St Lucia

The St Lucian people will tell you that there is so much more to see and do in St Lucia than just what you see in the brochure.

Whether its a holiday, on business, or for a short break St Lucia continues to increase in popularity amongst us Brits - and rightly so!

That's why its important to get your travel plans sorted out properly, and in our opinion, flight, holiday and hotel specialists Opodo offer the best service online - but you can find that out for yourself here...

St. Lucia's leading revenue producers--agriculture, tourism, and small-scale manufacturing--benefited from a focus on infrastructure improvements in roads, communications, water supply, sewerage, and port facilities. Foreign investors also have been attracted by the infrastructure improvements as well as by the educated and skilled work force and relatively stable political conditions. The largest investment is in a petroleum storage and transhipment terminal built by Hess Oil. The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB)-funded and airport expansion project.

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.

In elections of December 3, 2001 the St. Lucia Labor Party won 14 of the 17 available seats. The leader of the UWP, Dr. Morella Joseph failed to win a seat. Arsene James is the leader of the Parliamentary Opposition

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).

St. Lucia will be home to the 2007 World Cup cricket and also plays host every year to Jazz Artiste from around the world at it's Annual Jazz Festival usually in early May.

It has several small communities which include Pierrot, Grace, Belle Vue, Zaboo, LaResource, Augier, St.Urban. In the second half of the 18th century, Vieux Fort was the center of St Lucia's sugar industry; today it is more industrial.

The bicameral parliament consists of a 17-member House of Assembly whose members are elected by universal adult suffrage for 5-year terms and an 11-member senate appointed by the governor general. The parliament may be dissolved by the governor general at any point during its 5-year term, either at the request of the prime minister--in order to take the nation into early elections--or at the governor general's own discretion, if the house passes a vote of no-confidence in the government.

The UWP was elected for a second time in April 16, 1987, but with only nine of 17 seats. Seeking to increase his slim margin, Prime Minister Compton suspended parliament and called new elections on April 30. This unprecedented snap election, however, gave Compton the same results as before--the UWP retained nine seats and the SLP eight. In April 1992, Prime Minister Compton's government again defeated the SLP. In this election, the government increased its majority in parliament to 11 seats.

Saint Lucia's first known inhabitants were Arawaks, believed to have come from northern South America around 200-400 A.D. Numerous archaeological sites on the island have produced specimens of the Arawaks' well-developed pottery. Caribs gradually replaced Arawaks during the period from 800 to 1000 A.D.

The island was a province of the short-lived West Indies Federation from 1958 to 1962. The island was granted self-government in 1967 and independence in February 22, 1979.

Nightlife tends to be concentrated in the north of the island with Friday night street fetes at Gros Islet and Anse La Raye where you can savour the local cuisine and music to your heart's content. Also a visit to Rodney Bay for it's varied restaurants and nightlife, including our own brand of Hooters.

The development of the tourism sector remains a priority, and the government is committed to providing a favourable investment environment. Incentives are available for building and upgrading tourism facilities. There has been liberal use of public funds to improve the physical infrastructure of the island, and the government has made efforts to attract cultural and sporting events and develop historical sites.

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.

Arawak Amerindians first settled on the island in the 3rd century AD, while the Caribs later took over. European discovery of the island is somewhat vague, but it was probably discovered around 1500 by the Spanish explorer Juan de la Cosa. After some early failed attempts to settle there, the French and British fought over the island, with its fine natural harbor at Castries, during the 17th and 18th centuries (changing possession 14 times), until Britain finally obtained control in 1814.

Places of interest would be Soufriere town in the south which is the original capital of St. Lucia, here you will find the world's only drive-in volcano, mineral baths, black sand beaches of Anse Chastanet and the Pitons World Heritage site. Pigeon Island national park also deserves a visit as you can walk amongst the ruins of the old fort and also enjoy some sea and sun on the two available sandy beaches on the Pigeon Island park - home of St. Lucia Jazz Festival.

St Lucia Flag and St Lucia online resources.