England and France contested Saint Lucia -- with its fine natural harbor at Castries and burgeoning sugar industry -- throughout the 17th and early 18th centuries, with possession changing 14 times; it was finally ceded to the UK in 1814 and became part of the British Windward Islands colony. Even after the abolition of slavery on its plantations in 1834, Saint Lucia remained an agricultural island, dedicated to producing tropical commodity crops.
- Capital
- Castries
- Government
- parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
- Population
- 168,462
- Area
- 616 sq km
- Location
- Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
- Climate
- tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season January to April, rainy season May to August
- Natural resources
- forests; sandy beaches; minerals (pumice); mineral springs; geothermal potential
- Languages
- English (official); Saint Lucian Creole
- Religions
- Roman Catholic 61.5%; Protestant 25.5% (includes Seventh Day Adventist 10.4%; Pentecostal 8.9%; Baptist 2.2%…
- Independence
- 22 February 1979 (from the UK)
- Administrative divisions
- 10 districts; Anse-la-Raye, Canaries, Castries, Choiseul, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Soufrière, Vieux-…
- Currency
- East Caribbean dollars (XCD)
- Export partners
- Guyana 20%; Suriname 15%; USA 11%; Barbados 8%…
- Import partners
- USA 59%; Guyana 8%; Brazil 7%; China 5%…