Saint Lucia: Caribbean Country and Former British Colony

St Lucia is a small Caribbean island that was first settled by the Arawak Indians only to be driven out by the Caribs and recently the descendants of African slaves have formed the majority after the island was colonialised by the British in 1814 after a long drawn out war with the French for the control of this Saint Lucia. The country gained representative government in 1924 and became a part of the West Indies Federation from 1958 to 1962 before gaining independence from British rule in 1979.

St Lucia Facts and Figures:

· National Name: Saint Lucia
· Capital: Castries
· Total area: (238 miles) 616 sq km
· Population: 167,000 (UN, 2008)
· Currency: East Caribbean Dollar
· Languages: English (official), French patois
· Ethnicity/ Races: black 82.5%, mixed 11%, East Indian 2.4%, other or unspecified 3.1% (2001 census)
· Religion: Roman Catholic 68%, Seventh-Day Adventist 9%, Pentecostal 6%, Evangelical 2%, Anglican 2%, other Christian 5%, Rastafarian 2%, none 5% (2001)
· GDP (Per Capita): $10,700 (2007 est.)
· Life Expectancy: 72 years (men), 76 years (women) (UN)
· Literacy: 90% (2001 est.)

Saint Lucia Geography and Climate:
St Lucia is located in the East Caribbean Sea and bordered by St Vincent, Grenadines and Barbados to the south and Martinique to the north. Saint Lucia has the highest mountain cover among all the Caribbean islands and Mount Gimie is the highest peak in St Lucia. There are also some active volcanoes in St Lucia and the Qualibou with its boiling sulphur springs is quite a popular draw among the tourists.

Saint Lucians enjoy a tropical climate that is moderated by the northeast trade winds. The summer season lasts from January to April while monsoon occurs between May to December.

St Lucia Culture and Cuisine:
The culture of Saint Lucia reflects the influence of African, British and French traditions. Although the official language of St Lucia is English but Kreole that is a form of the French patois is also spoken. St Lucians love their music and dance and the popular St Lucia cultural fests include La Rose and La Marguerite. Apart from the thriving indigenous folk music tradition soca, zouk and reggae are the poplar music genres of St Lucia Island.

The foreign influences on St Lucian cuisine is visible from their various dishes like pot stew, callaloo soup and fried jackfish that display Carib, Creole and French tastes. St Lucians also enjoy fruits especially bananas, coconuts, guavas, mangoes and papayas from which numerous fruit juices are also prepared.

Saint Lucia Tourist Attractions:
Saint Lucia offers numerous tourist attractions for all types of tourists. Mountain hikers and trekkers can have a go at the Pitons that protrude to great heights apart from offering superb sea diving opportunities. The Sulphur Springs Park is also a must visit attraction especially for the sulphur springs that regularly erupt from the Qualibou volcano. Stonefield Estate offers number of luxurious villas to revel in while visiting the old factories where lime fruits were processed during the 19th century.

Other Popular St Lucia Tourist Places to See include:

· Frigate Islands (Fregate Islands Nature Reserve)
· La Tille Falls
· Mamiku Gardens
· Vieux Fort

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