Allen hurricane in 1980 and Hugo cyclone in 1989 destroyed the crops, and together with the crisis in the agricultural sector, caused a reorientation of the economic activity of the country. The economy of Saint Lucia is largely dependent on agriculture. Bananas are the most important crop. The country has fertile soils suitable for plantations as banana, cacao, sugar cane and coconut.
The life expectancy rate is 67 years for men and 72 for women. Daily calorie consumptionper capita: 2, 424. There is a doctor every 3.830 inhabitants (1984-89). Infant mortality (less than 5 years old): 22 every 1.000 children (1991).
The industrial sector produces cardboard boxes, electric parts, textile products, plastics, and beverages. Tourism is a very important field and it has been steadily developed since the last 1960’s.The tourist industry represents the most important revenues for the country.
In 1999 the Gross National Product (GNP) was 380 million dollars, which means per capita revenues of 2.500 dollars.
The national economy has been traditionally based on the following crops: sugar cane, cacao, bananas, coconut, copra and citrus. The cattle breeding is not enough so as to satisfy the internal demand; industry constitute a modest field and is mainly based on the processing of agricultural products and especially, the production of rum. There are also electronic parts factories, as well as soap, fertilizer and textile factories. Tourism has been very rapidly expanded and it constitutes the most important sort of revenues of the country. The purchasing power of the visitors is high and different in origin, although the majority of them comes from the United States. Regarding the foreign trade, Saint Lucia has a similar situation as its neighbors: it depends on the imports of food and textile products, machinery and chemical fertilizers completely, and the cost of them is compensated by the sales of bananas, sugar and rum. This situation creates a severe deficit with the United Kingdom, which is the main supplier and client. The national currency is the East Caribbean dollar.
Communications in Saint Lucia are based on the road that surrounds the island and on Castries port, as well as on Hewanorra airport near Vieux Fort, and Vigie airport near Castries. The country does not have railroads and the domestic transport is private.
