About St. Lucia

Introduction

How can I sum up the words to describe a 238 sq mile island of volcanic origin, 27 miles long, 14 miles wide pronounced 'Saint Loosha'. This stunning island earmarked by the twin peaks of the Pitons is one of the most dramatic islands in the Caribbean. Our roads take hairpin turns with steep slopes covered with lush vegetation everywhere. Whether traveling up the east coast with the pounding Atlantic waves crashing inland or the west with the soothing waves of the Caribbean Sea, its riddled with quaint villages up to our tourist mecca around Rodney Bay. The island is covered with amazing sights and sounds.

Profile

Located on one of the Windward Islands, between Martinique (21 miles north) and St. Vincent (26 miles south); it is 110 miles northwest of Barbados. Our climate is mostly mild with almost constant northeast tradewinds with our rainy season is generally from June to November. Ample varieties of plants, flowers and wildlife including species found nowhere else in the world, tropical rainforests, fertile valleys, a UNESCO World Heritage Site http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1161/, black and white sand beaches, the world's only drive-in volcano, naturally winding rivers and enchanting waterfalls. Blissfully living among all this is a thriving diversified population of an estimated 160,000 people.

History

There is a lot of myth and mystery surrounding much of St. Lucia’s early history. First inhabited by the native Amerindians who called it ‘Iouanalao’ and then by the Caribs who named it ‘Hewannorra’ whilst pretending to sell it. It is claimed that a group of French seamen who were ship¬wrecked on the island named it after the Virgin-Martyr of Syracuse, “Sainte Alousie.“ The Vatican globe however, has the name “Santa Lucia” for the island, a centuries old Spanish map has “Saint Luzia”, while the Spanish Cedula “Sancta Lucia” as a posses¬sion of the Spanish Crown. Visited by the Europeans, an Anglo-French rivalry ensued over the island for more than a century changing hands fourteen times and was finally conquered by the British. Then named the 'Helen of the West', the island was compared to the Helen of Troy for her unusual beauty. Its mystifying allure is still gaining praises with Oprah naming St. Lucia one of the Top Five Destinations to see in ones' lifetime. Travel Weekly Readers Choice Awards named the island in the top Caribbean Destinations in 2006 and that’s just naming a few!

Government

In 1979 we became a stable independent democracy. St. Lucia is a constitutional monarchy. The way in which Saint Lucia is to be governed is also set out by the Constitution. Government consists of the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary, based on the separation of powers principle. The Governor General represents Her Majesty the Queen, the official Head of State. His functions are mainly ceremonial, and include the important duties of opening the House of Assembly on an annual basis by delivering the Throne Speech, and assenting to Bills passed by the legislature. In addition to the Office of the Governor General, a two-house system of Parliament exists. It is made up of a Senate and a House of Assembly. The Senate consists of eleven nominated members. The House of Assembly consists of seventeen elected Members. A Prime Minister is appointed by the Governor General from among the members of the House of Assembly. This is the person who appears to the Governor General likely to command the support of the majority of the members of the House. In practice this person is usually the leader of the political party which controls the majority of the seats in the House of Assembly. The size and composition of the Cabinet is in the prerogative of the Prime Minister. He may choose to add, alter or to reshuffle the Cabinet in any manner he deems fit.

The Flag

Cerulean blue represents fidelity and also reflects Saint Lucia's tropical sky and the surrounding emerald waters of Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean; Gold represents prevailing sunshine; Black and white represent the rural influences on the nation; The triangles are a depiction of the island's twin Pitons.

The National Bird

Found only in Saint Lucia, the Amazona Versicolor is predominantly green in colour with a cobalt blue forehead merging through turquoise to green on the cheeks and a scarlet breast. The Saint Lucia Parrot is an endangered species and lives in the forest canopy. Despite its large size and bright plumage it is difficult to detect among the dense foliage.

The Coat of Arms

The emblems and what they represent Tudor Rose represents England; the Fleur de Us represents France; the Stool represents Africa; the Torch is a beacon to to light the path; the Birds are Saint Lucia parrots, the national bird; the Motto is: "The Land, The People, The Light".

Useful Links

** www.slhta.org **
** www.stlucia.org **
** www.stlucia.gov.lc **
** www.stluciayp.com **