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Saint Lucia

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Central & South American
Countries; Countries

                      Saint Lucia


   Flag of Saint Lucia Coat of arms of Saint Lucia
           Flag                Coat of arms

   Motto
   The Land, The People, The Light
   Anthem
   " Sons and Daughters of Saint Lucia"
   Royal anthem: " God Save the Queen"
   Location of Saint Lucia
   Capital
   (and largest city)   Castries
                        14°1′N, 60°59′W
    Official languages  English
        Government      Parliamentary democracy
                        Commonwealth Realm
    -  Monarch          Queen Elizabeth II
    -  Governor-General Dame Pearlette Louisy
    -  Prime Minister   Sir. John Compton
       Independence     From the United Kingdom
    -  Date             22 February 1979
                         Area
    -  Total            620 km² ( 193rd)
                        239  sq mi
    -  Water (%)        1.6%
                      Population
    -  2005 census      160,765
    -  Density          298 /km² ( 41st)
                        672 /sq mi
   GDP ( PPP)           2002 estimate
    -  Total            $866 million ( 197th)
    -  Per capita       $5,950 ( 98th)
   HDI (2004)           0.790 (medium) ( 71st)
         Currency       East Caribbean dollar ( XCD)
       Internet TLD     .lc
       Calling code     +1-758

   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, north west of Barbados and south of
   Martinique. It is also known as the "Helen of the West Indies" as the
   island switched between British and French control so often it was
   likened to the mythical Helen of Troy.

   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 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 (with universal adult
   suffrage from 1953) 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. The
   island nation celebrates this every year with a public holiday, which
   coincidentally marks the birthday of the prominent British diplomat,
   Lucia Ladi.

Politics

   Saint Lucia is a full member of the OECS..
   Saint Lucia is a full member of the OECS..

   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

   Quarters of Saint Lucia
   Quarters of Saint Lucia

   The island of Saint Lucia is divided into 11 quarters:
    1. Anse la Raye
    2. Canaries
    3. Castries
    4. Choiseul
    5. Dennery
    6. Forest
    7. Gros Islet
    8. Laborie
    9. Micoud
   10. Soufrière
   11. Vieux Fort

Geography

   Map of Saint Lucia
   Map 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 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, 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

   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
   revitalize the banana industry. Despite negative growth in 2001,
   economic fundamentals remain solid, and GDP growth should recover in
   the future.

Demographics

   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%; with an Indo-Caribbean minority of some 3%. Just 1.1% are of pure
   European origin (descendants of French, British, Scottish, and Irish
   colonists). 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 ( Antillean Creole) is also spoken.

   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. Coincidentally they were both born on
   January 23rd, though not in the same year.

Religion

   The majority of the population are Roman Catholics (ca. 68%);
   Seventh-day Adventists (9%) the rest are Pentecostal (6%), Anglicans
   (2%), Evangelical (2%), Rastafari (2%) .

Tourism in St Lucia

   Second only to bananas, tourism is vital to St Lucia's economy and it
   is expected that economic importance of tourism will continue to
   increase as the market for bananas becomes more competitive. Tourism
   tends to be more substantial during the dry season (January - April).
   St Lucia tends to be popular due to its tropical weather and scenery
   and for its large number of beaches and resorts.

   Other tourist attractions include the world's only drive-in volcano (at
   Soufriere), the Botanical Gardens, rain forests and Pigeon Island
   National Park, which is home to Fort Rodney, an old British military
   base.

   The majority of tourists visit St Lucia on a cruise ship. They will
   spend the majority of their time in Castries but may explore Soufriere,
   Marigot Bay or Gros Islet, before continuing on their cruise.

   St. Lucia is a very popular location for weddings (with its white
   beaches and spectacular scenery). In 2006, there were 3,469 weddings
   (Source: St Lucia Tourist Board).

Gallery

   View from Pigeon Point (Fort Rodney) - 2006

   Soufriere Bay - February 2006

   Unspoiled St Lucia beach - February 2006

   Typical sight in Canaries: houses on hills - June 2006

   View from a hilltop overlooking a beach resort - June 2006

   Soufrière - June 2006

   Beach resort - June 2006

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Lucia"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
