Useful Notes / Saint Lucia

Saint Lucia (French: Sainte-Lucie) is a country in The Caribbean, located in the Windward Island chain. It is part of The Commonwealth of Nations, as well as La Francophonie, and is notably the only country in the world named after a woman, with the country getting its name after Saint Lucy of Syracuse by the French. Much of Dr. Dolittle was filmed here, as well as Water (1985).

Originally settled by the French after a treaty with the native Carib Indians in 1660, England took control of the island from 1663 to 1667. The island quickly turned into a war zone between the British and French, with the island being at war with France 14 times. The rule of the island changed constantly between the British and French, with them ruling the island 7 times each, and the island gaining the nickname of "Helen of the West Indies". With the Treaty of Paris at the end of The Napoleonic Wars in 1814, the British took definitive control of the island. The slaves who had worked on sugar plantations on the island were freed in 1838, with the institution of slavery on the island and throughout The British Empire being abolished in 1836. The island gained a representative government in 1840 with universal suffrage coming about in 1953, and became an independent country on the 22nd of February, 1979.

Notable Saint Lucians:

• Joseph Marcell, who played Geoffrey Butler in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Born in Saint Lucia but moved to the United Kingdom as a child.
• Paterson Joseph's parents both came from Saint Lucia.
• Marianne Jean-Baptiste is born to a Saint Lucian father and Antiguan mother.
• British comedian Mo Gilligan is of Saint Lucian descent.
• Nathalie Emmanuel has partial Saint Lucian ancestry through her father.

Saint Lucia in fiction:

• The animated short The Mighty Grand Piton takes place in Saint Lucia, in what can only be described as "What if a Mecha anime was set in the Caribbean". Director Wesley Louis has stated that the short was inspired on his experiences visiting the island as a kid. His parents were born in Saint Lucia before moving to the UK, so he was inspired by his memories of visiting for the first time a culture and community he grew up hearing about.

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The Saint Lucian flag

The flag consists of a cerulean blue field, epitomizing the sky and the sea, specifically the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea which encircle the country, charged with a yellow triangle in front of a white-edged black isosceles triangle, both triangles representing unity and the Pitons, which are twin volcanic cones located in the southwest part of the island that are a national symbol of Saint Lucia, with the yellow triangle also symbolizing the sunshine and prosperity, and the black and white triangle alluding to the harmonious relationship between the black and white races.

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The Saint Lucian national anthem

Sons and daughters of Saint Lucia,

love the land that gave us birth,

land of beaches, hills and valleys,

fairest isle of all the earth.

Wheresoever you may roam,

Love, oh, love our island home.

Gone the times when nations battled

for this 'Helen of the West',

gone the days when strife and discord

Dimmed her children's toil and rest.

Dawns at last a brighter day,

stretches out a glad new way.

May the good Lord bless our island,

guard her sons from woe and harm,

may our people live united,

strong in soul and strong in arm!

Justice, Truth and Charity,

Our ideal for ever be!

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Government

• Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy
  • Monarch: Charles III
  • Governor-General: Errol Charles (acting)
  • Prime Minister: Philip J. Pierre

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Miscellaneous

• Capital and largest city: Castries
• Population: 184,401
• Area: 617 sq km (238 sq mi) (177th)
• Currency: East Caribbean dollar ($) (XCD)
• ISO-3166-1 Code: LC
• Country calling code: 1 (area code 758)
• Highest point: Mount Gimie (950 m/3,117 ft) (162nd)
• Lowest point: Caribbean Sea (7,686 m/25,217 ft) (-)