Saint Lucia is a sovereign island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean.
The official name of the country is Saint Lucia.
Saint Lucia is located northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique (France).
The official language is English.
As of 1 January 2016, the population of Saint Lucia was estimated to be 185,868 people.
Saint Lucia covers a land area of 617 square kilometers (238 square miles); it is 43.5 kilometers (27 miles) long and 22.5 kilometers (14 miles) wide.
Castries is the capital and largest city of Saint Lucia. The city’s design is in a grid pattern. Its sheltered harbour receives cargo vessels, ferry boats, and cruise ships.
St. Lucia’s physical features are notable. Dominated by high peaks and rain forests in the interior, the island is known for the twin peaks of Gros Piton and Petit Piton on the southwestern coast, its soft sandy beaches, and its magnificent natural harbors.
Mount Gimie is the tallest mountain on the island of Saint Lucia. The mountain’s peak reaches 950 meters (3,117 feet). It is of volcanic origin and is covered by lush tropical rainforest.
Saint Lucia has 158 kilometers (98 miles) of coastline.
Saint Lucia is adorned with pristine sugar sand beaches and exotic black sand beaches.
Reduit Beach by most measurements the best, and certainly busiest, beach on the island. The long stretch of of fine golden sand, with lovely views across the bay to double humped Pigeon Island.
The Pitons are two mountainous volcanic plugs, volcanic spires, located in Saint Lucia. The Gros Piton is 771 meters (2,530 feet) high, and the Petit Piton is 743 meters (2,438 feet) high; they are linked by the Piton Mitan ridge. The Pitons are a UNESCO World Heritage Site 2,909 hectares (7,190 acres) in size.
Marigot Bay, arguably the most beautiful bay on St Lucia, is best viewed from a vista point on the road between the main Caribbean coastal route and the bay itself. Lush hillsides plunge to the pretty palm-fringed beach, and yachts bob on the bay’s blue waters. The harbor is so deep and sheltered that the British fleet supposedly hid here from the French by covering their masts with palm fronds.
Pigeon Island National Landmark is heralded as one of the most important monuments of Saint Lucias history. It is a vivid representation of the cultural and historical monuments of international, civil, military and marine cross currents, characteristic of West Indian historical change. A living museum within a natural setting, Pigeon Island is being nurtured through careful protection and intelligent development to serve the intellectual, cultural and recreational needs of all who visit this historic site.
Sulphur Springs is the “world’s only drive in volcano“. Though the last major volcanic eruption in St Lucia occurred about 40,000 years ago, this volcanic pit continues to vent sulfur into the air and heat pools of water above boiling. The Sulfur Springs are a popular tourist destination in St Lucia due to their ability for tourists to literally drive up to the edge of the springs.
The Diamond Falls are consistently described as one of the natural wonders of St Lucia. The Diamond Falls offers three popular attractions: well-conceived gardens, a beautiful waterfall colored by mineral deposits, and healing mineral hot spring baths originally built for the troops of King Louis the XVI of France.
The first inhabitants of St. Lucia were the Arawak Indians, who were forced off the island by the Caribs. Explored by Spain and then France, St. Lucia became a British territory in 1814 and one of the Windward Islands in 1871. With other Windward Islands, St. Lucia was granted home rule in 1967 as one of the West Indies Associated States. On Feb. 22, 1979, St. Lucia achieved full independence.
Tourism is vital to Saint Lucia’s economy. One of St Lucia’s main export is bananas, but they also export cacao, vegetables and clothing.
Saint Lucian cuisine is a combination of French, East Indian and British dishes. St Lucia’s national dish is green figs and saltfish (actually it’s made with bananas not figs).
The national bird is the St Lucia Parrot, or Jacquot, which is native only to Saint Lucia.
Saint Lucia was named after Saint Lucy of Syracuse by the French, the island’s first European settlers, and the only country in the world named after a woman.
St. Lucia’s nattional motto is “The Land, The People, The Light“.
Despite a population of only 176,000, Saint Lucians have won two Nobel Prizes: Arthur Lewis (economics) and Derek Walcott (literature).
The biggest St Lucian festival is the Saint Lucia Jazz Festival in May. Musicians come from all over the world to take part in this celebration.
Cricket is massively popular in Saint Lucia.
Saint Lucia is an anagram of “is nautical” or “is a lunatic”.