community participation. A new marine management area is now under development further north on the same coast.
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--St. Lucian(s).
Population (2001): 163,300.
Annual growth rate (est. 2001): 5.4%.
Ethnic groups: African descent 90%, mixed 6%, East Indian 3%, European 0.8%.
Religions: Roman Catholic 90%, Church of England 3%, various Protestant denominations.
Languages: English (official); a French patois is common throughout the country.
Education: Literacy--85%. Years compulsory--ages 5-15. Attendance--more than 80% urban, 75% rural.
Health (2000): Life expectancy--74 years female; 68 years male. Infant mortality rate--16/1,000.
Work force (1998): Agriculture--62%. Industry and commerce--20%. Services--18%.
Unemployment (2000) 16.5%
Economy
GDP (2000): $707 million.
Annual growth rate (2001): 3.9%.
Per capita GDP (2000): $4,562.
Natural resources: Forests, beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs. Agriculture (7.9% of GDP): Products--bananas, cocoa, coconut, citrus fruits, livestock.
Industry: Manufacturing 5.5% of GDP. Types--garments, electronic components, beverages, corrugated boxes. Tourism--13% of GDP.
Trade: Exports (2000): $20.3 million: bananas, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, other agricultural products, oils and fats, manufactured goods. Imports (2000): $20.3. Major markets--U.K., U.S., CARICOM countries. Imports (2000) $114.1 million: food, fuel, manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment.
Major suppliers--U.S., CARICOM countries, U.K., Japan.
Profile
St. Lucia's population is predominantly of African and mixed African-European descent, with small East Indian and European minorities. English is the official language, although many St. Lucians speak a French patois. Ninety percent of the population is Roman Catholic, a further reflection of early French influence on the island. The population of just over 147,000 is evenly divided between urban and rural areas, although the capital, Castries, contains more than one-third of the population. Despite a high emigration rate, the population is growing rapidly, about 5.4% per year.
History
St. Lucia's first known inhabitants were Arawaks, believed to have come from northern South America 200-400 A.D. Numerous archaeological sites on the island have produced specimens of the Arawaks' well-developed pottery. Caribs gradually replaced Arawaks during the period 800-1000 A.D.
Europeans first landed on the island in either 1492 or 1502 during Spain's early exploration of the Caribbean. The Dutch, English, and French all tried to establish trading outposts on St. Lucia in the 17th century but faced opposition from hostile Caribs.
The English, with their headquarters in Barbados, and the French, centered on Martinique, found St. Lucia attractive after the sugar industry developed in 1765. Britain eventually triumphed, with France permanently ceding St. Lucia in 1815. In 1838, St. Lucia was incorporated into the British Windward Islands administration, headquartered in Barbados. This lasted until 1885, when the capital was moved to Grenada.
Increasing self-government has marked St. Lucia's 20th-century history. A 1924 constitution gave the island its first form of representative government, with a minority of elected members in the previously all-nominated legislative council. Universal adult suffrage was introduced in 1951, and elected members became a majority of the council. Ministerial government was introduced in 1956, and in 1958 St. Lucia joined the short-lived West Indies Federation, a semi-autonomous dependency of the United Kingdom. When the federation collapsed in 1962, following Jamaica's withdrawal, a smaller federation was briefly attempted. After the second failure, the United Kingdom and the six windward and leeward islands--Grenada, St. Vincent, Dominica, Antigua, St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla, and St. Lucia--developed a novel form of cooperation called associated statehood.
As an associated state of the United Kingdom from 1967 to 1979, St. Lucia had full responsibility for internal self-government but left its external affairs and defense responsibilities to the United Kingdom. This interim arrangement ended on February 22, 1979, when St. Lucia achieved full independence. St. Lucia continues to recognize Queen Elizabeth II as titular head of state and is an active member of the Commonwealth. The island continues to cooperate with its neighbors through the Caribbean community and common market (CARICOM), the East Caribbean Common Market (ECCM), and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
Information provided by CIA Worldfactbook, US Department of State, Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN). ReefBase: Oliver, J. and M. Noordeloos. Editors. 2002, UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Center,
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: Photo: Annaliza Savage/Wired.com SAN FRANCISCO -- The California Academy of Sciences is practicing what they preach. The organization's new 410,000-square-foot eco-friendly facility in Golden Gate Park is a living, breathing science experimen...
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