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 near Soufrière, on the western side of the island.
This interim arrangement ended on February 22, 1979, when St. Lucia achieved full independence. St. Lucia continues to recognize Queen Elizabeth II as titular head of state and is an active member of the Commonwealth. The island continues to cooperate with its neighbors through the Caribbean community and common market (CARICOM), the East Caribbean Common Market (ECCM), and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
The small population of Saint Lucia is mostly black or of mixed descent; just 1% are of European origin, with an East Indian minority of some 3%. 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%).
Castries, population 11,147 (1991), is the capital of Saint Lucia. Its harbor is one of the best in the West Indies. Castries was founded by the French in 1650, named from Charles Eugène Gabriel de la Croix, Marquis de Castries. The islands' history is unique in having changed hands seven times between the English and French, hence the rich heritage of the creole culture tinged with smatterings of French influences and the patois second language spoken by most locals.
Being a Commonwealth Realm, the head of state of Saint Lucia is the British monarch, 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.
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.
Vieux Fort is located in the southern part of St. Lucia. It is the second-largest town on the island and is the home of St Lucia's international airport, Hewanorra International Airport. (Hewanorra is the island's old Amerindian name.)
Saint Lucia's population is predominantly of African and mixed African-European descent, with small East Indian and European minorities. English is the official language, although many St. Lucians speak a French patois. Ninety percent of the population is Roman Catholic, a further reflection of early French influence on the island.
In the mood for Scuba, the island boast some excellent dive sites as managed by the Soufriere Marine Management Association, places of interests for divers worldwide would be Supermans Flight, The Pinnacles, Anse Chastanet sites and Anse Cochon for both wreck dives to the Lesleen M in 65 to 80 feet (20 to 25 m) or the reef dives which begin at a mere 5 feet (1.5 m).
Increasing self-government has marked St. Lucia's 20th century history. A 1924 constitution gave the island its first form of representative government, with a minority of elected members in the previously all-nominated legislative council.
Saint Lucia is a parliamentary democracy modeled on the Westminster system. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, represented by a Governor General, appointed by the Queen as her representative. The Governor General exercises basically ceremonial functions, but residual powers, under the constitution, can be used at the governor general's discretion. The actual power in St. Lucia lies with the prime minister and the cabinet, usually representing the majority party in parliament.
1.
st lucia news; compare prices on Kelkoo.co.ukLooking for st lucia news? Go to Kelkoo to compare and shop from thousands of choices online
2.
Marigot Bay - St. Lucia - Reviews - TripAdvisorMarigot Bay: Visit TripAdvisor, your source for the web's best unbiased reviews and articles about Marigot Bay in St. Lucia, Caribbean.
3.
St. Lucia Online - news... is the correspondent in St Lucia for 'Wereldnet', a live ... News & Media. Community Pages. Sports in St Lucia. Free Websites. Charity Appeals. Archives ...
4.
St Lucia UK - HomeJoomla - the dynamic portal engine and content management system ... News. Hot Current News. St Lucia News. Caribbean News. UK News. Holidays. Book Hotels Online Now ...
5.
St Lucia Star Newspaper... from main sponsor Digicel St Lucia was presented to Jeannette Lubin of Barnard Hill at the... Local News. Creole heritage celebration sweeps St Lucia ...
6.
St. Lucia - News, Squad, Results & Fixtures - SoccerwaySt. Lucia. Home. News. Photos. Squad. Results. Fixtures. Videos. Fans. Partypoker ... St. Lucia. 2 - 0. Turks and Caico... i. Feb 7, 2008. WC Qualifying ...
7.
Sackville Travel - St Lucia Local NewsNevis & St Kitts. St Martin. St Lucia. Tobago. Trinidad. St Lucia Local News. Expand All - Collapse All. 02/06/2008. Specials. Kingston £444 ...
8.
Irish Active in St. Lucia | Article01-MAY-07 - Belfast and Dublin companies have been active in St. Lucia of late, reports Caribbean Net News (April 9, 2007). Lagan Holdings Ltd of... | Free With Signup
9.
The Landings St LuciaCheck this section for updates on our progress, and for news about The Landings. 2008 ... St Lucia has now landed Read More " Sunday Independent, April 13, 2008. ...
10.
HTS Channel 4: St Lucia News, Online News, Breaking News, Sports News ...HTS (Helen Television System) & Radio 100 is the place for fresh and breaking news on St Lucia and the caribbean, weather, sports, entertainment, e-shopping and more
11.
Cricinfo - St Lucia - Heritage toursCricinfo World Cup 2007 What it meant to St Lucia ... Get all your Windies cricket news here. St Lucia's top attractions. Heritage tours ...
12.
Cricket World |Travel & Tours to St LuciaInternational News. West Indies. Antigua & Barbuda. Barbados. Grenada. Guyana. Jamaica. St. Kitts ... St Lucia - A Brief History ...
13.
BBC NEWS | World | Americas | Country profiles | Country profile: St LuciaKey facts, figures and dates ... source of income for St Lucia and the industry is ... Sir John Compton helped guide St Lucia to independence from Britain and ...
14.
