Saint Lucia: mountain landscapes and volcanoes

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The island of Saint Lucia is a parliamentary monarchy associated with the British Commonwealth. The state is located in the Lesser Antilles, between the Caribbean Sea in the west and the Atlantic Ocean in the east, north of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and south of Martinique. The capital and main port is the small town of Castries located along the northwestern coast of Saint Lucia.

AN ISLAND WITH BEAUTIFUL MOUNTAINS

The island is mountainous and of volcanic origin, along the south-western coast it has two characteristic volcanic reliefs the Gros Piton (770 meters) and the Petit Piton (743 meters), while the highest peak of the island is Mount Gimie (950 meters). The economy of the island is mainly based on agriculture (bananas, cocoa, citrus and coconuts), the chemical and food industry, fishing and tourism.

The island of Saint Lucia was explored at the beginning of the 16th century by the Spaniards, but the first European settlements were founded there around the middle of the 17th century by the French and English. The island was subject to bitter disputes between the English and the French, but until the end of the eighteenth century the French were the ones who had control over it for the longest time. With the Napoleonic wars Saint Lucia became definitively part of the British possessions. However, French influence is still present. In fact, 90% of the population speaks French Creole as their mother tongue.

The climate of Saint Lucia.

• Area: 616 sqkm. (Arable 29%, Pastures 5%, Forests and Woodlands 13%, Uncultivated and Unproductive 53%)
• Population: 180,000 (2018 data) (Africans 90%, Mulattos (descendants of European and African) 5%, Asians 3%, Europeans 1%).
• State Capital: Castries.
• Language: Official language is English. Spoken also a French-Creole (90/95%).
• Religion: Christian 93% (Catholic 70%, Protestant 23% (Adventist 7%, Pentecostal 6%, Anglican 2%, Evangelic 2%), Rastafari 2%.
• Currency: East Caribbean Dollar (XCD)
• Time: UTC -4 hours.

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