World Factbook
Saint Lucia
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Flag
description: cerulean blue with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border meaning: blue stands for the sky and sea, gold for sunshine and prosperity, and white and black for the ethnic composition of the island; the triangles represent Gros Piton and Petit Piton, the cone-shaped volcanic plugs that are a symbol of the island
Capital
name
Castries
etymology
in 1785, the village of Carenage was renamed Castries, after Charles Eugene Gabriel de La Croix de CASTRIES, who was then the French Minister of the Navy and Colonies
time difference
UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
geographic coordinates
14 00 N, 61 00 W
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Citizenship
citizenship by birth
yes
citizenship by descent only
at least one parent must be a citizen of Saint Lucia
dual citizenship recognized
yes
residency requirement for naturalization
8 years
Constitution
history
previous 1958, 1960 (pre-independence); latest presented 20 December 1978, effective 22 February 1979
amendment process
proposed by Parliament; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the House of Assembly membership in the final reading and assent of the governor general; passage of amendments to various constitutional sections, such as those on fundamental rights and freedoms, government finances, the judiciary, and procedures for amending the constitution, require at least three-quarters majority vote by the House and assent of the governor general; passage of amendments approved by the House but rejected by the Senate require a majority of votes cast in a referendum
Country name
note
note: pronounced saynt-LOO-shuh
etymology
believed to be named after Saint LUCY (Sainte ALOUSIE) of Syracuse by French sailors who were shipwrecked on the island on 13 December 1502, the saint's feast day
conventional long form
none
conventional short form
Saint Lucia
Independence
22 February 1979 (from the UK)
Legal system
English common law
Government type
parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
Judicial branch
highest court(s)
the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC is headquartered on St. Lucia and consists of the Court of Appeal -- headed by the chief justice and 4 judges -- and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal travels to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; member of the Caribbean Court of Justice
subordinate courts
magistrate's court
judge selection and term of office
chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by the British monarch; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, an independent body of judicial officials; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62
Executive branch
cabinet
Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
chief of state
King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Acting Governor General Cyril Errol CHARLES (since 11 November 2021)
head of government
Prime Minister Philip J. PIERRE (since 28 July 2021)
election/appointment process
the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the governor general usually appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as prime minister; deputy prime minister also appointed by governor general
National holiday
Independence Day, 22 February (1979)
National color(s)
cerulean blue, gold, black, white
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites
1 (natural)
selected World Heritage Site locales
Pitons Management Area
Political parties
Saint Lucia Labor Party or SLP United Workers Party or UWP
Legislative branch
legislature name
Houses of Parliament
legislative structure
bicameral
National anthem(s)
title
"God Save the King"
history
in use since 1745
lyrics/music
unknown
National symbol(s)
twin pitons (volcanic peaks), Saint Lucia parrot
Administrative divisions
10 districts; Anse-la-Raye, Canaries, Castries, Choiseul, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Soufrière, Vieux-Fort
Legislative branch - lower chamber
chamber name
House of Assembly
term in office
5 years
number of seats
18 (all directly elected)
electoral system
plurality/majority
scope of elections
full renewal
most recent election date
7/26/2021
expected date of next election
December 2025
percentage of women in chamber
10.5%
parties elected and seats per party
Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) (13); United Workers Party (UWP) (2); Independents (2)
Legislative branch - upper chamber
chamber name
Senate
term in office
5 years
number of seats
11 (all appointed)
scope of elections
full renewal
most recent election date
8/17/2021
expected date of next election
December 2025
percentage of women in chamber
54.5%
Diplomatic representation in the US
FAX
[1] (202) 364-6723
chancery
1629 K Street NW, Suite 1250, Washington, DC 20006
telephone
[1] (202) 364-6792
chief of mission
Ambassador Elizabeth DARIUS-CLARKE (since 7 June 2022)
consulate(s) general
Miami, New York
email address and website
embassydc@gosl.gov.lc https://www.embassyofstlucia.org/
Diplomatic representation from the US
embassy
the US does not have an embassy in Saint Lucia; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint Lucia
International organization participation
ACP, ACS, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction