Saint Lucia

Lc redirects here. See LC for other possible meanings.

Saint Lucia 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 of the islands of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and south of Martinique. It is also known as the "Helen of the West".

Saint Lucia

	Coat of Arms of Saint Lucia
(In Detail)	(In Detail)

Royal anthem: God Save the Queen

National motto: The Land, The People, The Light

Official language

English

Capital

Castries

Head of State

Queen Elizabeth II

Governor-General

Dame Pearlette Louisy

Prime Minister

Dr. Kenny Anthony

Area
- Total
- % water

Ranked 176th
620 km²
1,6%

Population
- Total (2005)
- Density

Ranked 187th
161,000
260/km²

HDI (2003)

0.772 (76th) – medium

Independence
- Date

From the UK
February 22, 1979

Currency

East Caribbean dollar

Time zone

UTC -4

National anthem

Sons and Daughters of Saint Lucia

Internet TLD

.lc

Calling Code

1-758

History

Main article: History of Saint Lucia

Saint Lucia is an independent island kingdom and one of the Windward Islands. Named for the Roman Catholic Saint Lucy of Syracuse. It was first visited by Europeans in about the year 1500 and first colonized successfully by France who signed a treaty with the native Carib peoples in 1660. Great Britain then took control of the island from 1663-1667 before going to war with France over it fourteen times. The British finally took complete control of the island in 1814. Representative government came about in 1924 and from 1958 to 1962 the island was a member of The Federation of the West Indies. Lastly, on February 22, 1979 Saint Lucia became an independent state of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Saint Lucia

As a Commonwealth Realm, Saint Lucia recognizes Queen Elizabeth II as the Head of State of Saint Lucia, represented on the island by a Governor-General. Executive power, however, is in the hands of the prime minister and his cabinet. The prime minister is normally the head of the party winning the elections for the House of Assembly, which has 17 seats. The other chamber of parliament, the Senate, has 11 appointed members.

Saint Lucia is a full & participating member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

Quarters

Main article: Quarters of Saint Lucia

The island of Saint Lucia is divided into 11 quarters:

Geography

Map of Saint Lucia

Main article: Geography of Saint Lucia

The volcanic island of Saint Lucia is more mountainous than many other Caribbean islands, with the highest point being Mount Gimie, at 950 m 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 flaunts 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, Soufrière 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 November.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Saint Lucia

The recent changes in the European Union 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, which is the island's main source of revenue. The manufacturing sector is the most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean area, and the government is trying to revitalise the banana industry. Despite negative growth in 2001, economic fundamentals remain solid, and GDP growth should recover in the future.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Saint Lucia

The small population of Saint Lucia is of mostly African descent (upwards of 90% of the population).There is also a small but economically significant mulatto minority representing approximately 5%; just 1.1% are of European origin, with an Indo-Caribbean minority of some 3%. A small, mixed Carib (Kalinago) population mainly centered in the Choiseul region, but also in other towns on the Western coast, is present as well. Rounding out the population are small numbers of Lebanese and Syrians. The official language of the country is English, but a patois based mainly on French is also spoken. The majority of the population are Roman Catholics (ca. 90%); the rest are Anglicans (3%) or other Protestants (7%).

St. Lucia boasts the highest ratio in the world for number of Nobel laureates produced with respect to the total population of the nation. Two winners have come from St. Lucia - Sir Arthur Lewis won the Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel ("Nobel Prize in Economics") in 1979, and Derek Walcott received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1992.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Saint Lucia

Tourism in St Lucia

Unspoiled St Lucia beach - February 2006

Second only to bananas, tourism is vital to St Lucia's economy - and it is hard to imagine that tourism will not become even more important in the future. Provided one visits during the dry season (January - April), St Lucia has all the ingredients necessary for a great holiday in the sun: warm temperatures, breath taking scenery, gorgeous beaches, crystal-clear waters and friendly natives.

Soufriere Bay- February 2006

But St Lucia also has character: there is more to see than just the beaches. In the south there is the "World's only drive-in Volcano" which is a great day out (the smell not with standing) as is the wonderful Botanical Gardens. In the north there is Pigeon Island National Park, with the ruins of an old British base (Fort Rodney) once commanded by Admiral Rodney to which the area; Rodney Bay is named after. The fact that the island is not over-developed is also a plus-point: there are lovely beaches without hotels, sweeping mountains and impenetrable rain forests.

Miscellaneous topics

Category:Saint Lucian Wikipedians

External links

Template:West Indies