Saint Lucia

Saint Lucia

AREA	616.3 sq km (238 sq miles).
POPULATION	151,700 (1998).
POPULATION DENSITY	239.0 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Castries.
CAPITAL POPULATION	54,568 (1993).
GEOGRAPHY	St Lucia is the second-largest of the Windward Islands. It has some of the finest mountain scenery in the West Indies, rich with tropical vegetation. For so small an island, 43km (27 miles) by 23km (14 miles), St Lucia has a great variety of plant and animal life. Orchids and exotic plants of the genus anthurium grow wild in the rainforests and the roadsides are covered with many colourful tropical flowers. Flamboyant trees spread shade and blossom everywhere. Indigenous wildlife includes a species of ground lizard unique to St Lucia, and the agouti and the manicou, two rodents, common throughout the island. The Amazon versicolor parrot is another, though more elusive, inhabitant of the deep interior rainforest. The highest peak is Mount Gimie at 950m (3117ft). Most spectacular are Gros Piton and Petit Piton, ancient, volcanic forest-covered cones which rise out of the sea on the west coast. Soufri (vents in a volcano which exude hydrogen sulphide, steam and other gases) and boiling waterpools can be seen here. The mountains are intersected by short rivers which in some areas form broad fertile valleys. The island has excellent beaches and is surrounded by a clear, warm sea.
GOVERNMENT	Constitutional monarchy. Gained independence from the UK in 1979. Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II, represented locally by Governor General Perlette Louisy since 1988. Head of Government: Prime Minister Kenny Anthony since 1997.
LANGUAGE	English and local French patois.
RELIGION	78% Roman Catholic, also Anglican, Methodist, Seventh Day Adventist and Baptist.
STANDARD TIME	GMT - 4.
ELECTRICITY	220 volts AC, 50Hz.

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