Saint Lucia

Where the name comes from

Saint Lucia is named after Saint Lucy of Syracuse, a Christian martyr; how the island got the name is uncertain.

First people

Indigenous Caribbean communities lived here for centuries.¹

Known for

Saint Lucia is known for the Pitons, two steep volcanic peaks rising from the sea, and it has produced two Nobel laureates.²

Outside rule

French settlement began in 1650, and the island passed back and forth between French and British rule until Britain gained it for good in 1814; plantation slavery shaped its population.^3,4

The modern country

Saint Lucia became independent in 1979. English is official, but French-based Kwéyòl is widely spoken.⁴