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Situated at latitude 13 54' north of the Equator and 60 50' west, Saint Lucia is one of the Windward Islands located in the middle of the Eastern Caribbean chain of islands, approximately 21 miles south of Martinique and 110 miles northwest of Barbados. With an area of 238 sq miles (98 mile coast line) Saint Lucia is 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC. The climate is tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season is from January to April, and the rainy season from May to August. The terrain is volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys. Saint Lucia houses the world's only drive-in volcano.
The Population as at July 2002 is estimated at 160,145. The majority of the population (over 90%) is of African descent with the remainder being of European descent and other nationalities. This English speaking nation is noted for its exquisite beauty and friendly people. The Arawak Indians were the first to inhabit Saint Lucia, but they themselves were conquered and driven off by their fierce Caribs. The first European to discover Saint Lucia was Columbus Navigator in 1499. Saint Lucia was contested by the British and French for 150 years. The island changed possession 14 times, before it was finally ceded to the British in 1814. Self-government was granted in 1967 and on 22 February 1979 Saint Lucia was independent. Despite being independent Saint Lucia remains a member of the Commonwealth. Its parliamentary and legal structures are based on the British system. The country enjoys a high level of political and economic stability.
H.E. Mr. Julian Robert Hunte, President of the fifty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly, is Minister for External Affairs, International Trade and Civil Aviation of Saint Lucia, a Senator and Member of Parliament, a Justice of the Peace and a business executive. Mr. Hunte, who has extensive experience in the multilateral process, was Saint Lucia's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 1998 to 2001. During this time, he served as Chairman of the Special Committee on Decolonisation, formally known as the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. He has participated in various international summits and conferences convened by the United Nations, including the 2000 Millennium Summit, the 2002 International Conference on Financing for Development, in Monterrey, and the 2002 World Summit for Sustainable Development, in Johannesburg, to which he led his country's delegation.
The official currency is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC). It has been pegged to the US Dollar at a rate of EC$2.70 = US$1.00 since 1976, making it one the world’s most stable currencies. The EC Dollar is shared by seven other islands in the Caribbean (St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Grenada, Dominica, Antigua & Barbuda, Anguilla, Monserrat and St. Kitts & Nevis) and managed by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank.
St. Lucia has a vibrant, open economy. The economy has traditionally been based heavily on agriculture, being one of the largest producers of bananas in the Eastern Caribbean. However, tourism has fast developed as a main revenue earner for the island with the attraction of international hotel chains such as Jalousie, Hilton and Sandals. The Government has also actively encouraged the development of modern and flexible legislation ensuring the preservation of St. Lucia's pristine reputation in the industry.
The island has an excellent telephone, telefax, and postal service. Domestic and international telecommunications services are provided by Cable & Wireless (West Indies), including all digital, internet and leased Data lines to T1 capacity and beyond. With the liberalisation of the telecommunications industry, there are other cellular phone service providers that include Digicel and AT&T Wireless. The island is readily accessible from anywhere in the world and serviced by two airports, which include Hewanorra International Airport and George F L Charles Airport. Direct flights are available from many major cities worldwide.. There are also two modern seaports that accommodate several cruise ships daily. Visitors coming by way of chartered or private yachts have a choice of three marinas with full service facilities. St. Lucia is fours hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and is one hour ahead of US Eastern Time (EST). Daylight savings time is not observed.
The country has a well-developed infrastructure and professional services are readily available at a reasonable charge. St. Lucia encourages foreign investment offering tax concessions and tax incentives. International Business Companies (IBC) take advantage of tax exemptions, low tax rates and freedom of exchange controls.
St. Lucia, whose entire population is less than that of a small town in world power states such as France, Japan, Germany, Britain or the United States, produced TWO Nobel Prize winners in the space of 13 years. Sir Arthur Lewis won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1979. Sir Derek Walcott won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1992. This is the highest number of Nobel Laureates per capita in the world.
Source: PricewaterhouseCoopers Saint Lucia: www.pwc.com/lc
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