An Overview of the island of Saint Lucia
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SYLLABICATION: Saint Lu·cia
PRONUNCIATION: Saint Loo Sha
LISTEN TO THE PRONUNCIATION (Wikipedia): St Lucia
So where is St Lucia?
St Lucia is said to be one of the early finds of Christopher Columbus, describing it to be the most beautiful island in the region. Simply beautiful! St Lucia is the emerald island in the Caribbean where you will find a unique mixture of history, culture and quiet charm. It is rich in natural beauty, from inland tropical forests to dramatic waterfalls and lovely sandy beaches.
St Lucia is famous for the twin peaks of the magnificent Pitons, rainforest walks, waterfalls, golden beaches and bubbling volcanic springs. It even boasts the world only drive-in volcano.
The St Lucian Jazz Festival attracts visitors from all over the world every May and Carnival in July is a week-long party for the whole island. In fact, St Lucians love to party and beside the annual flower festivals, Christmas, New Year, the Calypso Competition and the Independence Day celebrations, some of the villages hold main street jump ups every Friday night of the year.
When is the best time to visit St Lucia?
The best time to visit Saint Lucia is generally between the months of November and June, but the best answer is ANYTIME!
Late spring is one of the best times to visit the island. The months of May and June can often have fewer crowds, wonderful weather (high 70s to 80s), and the rates are at their low end. The hotel peak season is winter from December lasting into April, this is when visitors come to escape the winter cold.
The island at this time may tend to be a little crowded, as well as the hotel rates are at there peaks. But being a tropical island, the weather is always warm and there are many activities and events especially during the summer and fall, but beware as this is also hurricane season so people who visit Saint Lucia at this time are taking a risk.
Hurricane Season
Hurricane season officially runs from June 1 through November 30. Although hurricanes are generally unpredictable, conventional wisdom has dictated that peak season varies by geography. In the Eastern Caribbean and along the U.S. East Coast, the season tends to be busiest between mid-August and mid-September.
The island, with its fine natural harbor at Castries, was contested between England and France throughout the 17th and early 18th centuries (changing possession 14 times); it was finally ceded to the UK in 1814. Even after the abolition of slavery on its plantations in 1834, Saint Lucia remained an agricultural island, dedicated to producing tropical commodity crops. Self-government was granted in 1967 and independence in 1979.
CIA
St Lucia at a Glance
St Lucia's Geography
St Lucia's Government
Communication in St Lucia
Transportation in St Lucia
Security in St Lucia
Customs Regulations in St Lucia
Emergency Number for St Lucia
Much of the information below has been borrowed directly from the
cia.gov website... For more in depth info visit their link.
St Lucia at a Glance
Saint Lucia
Named after Saint LUCY of Syracuse by French sailors who were shipwrecked on the island on 13 December 1502, the saint's feast day (the ONLY country in the world named after a woman).
English (official), French patois
Roman Catholic 61.5%, Protestant 25.5% (includes Seventh Day Adventist 10.4%, Pentecostal 8.9%, Baptist 2.2%, Anglican 1.6%, Church of God 1.5%, other Protestant 0.9%), other Christian 3.4% (includes Evangelical 2.3% and Jehovah's Witness 1.1%), Rastafarian 1.9%, other 0.4%, none 5.9%, unspecified 1.4% (2010 est.)
Total population: 77.9 years
Male: 75.2 years
Female: 80.8 years (2017 est.)
1 East Caribbean dollar = 100 cents
East Caribbean dollar (EC) – US:
1 US = 2.679 East Caribbean dollars
Bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, avocados, mangoes, coconut oil (2010 est.)
International dialing code:
220 ~ 240 volts, 50 cycles AC (a few hotels are 110 volts, 60 cycles). Most sockets take 3 pin square plugs (UK standard) but some take 2 pin round plugs or flat American plugs, which are rarer. Adaptors are generally available at the hotels.
