Saint Lucia
Flag Coat of arms
Motto "The Land, The People, The Light"
Anthem Sons and Daughters of Saint Lucia
Capital (and largest city)		Castries 14°1′N, 60°59′W
Demonym		Saint Lucian
Government		Parliamentary democracy (constitutional monarchy)
-	Queen	Elizabeth II
-	Governor-General	Pearlette Louisy
-	Prime Minister	Stephenson King
Independence
-	from the United Kingdom	22 February 1979
Area
-	Total	620 km² (193rd) 239 sq mi
-	Water (%)	1.6
Population
-	2005 census	160,765
-	Density	298 /km² (41st) 672 /sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2002 estimate
-	Total	$866 million (197th)
-	Per capita	$5,950 (98th)
HDI (2004)		0.790 (medium) (71st)
Currency		East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
Time zone		(UTC-4)
Internet TLD		.lc
Calling code		+1 758

Saint Lucia (IPA: ) is an island nation in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north of the islands of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It is also known as the "Helen of the West Indies" because the island switched between British and French control so often it was likened to the mythical Helen of Troy.

Saint Lucia is one of the Windward Islands, named for Saint Lucy of Syracuse. It was first visited by Europeans in about the year 1500 and first colonized successfully by France who signed a treaty with the native Carib peoples in 1660. Great Britain then took control of the island from 1663-1667 before going to war with France over it fourteen times. The British finally took complete control of the island in 1814. Representative government came about in 1924 (with universal adult suffrage from 1953) and from 1958 to 1962 the island was a member of the Federation of the West Indies. Finally, on February 22, 1979, Saint Lucia became an independent state of the Commonwealth of Nations. The island nation celebrates this every year with a public holiday.

Saint Lucia Pictures