Saint Lucia Passport

[Country Name] Saint Lucia.

[Area] 616 square kilometers.

[Population] 184000 people (2023). About 85% are black, about 10% are mixed race, and there are also a few Indian and white people. English is the official language and lingua franca. The local residents generally speak Patois, also known as Creole. Most residents believe in Roman Catholicism.

【 Capital 】 Castries, with a population of 70000.

King Charles III of England appointed the Governor General as his representative. The current acting governor is Cyril Errol Melchiades Charles, who took office on November 11, 2021.

[Important Festival] National Day (Columbus Discovery Day of Saint Lucia): December 13th; Independence Day: February 22nd.

【 Overview 】 Located in the central part of the Windward Islands in the Eastern Caribbean Sea, it is a mountainous island nation with many short rivers and fertile valleys. The highest peak is Mount Mokimi, with an elevation of 959 meters. Tropical climate with an average annual temperature of 26 ℃.

The earliest inhabitants were Native Americans. In 1639, it was invaded by Britain, and in 1651, it was occupied by France. Since then, it has been contested by England and France for a long time. In 1814, the Treaty of Paris officially designated the island as a British colony. On February 22, 1979, it declared independence and is now a member of the Commonwealth.

After independence, the Labour Party and the United Workers' Party alternated in power. On July 26, 2021, Saint Paul held parliamentary elections and the Saint Paul's Labour Party won and came to power, with party leader Philip PIERRE serving as Prime Minister. At present, the political situation in the Holy Land is stable.

The current Constitution came into effect upon independence in 1979. The parliament has the power to amend the constitution.

The parliament is divided into two houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives, with a term of five years each. The Senate has 11 seats, appointed by the Governor General, of which 6 seats are nominated by the Prime Minister, 3 seats are nominated by opposition leaders, and 2 seats are independent individuals. Senate Speaker Alvina REYNOLDS. The House of Representatives has 17 seats, which are elected. At present, the ruling party, the Holy Labor Party, holds 13 seats in parliament, while the opposition party, the United Workers' Party, holds 2 seats and has 2 independent members of parliament. The Speaker of the House is Claudius Francis.

The current government was formed in August 2021. The main members of the cabinet are: Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Economic Development, Youth Economy, Justice and National Security Philippe Pierre, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investment, Creative Industries, Culture and Information Ernest Hilaire, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation and Diaspora Affairs Alva BAPTIST, Minister of Equality, Social Justice and Empowerment Joachim HENRY, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Safety and Rural Development Alfred PROSPERE, Senior Minister of Infrastructure, Ports, Transport and Urban Development Stephenson KING, Minister of Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Technology and Vocational Training Shawn Edward EDWARD, Secretary of Health, Health and Aging Moses BAPTIST, Secretary of Youth Development and Sports Kenson CASIMIR, Secretary of Commerce, Manufacturing, Enterprise Development, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs Emma HIPPOLYTE, Secretary of Public Services, Labour and Gender Affairs Virginia ALBERT POYOTTE, Secretary of Finance, Economic Development and Youth Economy Wayne GIRARD, Secretary of the Interior, Crime Prevention and Disability Affairs Jeremiah NORBERT, among others.

The judicial system is divided from bottom to top into local courts, high courts, appellate courts, and final courts. The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court is equivalent to the High Court and the Court of Appeal. In February 2023, the Saint Lucia Parliament passed a resolution to replace the Privy Council of the United Kingdom as the final court of appeal for Saint Lucia with the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

The main political parties are:

(1) St. Lucia Labour Party: The ruling party. Established in 1946. Party leader Philip Pierre.

(2) The United Workers' Party: The opposition party. It was formed in 1964 by the merger of the People's Progressive Party and the National Labor Movement. Party leader Allen CHASTANET.

Philip Pierre: Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Economic Development, Youth Economy, Justice, and National Security. Graduated from the University of the West Indies and has worked in education and finance for a long time. Joined the Holy Labour Party in 1985, was elected as a Member of Parliament in 1997 and has been re elected ever since. During the tenure of the Holy Labour Party, he served as Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, and International Finance, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Infrastructure, Ports, and Transport. Elected as the leader of the Holy Labour Party in June 2016. In July 2021, he led the party to win the parliamentary elections and became the Prime Minister.

[Economy] Tourism and agriculture are the pillars of the national economy. The COVID-19 has had a huge impact on the tourism industry of Saint Vincent. At present, the Saint's economy is recovering rapidly, and the main economic figures for 2023 are as follows:

Gross Domestic Product: 2.46 billion US dollars

Per capita Gross Domestic Product: 13442 US dollars

Gross Domestic Product Growth Rate: 3.2%

Inflation rate: 4.3%

Currency Name: Eastern Caribbean Dollar

Exchange rate: 1 US dollar ≈ 2.70 Eastern Canadian dollars

(Source: International Monetary Fund)

【 Resources 】 There are no important mineral deposits, but geothermal and forest resources are abundant. There are sulfur mines in the south.

[Industry] mainly produces export-oriented light industrial products, such as soap, coconut oil, rum, beverages and electronic assemblies, clothing, etc. In recent years, the construction industry has developed rapidly, and in order to promote industrial development, Saint Sulpice Vieux Fort has been built into a free industrial zone.

About one-third of the employed population is engaged in agriculture, mainly growing bananas, coconuts, cocoa, spices, etc. Bananas are mainly exported to the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and the surrounding Caribbean regions.

Tourism is an important source of foreign exchange. Tourists mainly come from North America and Europe.

There is no railway for transportation. The total length of the highway is about 1210 kilometers. The capital city of Castries and the southern city of Viejo are important ports of entry and exit. Having two airports, Northern Virgil Airport, operating Caribbean routes; The southern Hewanora International Airport operates international routes to the Caribbean region, as well as the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

The financial industry plays an important role in the national economy, and the government plans to establish an international financial service center.

Foreign trade mainly exports primary agricultural products and imports grain, food, petroleum, machinery, other industrial products, and daily necessities. The main trading partners are the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and member countries of the Caribbean Community.

The Saint Lucia Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture was established in 1884. Address: 1st Floor, American Drywall Building, Vide Boutielle, Castries。 Phone: 1-758-4523165.

There are 2 comprehensive hospitals, 1 psychiatric hospital, and 1 drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in People's Life, with 435 beds, 64 doctors, and 256 nursing staff. There are a total of 33 health centers, 1 joint clinic, and 2 regional hospitals in the community.

[Military] There is no shortage of troops. There is a Royal Police Force of approximately 1000 personnel (including Special Services and Coast Guard).

Implement compulsory education for teenagers aged 5 to 15. The adult literacy rate is 90.1%. There are two Nobel laureates: Arthur Lewis (1979 Economics Prize) and Derek Walcott (1992 Literature Prize).

The main newspapers include: The Voice.

Electronic media include: St. Lucia Times, Loop News, etc.

The main broadcasting and television stations include Radio Saint Lucia, National Television Network (NTN), Helen Television System (HTS), Daher Broadcasting System (DBS), etc.

Emphasizing that diplomacy serves economic growth and national development, advocating for harmonious relations with all countries, deepening regional and sub regional integration through bilateral and multilateral agreements, and calling on Caribbean countries to unite and speak out. It is a member state of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States and its secretariat, a member state of the Caribbean Community, and a member state of the Association of Caribbean States. Maintain good relations with countries such as Cuba, Venezuela, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Canada.

The relationship with the United States is close, with the two countries signing anti drug agreements, joint anti crime treaties, and extradition treaties. Saint allows US warships to enter Saint's territorial waters and exclusive economic zone to pursue and search suspected drug trafficking vessels.