Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia (/ˈluːʃə/ LOO-shə; Saint Lucian Creole French: Sent Lisi) is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean.[9] The island was previously called Iouanalao and later Hewanorra, names given by the native Arawaks and Caribs (respectively), two Amerindian peoples.[10] Part of the Windward Islands 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 square miles) with an estimated population of over 180,000 people as of 2018. The nation's capital and largest city is Castries.
This article is about the country. For the Roman Christian martyr that is sometimes also called Saint Lucia, see Saint Lucy. For other uses, see Saint Lucia (disambiguation).
Saint LuciaSent Lisi (Saint Lucian Creole French)
- 90.3% Christianity
- 5.9% no religion
- 1.9% Rastafari
- 1.4% Hinduism
- 0.5% other
Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Errol Charles (acting)
1 March 1967
22 February 1979
617 km2 (238 sq mi) (178th)
1.6
165,595
299.4/km2 (775.4/sq mi) (29th)
2023 estimate
2023 estimate
51.2[7]
high
left
The first proven inhabitants of the island, the Arawaks, are believed to have first settled in 200–400 AD. Around 800 AD, the island would be taken over by the Kalinago. The French were the first Europeans to settle on the island, and they signed a treaty with the native Caribs in 1660. England took control of the island in 1663. In ensuing years, England and France fought 14 times for control of the island, and the rule of the island changed frequently. Eventually, the British took full control in 1814, after the fall of Emperor Napoleon.[11] Because the island switched so often between British and French control, Saint Lucia was also known as the "Helen of the West" after the Greek mythological character, Helen of Troy.[12]
Representative government was introduced in 1924 with universal suffrage being established in 1951.[13] From 1958 to 1962, the island was a member of the West Indies Federation. On 22 February 1979, Saint Lucia became an independent state, while remaining as a Commonwealth realm.[9]
Saint Lucia is a member of the United Nations, the Organisation of American States, the World Trade Organization, CARICOM and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). It is also a member of Organisation internationale de la Francophonie.[14]
Etymology[edit]
Saint Lucia was named after Saint Lucy of Syracuse (AD 283 – 304).[15] Saint Lucia is one of two sovereign states in the world named after a woman[16] and is the only one named after a human woman (Ireland is named after a goddess). Legend states that French sailors were shipwrecked on the island on 13 December, the feast day of St. Lucy, and therefore named the island in her honour.[17] A globe in the Vatican from 1520 shows the island as Sancta Lucia, indicating that the island was instead named by early Spanish explorers.[18]