Holidays in St Lucia - British AirwaysSt Lucia holidays with British Airways. There is something for ... News and offers. Contact Executive Club. Executive Club terms and conditions. Destinations ...
15.
St Lucia Holidays: Luxury Holidays to St Lucia; Travel, Hotels, Deals ...Information on holidays in st lucia, caribbean, details on hotels, luxury ... Travel News. Travel Blog. Contact Us. HOLIDAY DEALS. St Lucia , 7 nts from £1,429 ...
16.
rex resorts - caribbean - st lucia - st lucianA world of holiday experiences, throughout the Caribbean and East Africa ... caribbean | africa | romance | news & images | meetings | bookings | trade | contact > ...
17.
Cricinfo - St Lucia - Jungle boogieCricinfo World Cup 2007 What it meant to St Lucia ... Get all your Windies cricket news here. St Lucia's top attractions. Jungle boogie ...
18.
St Lucia: Bad news in paradise - TelegraphWhen New York was attacked, Andrew Purvis was flying to St Lucia for a romantic break ... saintlucia/720045/St-Lucia
--Bad-news-in-paradise.html ...
19. St Lucia Yachting
Home. Services. Activities. Hotels & Restaurants. Classified. Links. Contact. News ... you need to know about the marine scene and so much more in St Lucia. ...
20. Late Holiday Deals in St Lucia - from UK Net Guide
... on St Lucia hotels, cheapest St Lucia package online ... News. Entertainment. Property. Dating. Sports. Health. Shop & Compare. Motoring. Dining. Business ...
21. St Lucia Property - Overseas property for sale in St Lucia
Search overseas for a house in St Lucia. ... Property news. Flatshare. Mortgages. St Lucia Property - Overseas property for sale in St Lucia ...
22. News - St Lucia Net News
News, information and commentary about St Lucia ... Copyright © 2007-2008 St Lucia Net News. A Caribbean Net publication. 3506 Unique Visits ...
23. St Lucia hosts Rose Festival
... Offers | World Map | Hotels | Resort Villas | Flights | Sports | Cruises | News ... Travellers taking luxury holidays in St Lucia may want to coincide their trips ...
24. Caribbean Net News: St Lucia
The latest news from St Lucia and the Caribbean from Caribbean Net News: The source for news throughout the Caribbean ... Kiwanis hold regional conference in St Lucia ...
25. rex resorts - caribbean - st lucia - royal
... caribbean | africa | romance | news & images | meetings | bookings | trade | contact > home > caribbean > st lucia > royal. overview. room types & facilities ...
26. Scuba St. Lucia - The best diving and snorkeling in the Caribbean!
Best St Lucia scuba ... SCUBA ST LUCIA is situated on the beach at the Anse Chastanet Resort just ... Latest News. Scuba St.Lucia. becomes National ...
27. St Lucia Holiday villas. Holiday villas in St Lucia, holiday rentals ...
Best choice of self catering St Lucia Holiday villas. ... Travel and Holiday Property News. Copyright © 1996 - Present Holiday-Rentals.co.uk Limited ...
28. ICC Cricket World Cup 2007: St Lucia Cricket, Beausejour Stadium ...
travel Caribbean island hopping ideas, cricket Lucia St stadium ... Caribbean newsletter filled with island news, stories, recipes, reviews and lots ...
29. All Inclusive Holidays in St. Lucia with Almond Resorts
Almond Resorts all-inclusive holidays in St Lucia: two great all-inclusive resorts with one great experience. Book your all ... Caribbean News & Events. FAQ ...
30. Hotel Deals in St Lucia - from UK Net Guide
Deals on St Lucia hotels, cheapest St Lucia hotel online ... News. Entertainment. Property. Dating. Sports. Health. Shop & Compare. Motoring. Dining. Business ...
31. The Landings St Lucia
Check this section for updates on our progress, and for news about The Landings. ... The Landings and the island of St. Lucia. St. Lucia: The Next "It" Island. ...
32. Cotton Bay Village - St Lucia
Welcome to the Island of St Lucia ... Village News. Village Activities. Accommodation. Site Plan. Suites. Town Houses. Villas ...
33. Tropical Islands vacation caribbean paradise
... vacation paradise. The official vacations web site of the tropical island of St. Lucia. ... History of St. Lucia. Talk To Us. News. Contact Us. Guest Book. Send ...
34. St Lucia Weather - Information on the summer & winter climate in St Lucia
Information on St Lucia weather. Find out how the climate differs in the north ... About Us | Contact Us | *Booking Conditions | Site Map | News | FAQs | RSS ...
35. Geographical Association - St Lucia Weblinks
BBC News - a recent article about the threat to Caribbean coral with links to previous news items ... St Lucia Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture ...
36. St Lucia Videos
St Lucia - Introduction. Almond Morgan Bay. Almond Smugglers Cove ... Honeymoons. Ski holidays. Escorted tours. Feeds. Travel articles. News and press releases ...
37. St Lucia Newspapers : Newspapers from St Lucia : St Lucia News
World's largest listing of newspapers on the web ... Car News. Hotels in Sydney. Web Hosting. Boats for Sale. Car Finance Broker - Car Loans ...
St Lucia News and St Lucia online resources.