St. Lucia: Beautiful Island, Wonderful People

By Veronica Logan

Though people on the outside looking in tend to paint the West Indian islands with one brush, thinking they’re all the same (sun, sea and sand), St. Lucia differentiates itself from other islands with its food, language, music, history and geography.

A Brief History

The beautiful island of St. Lucia was first inhabited by the Arawak Indians and Caribs. Europeans first came to the island around the 1500s during Spain's early exploration of the Caribbean. The Dutch, English, and French all tried to establish trading outposts on St. Lucia in the 17th century but faced opposition from the Caribs.

Both the English and French, based in Barbados and Martinique respectively, found St. Lucia attractive after the development of her sugar industry in the 18th century. At least 14 wars were waged between the two European countries before St. Lucia finally became a British territory in 1815 and one of the Windward Islands in 1871.

Increasing self-governance marked St. Lucia's 20th-century history with a 1924 constitution giving the island its first form of representative government. Ministerial government was later introduced in 1956.

As an associated state of the United Kingdom from 1967 to 1979, St. Lucia had full responsibility for internal self-governance but left its external affairs and defense responsibilities to the United Kingdom. This arrangement ended on February 22, 1979, when St. Lucia finally achieved full independence.

Population

Having descended from slaves, St. Lucia's population is predominantly African and mixed African-European. English is the official language, although many St. Lucians speak a French patois. Castries, the capital, is home to more than one-third of the island’s 166,000 inhabitants.

Geography

One of the eight Windward Islands, St. Lucia is a small, lush, tropical gem located midway down the Eastern Caribbean chain, between Martinique and St. Vincent, and north of Barbados. The island is 27 miles long and 14 miles wide and has the Atlantic Ocean roaring on its eastern shore and the Caribbean Ocean calmly lapping on its western coast.

Its majestic twin peaks, the Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), soar 2,000 feet up from the sea, sheltering rain forests where wild orchids, giant ferns, and birds of paradise flourish. Brilliantly-plumed tropical birds abound, including endangered species like the indigenous St. Lucia parrot. The rainforest is broken only by verdant fields and orchards of banana, coconut, mango, and papaya trees.

Government and Politics

Like some of her neighbors, St. Lucia is a parliamentary democracy with the head of state being represented on the island by the governor general. The actual power in St. Lucia however, lies with the prime minister and the cabinet.

A 17-member House of Assembly makes up St. Lucia’s parliament, and members are elected for 5-year terms. There is also an 11-member senate appointed by the governor general. The parliament may be dissolved by the governor general at any point during its 5-year term if the prime minister wants to take the nation into early elections, or if the house passes a vote of no-confidence in the government.

Until 1997, the United Workers Party (UWP) was the dominant political party of St. Lucia having governed the country for all but three years since its independence in 1979. After serving as Premier from 1964, John Compton became the island’s first Prime Minister in 1979.

In elections held in 1997, the St. Lucia Labour Party (SLP) took control of the government and Dr. Kenny Anthony became Prime Minister of the island. He held office for nine years until the UWP won an upset victory in elections held December 11, 2006. Sir John Compton once again returned to the position of Prime Minister, as well as Minister of Finance.

In May 2007, Prime Minister Compton became ill and subsequently passed away four months later on September 7, 2007. Two days later, Stephenson King was sworn in as Prime Minister and continues to hold that post today.

Economy

St. Lucia's economy depends mainly on revenue earned from tourism and banana production. But banana production has been on a steady decline due to competition from lower-cost Latin American banana producers and reduced European Union trade preferences. To combat this, the government has encouraged farmers to plant crops like cocoa, mangos, and avocados to diversify its agricultural production and provide jobs for displaced banana workers.

Following the post-September 11th recession, the tourism industry saw a promising rebound in 2004 and continued to grow in 2005, making up more than 48% of St. Lucia's GDP. The hotel and restaurant industry are also enjoying steady growth. With the growth in tourism, there have been steady improvements in road infrastructure, communications, water supply, sewerage, and port facilities. These improvements, combined with a stable political environment and educated work force, have attracted foreign investors in several different sectors.

St. Lucia's currency is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC$), a regional currency shared among members of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union. The EC$ is 2.7 to the U.S. $1.
Today, St. Lucia continues to play an integral role in the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM), the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), and the Regional Security System (RSS).

Culture

St. Lucian culture has been influenced by its strong African, French and English heritage. This is quite evident when you hear a St. Lucian speak the nation’s secondary language of Creole, which is a form of French patois.

Like nations throughout the world, St. Lucia celebrates its culture through food, song, dance and festivals. The island’s main carnival takes place annually in mid-July, and every May the island hosts the internationally-renowned St. Lucia Jazz festival.

If you’re looking for a destination where the natural beauty is matched only by the beauty of its people, St. Lucia should be on the top of your list!

(Veronica Logan is a contributor to Island Vibes Magazine. For comments, please feel free to contact her at veronica@islandvibesmag.com.)