Saint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 617 km2 (238.23 sq mi) and has an population of 174,000 (2010). Its capital is Castries. The island nation has been the home of two Nobel laureates, Arthur Lewis and Derek Walcott. It is the nation with the second most such honorees per capita after the Faroe Islands.
One of the Windward Islands, it was named after Saint Lucy of Syracuse by the French, the first European colonizers. They signed a treaty with the native Carib peoples in 1660. England took control of the island from 1663 to 1667; in ensuing years, it was at war with France 14 times and rule of the island changed frequently (Seven times French and British each). In 1814, the British took definitive control of the island. Because it switched so often between British and French control, Saint Lucia was also known as the "Helen of the West Indies".
Saint Lucia has a legal system based on British common law. The judiciary is independent and conducts generally fair public trials. The financial sector has weathered the global financial crisis, but the recession has hurt tourism.
Representative government came about in 1924 (with universal suffrage from 1953). From 1958 to 1962 the island was a member of the Federation of the West Indies. Finally, 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. It is also a member of la Francophonie.
Tourism is vital to Saint Lucia's economy. Its economic importance is expected to continue to increase as the market for bananas becomes more competitive. Tourism tends to be more substantial during the dry season (January to April). Saint Lucia tends to be popular due to its tropical weather and scenery and its numerous beaches and resorts.
Other tourist attractions include a drive-in volcano, Sulphur Springs (at Soufrière), the Botanical Gardens, the Majestic twin Peaks "The Pitons", A world heritage site, the rain forests, and Pigeon Island National Park, which is home to Fort Rodney, an old British military base.
History
Europeans first landed on the island in either 1492 or 1502 during Spain's early exploration of the Caribbean.
In 1643 a French expedition under the direction of Jacques du Parquet the Governor of Martinique established a permanent settlement on the island under the Govenor De Rousselan, who signed a treaty with the local Caribs in 1660. Like the English and Dutch, the French began to develop the island for the cultivation of sugar cane on extensive plantations. After the Seven Years' War between Great Britain and the France-Spanish coalition was brought to an end by the treaty of Paris (10 February 1763) in which the signatories agreed to an exchange of colonial territories. When the British acquired the island trying to use the Caribs as labourers, they imported enslaved Africans as workers. Many of the Caribs died because of lack of immunity to Eurasian diseases, such as smallpox and measles, and as a result of being overworked and maltreated by the Europeans.
Caribbean conditions were hard, and many slaves died as well. The British continued to import slaves until they abolished the trade. By that time, people of ethnic African and Carib descent greatly outnumbered those of ethnic European background.
Thereafter Saint Lucia was much contested by the two European powers until the British secured it in 1814. It was part of the British Windward Islands colony.
It joined the West Indies Federation (1958–62) when the colony was dissolved. In 1967, Saint Lucia became one of the six members of the West Indies Associated States, with internal self-government. In 1979 it gained full independence under Sir John Compton. Compton, of the conservative United Workers party (UWP), was again prime minister from 1982 to 1996, when he was succeeded by Vaughn Lewis.
Kenny Anthony of the Labour Party was prime minister from 1997 to 2006, when the UWP, again led by Compton, won control of parliament. In May 2007, after Compton suffered a series of ministrokes, Finance and External Affairs Minister Stephenson King became acting prime minister. He became prime minister after Compton died in September 2007.
Geography
The volcanic island of Saint Lucia is more mountainous than many other Caribbean islands, with the highest point being Mount Gimie, at 950 metres (3,120 ft) 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 (Population 9,400), where 5.4 % 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 December 1 to May 31, and a wet season from June 1 to November 30.
Culture
The culture of Saint Lucia has been influenced by African, East Indian, French and English heritage. One of the secondary languages is an Creole, a form of French patois.
Festivals
Saint Lucian cultural festivals include La Rose and La Marguerite, the first's representing the Rosicrucian order, and the second's representing Freemasonry. This can be seen on a mural painted by Dunstan St Omer, depicting the holy trinity of Osiris, Horus and Isis.
The biggest festival of the year is the Saint Lucian Jazz Festival. Held in early May at multiple venues throughout the island, it draws visitors and musicians from around the world.
Traditionally in common with other Caribbean countries, Saint Lucia held a carnival before Lent. In 1999, the government moved Carnival to mid-July to avoid competing with the much larger Trinidad and Tobago carnival. It wanted to attract more overseas visitors.
In May 2009, Saint Lucians commemorated the 150th Anniversary of West Indian Heritage on the island.
Music and dance
A popular folk dance is the Quadrille.
Together with Caribbean music genres such as Calypso, Soca, Dancehall, Reggae, Compas, Zouk and Salsa, Saint Lucia has a strong indigenous folk music tradition. Each May since 1991, Saint Lucia has hosted an internationally renowned Jazz Festival.
Tourism
Tourism is vital to Saint Lucia's economy. Its economic importance is expected to continue to increase as the market for bananas becomes more competitive. Tourism tends to be more substantial during the dry season (January to April). Saint Lucia tends to be popular due to its tropical weather and scenery and its numerous beaches and resorts.
Other tourist attractions include a drive-in volcano, Sulphur Springs (at Soufrière), the Botanical Gardens, the Majestic twin Peaks "The Pitons", A world heritage site, the rain forests, and Pigeon Island National Park, which is home to Fort Rodney, an old British military base.
The majority of tourists visit Saint Lucia as part of a cruise. Most of their time tends to be spent in Castries, although Soufriere, Marigot Bay and Gros Islet are popular locations to visit.
Get in
Citzens of the following countries do not need visas: Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Beglium, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (includes Faroe Islands and Greenland), Dominica, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kiribati, South Korea, Kuwait, Latvia, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Lithania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Maldives, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Tuvalu, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Vanuatu, and Zambia.
For dependencies:
The Dutch municipalities of Bonaire, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and the Dutch constituent countries of Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Marteen
The French overseas collectivities of French Polynesia and Saint Martin
The French overseas regions of French Guiana, Guadelope, and Martinique
The British Overseas Territories of Anguilla, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Saint Helena, and the Turks and Caicos Islands
All three British Crown Dependencies
Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.
If your nationality is not mentioned anywhere above, you will need to apply for a visa. As of the moment, citizens of Haiti do need visas but this is temporary.
Most nationalities pay $50 for a single-entry tourist visa. It lasts 6 weeks, and extensions can sometimes be made at Saint Lucia's immigration department.
You have must a completed application form, passport, 1 passport-size photo, funds to cover your stay, the $50 fee, and an travel ticket for leaving Saint Lucia to get the visa.
Everyone will need a passport except citizens of countries in the OECS. For stays of 6 months or less, citizens of Canada or the USA can enter with any type of national ID card and proof of an onward ticket.
The dancing in Saint Lucia comes from the Caribbean and is quite active.
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