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This spectacular Caribbean island boasts lush green mountainsides and verdant valleys complimented by spectacular beaches and surrounded by turquoise waters.
Language & Culture
St. Lucia's culture, like that of most Caribbean islands, has evolved from the intermingling of the many different groups of people who have participated in its history. Each has brought different beliefs and traditions, all of which are reflected in the life of the island today.
Saint Lucian cultural festivals include La Rose and La Marguerite, the one representing the Rosecrucian order, the other one representing Freemasonry. The Christmas season is celebrated and a number of small festivals and parades take place throughout the island. Saint Lucia also celebrates a cultural festival known as Jounen Kweyol (Creole Day). This is celebrated each year on the week of the 27th of October.
St. Lucians speak English with a Caribbean lilt and Creole is also spoken by many locals.
History
St. Lucia was first settled by Arawak Indians around 200 A.D., though by 800 their culture had been superseded by that of the Caribs. These early Amerindian cultures called the island "Iouanalao" and "Hewanorra," meaning "Island of the Iguanas."
The history of the island's European discovery is a bit hazy. It was long believed that Columbus had discovered St. Lucia in 1502, but recent evidence suggests that he merely sailed close by. An alternative discoverer is Juan de la Cosa, a lesser-known explorer who had served at one time as Columbus' navigator.
By mid-century the French had arrived, and had even "purchased" the island for the French West India Company. Needless to say, the persevering British were less than enchanted with this idea, and Anglo-French rivalry for the island continued for more than a century and a half. The island's first settlements and towns were all French, beginning with Soufriere in 1746. By 1780, twelve settlements and a large number of sugar plantations had been established. Two years earlier, the British launched their first invasion effort at the "Battle of Cul de Sac." By 1814, after a prolonged series of enormously destructive battles, the island was finally theirs.
Over the next century St. Lucia settled into the stable democracy and multicultural society that it is today. The country remained under the British crown until it became independent within the British Commonwealth in 1979. Despite the length of British rule, the island's French cultural legacy is still evident in its Creole dialect.
Economy
St. Lucia's economy depends primarily on revenue from tourism and banana production, with some contribution from small-scale manufacturing. All sectors of the economy have benefited from infrastructure improvements in roads, communications, water supply, sewerage, and port facilities.
These improvements, combined with a stable political environment and educated work force, have attracted foreign investors in several different sectors. Although St. Lucia enjoys a steady flow of investment in tourism, the single most significant foreign investment is Hess Oil's large petroleum storage and transhipment terminal. In addition, the Caribbean Development Bank funded an extensive airport expansion project.
| About St. Lucia | Climate & Tourism | Location & getting there |
Food & Drink | Language & Culture | History & Economy | Property in St. Lucia |
