History of St. Lucia
St. Lucia was first settled by Arawak Indians around 200 A.D., though by 800 their culture had been superseded by that of the Caribs.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."

Th e 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. There are some indications that de la Cosa may have discovered the island in 1499, although there is also evidence suggesting that he didn't find the island until 1504. In any case, there was no European presence established on the island until its settlement in the 1550s by the notorious buccaneer Francois le Clerc, a.k.a. Jambe de Bois, or Wooden Leg. Peg-Leg le Clerc set up a fine little base on Pigeon Island, from whence he issued forth to prey upon unwitting and treasure-laden Spanish galleons. Around 1600, the Dutch arrived, establishing a fortified base at Vieux Fort.

The first attempt at colonization occurred just a few years later, in 1605. An unfortunate party of English colonists, headed to Guyana on the good ship Olive Branch, landed on St. Lucia after having been blown off course. In all, sixty-seven colonists waded ashore, where they purchased land and huts from the resident Caribs. After a month, the party had been reduced to only nineteen, and those were soon forced to flee from the Caribs in a canoe. A few decades later, in 1639, a second party of English colonists under Sir Thomas Warner also failed in their settlement attempt.

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 culture legacy is still evident in its Creole dialect.

Location: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, North of Trinidad and Tobago.

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total:   239.38 sq Miles
land:   235.52 sq Miles
water:      3.86  sq Miles

Coastline : 98.18 Miles 

Climate: tropical; Moderated by northeast trade winds: rainy season (May to August)
Dry season from January to April.

Terrain: volcanic and mountainous with some broad , fertile valleys

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Grimie 950 m

Natural resources: Forest, sandy beaches, minerals, minerals springs, geothermal
potential arable land 8% of land use.

Land use:
arable land : 8%
permanent crops: 21%
permanent pastures: 5%
forests and woodland : 13%
other: 53% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 3.86  sq km

Natural hazards: infrequent hurricanes; volcanic activity

Environment - current issues deforestation : soil erosion, partcularly in the northern region, international agreements party to Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species

Environmental Modification 
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling , International agreements signed, but not ratified Climate Change- Kyoto Protocol.

Population:   (July 1997 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 24% (male 31,025; female 30,197)
15-64 years: 66% (male 83,977; female 87,208)
65 years and over : 10% (male 10,002; female 16,347) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.12% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 15.35 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 8.25 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -5.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth : 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 17.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.6 years
male : 71.84 years
female: 77.43 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.88 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Stlucian(s)

Ethnic groups: black 80%, white 4%, other 16%

Religions: Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, unknown 3%, other 9% (1980)

Languages: English

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 97.4%
male: 98%
female: 96.8% (1995 est.)

Country name:
conventional long form : none
conventional short form: St Lucia

Data code: LC

Government type: parliamentary democracy

National capital:   Castries

Administrative divisions: 11 quarters; Anse - La Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, Gros Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux Fort

Independence: 22 February 1979

National holiday: Independence Day, 22 February 1979

Constitution: 22 February

Legal system: English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dr Perlette LOUISY (since September 1997)
head of government : Prime Minister Kenneth Anthony (since NA) 
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime mister by the govenor general. 

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (11 -member body appointe, 6 appointed on the advice of the primister, tree on the advice of the leader of the oppssition, and after consultation with religious, economic, and social groups) and the House of Assembly (17 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections : House of Assembly - last held 23 May 1997 (next to be held NA 2002)
election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - SLP 16, UWP 1. 

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Judicature, judges are appointed by the Service Commissions for the Judicial and Legal Service

Political parties and leaders:   Sint Lucia Labor Pary (SLP) Kenneth Anthony: National Freedom Party (NFP) Martinus Francoi

National product: real growth rate : 0.80 %
National product: per capita : US$3,550
National product: US$541 million

Agriculture:  10.70 %of GDP
Industry: 32.30 %of GDP
Services: 57.00 %of GDP

Inflation rate: (consumer prices) -2.30 %
Labor force: 43,800O
Occupation agriculture: 43.4%, services 38.9%, industry and commerce 17.7% (1983 est.)

unemployment:                   rate 15.00 %
government revenues:         US$155 million
government expenditures:    US$169 million
industries clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes, tourism, lime processing, coconut processing

industrial production: growth rate 2.80 %
electricity capacity: 0.02 million kW
electricity production: 110 million kWh
electricity consumption: per capita 705 kWh

agriculture products:  bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoa
illicit drugs transit point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe
Exports:  US$80 million
Exported: commodities bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa,                        vegetables, fruits, coconut oil
Export: partners UK 50%, US 24%, Caricom countries 16% (1995)
Imports:  US$271 million
Import:   commodities food 23%, manufactured goods 21%, machinery and transportation 
equipment: 19%, chemicals, fuels
Import: partners US 36%, Caricom countries 22%, UK 11%, Japan 5%, Canada 4% (1995)
Balance trade: US$-191 million

External debt:  US$131 million
Economic aid: recipient ODA, $NA
Economic aid donor 
Currency:  1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:  2.70 per US$
Fiscal year:  1 April - 31 March