Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia has two volcanic spires rising straight out of the sea, the Pitons, and it has produced two Nobel Prize winners from a population of under 200,000.
- CapitalCastriesOn a deep natural harbour
- PopulationAbout 180,000One of the smaller Caribbean nations
- Area617 km2About 43 km long
- Nobel laureates2The most per person of any country
Saint Lucia is volcanic, steep and green. The Pitons, Gros Piton and Petit Piton, are two lava plugs rising 771 m and 743 m directly from the sea, and they are the island's emblem.
Nearby is Sulphur Springs, often called the world's only drive-in volcano because a road runs right into the collapsed crater, where hot springs steam and bubble.
National symbols
- National bird Saint Lucia parrot, found nowhere else
- National flower Rose and marguerite, celebrated in two rival flower festivals
- National anthem Sons and Daughters of Saint Lucia
- National day Independence Day, 22 February
Map of Saint Lucia
Geography
Saint Lucia covers 617 km2 and has no land borders, lying in the eastern Caribbean between Martinique and Saint Vincent.
The island is volcanic and mountainous, rising to Mount Gimie at 950 m. Rainforest covers the interior, and the Pitons on the south-west coast are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sulphur Springs near Soufriere sits inside a collapsed volcanic crater.
Climate
Saint Lucia is tropical, warm all year at around 24C to 31C, moderated by north-east trade winds.
The dry season runs December to May and the wet season June to November, overlapping hurricane season. The mountainous interior receives far more rain than the coast, over 3,500 mm a year in places.
Culture
English is the official language, and Saint Lucian Creole French, called Kweyol, is widely spoken, a direct legacy of French rule.
Around 90 per cent of Saint Lucians are Christian, mostly Catholic, another French inheritance. La Rose and La Marguerite are two flower societies whose rival festivals in August and October split families and villages in a friendly competition going back generations.
Economy
Tourism is by far the largest industry, based on the Pitons, beaches and cruise ship arrivals at Castries.
Bananas were the mainstay before tourism and are still exported, along with cocoa and coconut products. Offshore financial services provide additional income.
The flag
A light blue field for the sky and the sea, with a design in the centre made of overlapping triangles.
A gold triangle sits at the base for sunshine and prosperity, and a black arrowhead outlined in white rises above it. The black and white together stand for the two main cultural influences, African and European, living together, and the triangular shape represents the Pitons rising from the water.