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St Lucia's Geography
St Lucia is located in the Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, north of Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and south of Martinique
Total: 616 sq km (238 sq miles)
Land: 606 sq km
Water: 10 sq km – 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Current Weather tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season January to April, rainy season May to August
Volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys
Lowest point – Caribbean Sea 0 m / highest point – Mount Gimie 950 m
Forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential
Hurricanes; volcanic activity
The twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), striking cone-shaped peaks south of Soufriere, are one of the scenic natural highlights of the Caribbean
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St Lucia's Government
Parliamentary democracy (Parliament) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
Administrative divisions:
10 districts - Anse-la-Raye, Canaries, Castries, Choiseul, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort
22 February 1979 (from the UK)
Previous 1958, 1960 (pre-independence); latest presented 20 December 1978, effective 22 February 1979; note - in mid-2015, an amendment was proposed to replace the London-based Privy Council with the Caribbean Court of Justice as the country's highest appellate court (2016)
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Neville CENAC (since 12 January 2018)
Prime Minister Allen CHASTANET (since 7 June 2016)
Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
The monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by governor general
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Communication in St Lucia
General assessment: an adequate system that is automatically switched
Domestic: fixed-line teledensity is 20 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular teledensity is roughly 105 per 100 persons
International: country code - 1-758; the East Caribbean Fiber System and Southern Caribbean Fiber submarine cables, along with Intelsat from Martinique, carry calls internationally; direct microwave radio relay link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; tropospheric scatter to Barbados (2016)
3 privately owned TV stations; 1 public TV station operating on a cable network; multi-channel cable TV service available; a mix of state-owned and privately owned broadcasters operate nearly 25 radio stations including repeater transmission stations (2007)
Netflix works fine but is limited to the region, will not have a lot that is available in the US
Total: 86,000
Percent of population: 52.4% (July 2016 est.)
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Transportation in St Lucia
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix:
2:
George F. L. Charles Airport (SLU) - North of the island, located in Castries
Hewanorra International Airport (UVF) - South of the island, located in Vieux Fort
Airports - with paved runways:
Total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2017)
Total: 1,210 km
Paved: 847 km
Unpaved: 363 km (2011)
Major seaport(s): Castries, Cul-de-Sac, Vieux-Fort
Driving Side of the Road:
Drivers drive on the Left Hand side of the road, as in the UK
USA - be aware...
Modes of Getting Around St Lucia:
Rental cars, Taxi, Mini Bus, Water Taxi, Ferries and Organized Tours
Major seaport(s): Castries, Cul-de-Sac, Vieux-Fort
Major seaport(s): Castries, Cul-de-Sac, Vieux-Fort
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Security in St Lucia
St Lucia is, for the most part, an idyllic and laid-back place, but it is not without its hazards and nuisances. As you would anywhere in the world, even in your own hometown, be alert and aware of your surroundings. As in any situation, be mindful about venturing alone in deserted or unlit areas as well as areas you are not familiar with.
The more densely populated areas like Castries and Rodney Bay are patrolled by police regularly and there are police stations in each of the island’s districts.
If touring the island, be sure to secure personal belongings on your person or leave them in a safe location in your room or villa.
If you are staying in a hotel, which generally has gated security, take the precaution of informing your reception or concierge of your plans and anticipated return.
If hiring a car, don’t pick up strangers. If you are traveling by yacht, then inform neighbouring yachts when you are going ashore for the day or evening.
St Lucia’s many delights and its wonderful people are yours to safely enjoy with keeping these few precautions in mind.
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Customs Regulations in St Lucia
The duty free allowance into St. Lucia is 200 cigarettes or 250 grams of tobacco or 50 cigars, one litre of spirit or wine. Duty free shopping is available at Pointe Seraphine, La Place Carenage and at the departure lounge of Hewanorra Airport. Luxury items include Jewelry, Batiks, Giftware, Local Crafts, Liquor, Cigarettes and Cigars.
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Emergency numbers in St Lucia
Important numbers to remember:
Dial 999 to reach the police in an emergency, 911 for Fire, Ambulance and other emergencies
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