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

NOTE: The information regarding St. Lucia on this page is re-published from the 1990 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of St. Lucia Government 1990 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about St. Lucia Government 1990 should be addressed to the CIA.