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Region:
Caribbean
Capital:
Castries
Population:
164,213 (July
2004 est.)
Surface
area:
622 sq km
Currency:
EC dollar
GDP
per capita:
purchasing power
parity - $5,400
(2002 est.)
Background:
The island, with
its fine natural
harbor at Castries,
was contested
between England
and France throughout
the 17th and
early 18th centuries
(changing possession
14 times); it
was finally ceded
to the UK in
1814. Self-government
was granted in
1967 and independence
in 1979.
Economy
– Overview
Changes in the
EU import preference
regime and the
increased competition
from Latin American
bananas have
made economic
diversification
increasingly
important in
Saint Lucia.
The island nation
has been able
to attract foreign
business and
investment, especially
in its offshore
banking and tourism
industries. The
manufacturing
sector is the
most diverse
in the Eastern
Caribbean area,
and the government
is trying to
revitalize the
banana industry.
Economic fundamentals
remain solid.
United
Nations membership
date:
18 September
1979
New
York Mission:
Permanent Mission
of the Saint
Lucia to the
United Nations
800 Second Avenue,
9th Floor
New York, N.Y.
10017 USA
Telephone: 212-697-9360,
9361
Fax: 212-697-4993
Website
: http://www.un.int/stlucia
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