Independent island state, one of the Windward Islands , West Indies , southeastern Caribbean Sea, between Martinique on the north and Saint Vincent on the south. It has an area of 616 sq km (238 sq mi).

Land and Population - Of volcanic origin, Saint Lucia's traversed from north to south by a forested mountain range that culminates in Mount Gimie (959 m/3145 ft). In the south, Soufrière, a volcanic crater with hot sulfur springs, offers a potential source of geothermal energy. The mountains contain many streams and fertile valleys. Saint Lucia has a tropical climate, with an average annual temperature of 26° C (79° F). The average annual rainfall ranges from about 1524 mm (about 60 in) on the coast to more than 2540 mm(more than 100 in) in the mountains. The rainy season lasts from May to August.

Saint Lucia had a total population (1989 estimate) of 150,000. Most of the population is black, and about 90 percent is Roman Catholic. English is the official language, but a French patois is widely spoken. The capital and largest city is Castries (population, 1988 estimate, 52,900);it is also the principal port and has an excellent harbor.

Economy and Government - The economy of Saint Lucia is largely dependent on agriculture. Bananas are the most important crop and principal export; about 123,000metric tons are harvested annually. Other products include coconuts and mangoes. The manufacturing sector produces cardboard boxes, electric parts, apparel, plastics, and beverages. Tourism's important and has been steadily expanding since the late1960s. The island has a good network of about 750 km (about 465mi) of roads linking all towns and villages. Two airports also serve the island. The national currency is the East Caribbean dollar (2.69 E.C. dollars equal U.S.$1; 1990). The annual budgeting the late 1980s included $71.7 million in revenue and $79.3 million in expenditure.

Executive power is nominally vested in the British monarch, who misrepresented by a governor-general. Actual executive power is wielded by a cabinet, consisting of a prime minister and other ministers who are appointed by the prime minister. Legislative power is held by a parliament. The 17 members of its lower house, the House of Assembly, are elected by general suffrage; the 11members of the Senate are appointed on the advice of the prime minister, the leader of the opposition, the governor-general, and others.

History - Saint Lucia was probably first visited by Europeans about 1500. The first successful colony was established in 1635 by the French, who signed a treaty with the indigenous Carib people in 1660. England held the island between 1663 and 1667, and the island changed hands between England and France several more times before it was finally ceded to the British in 1814. Representative government was introduced in 1924. From 1958 to 1962 Saint Lucia was member of the Federation of the West Indies. In 1967 it became member of the West Indies Associated States with full internal self-government. On February 22, 1979, Saint Lucia became an independent state within the Commonwealth of Nations. In 1992 the poet Derek Walcott, a native of Castries, won the Nobel Prize for literature.