| Saint Lucia’ pronounced (French: Sainte-Lucie) is an island nation in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the islands of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, northwest of Barbados and south of martinique. Its size is 620 km² with an estimated population of 160,000. Its capital is Castries. The island nation has been the home of two Nobel Laureates, Arthur Lewis and Derick Walcott, and so can claim the distinction of being the nation with the most such honorees per capita in the world.Saint Lucia is one of the Windward Islands, named for Saint Lucy of Syracuse. It was first visited by Europeans in about the year 1500 and first colonized successfully byFrance who signed a treaty with the native Carib peoples in 1660. Great Britain took control of the island from 1663 to 1667 then went to war with France over it fourteen times, and finally took complete control in 1814. Because it switched so often between British and French control, St. Lucia was also known as the “Helen of the West Indies.”
The volcanic island of Saint Lucia is more mountainous than many other Caribbean islands, with the highest point being Mount Gimie, at 950 metres (3,120 ft) above sea level. Two other mountains, the Pitons, form the island’s most famous landmark. They are located between Soufrière and Choiseul on the western side of the island. Saint Lucia is also one of the few islands in the world that boasts a drive-in volcano. The capital city of Saint Lucia is Castries, where about one third of the population lives. Major towns include Gros Islet, Soufriere and Vieux Fort. The local climate is tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds, with a dry season from January to April and a rainy season from May to December.
Tourism is vital to St. Lucia’s economy and the economic importance of such is expected to continue to increase as the market for bananas becomes more competitive. Tourism tends to be more substantial during the dry season (January to April). St Lucia tends to be popular due to its tropical weather and scenery and its large number of beaches and resorts. Tourist attractions include The famous Pitons, the Sulphur Springs a drive-in volcano (at Soufriere), the Botanical Gardens’ the rain forests and Pigeon Island National Park, which is home to Fort Rodney, an old British military base. |
| The culture of Saint Lucia has been influenced by African, French and English heritage. One of the secondary languages is Creole, a form of French Patios. Saint Lucian cultural festivals include La Rose and La Marguerite, the one representing the Rosicrucian order, the other one representing Freemasonry, which can be seen on a mural painted by Dunstan St. Omer, depicting the holy trinity of Osiris, Horus and Isis. A popular folk dance is the Quadrille as well as other Caribbean music genres such as soca, zouk, kompa and reggae, Saint Lucia has a strong indigenous folk music tradition. Each May since 1992, Saint Lucia has hosted an internationally-renowned Jazz Festival.
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