St. Lucia: An Introduction

The blue in the flag represents the sky and the sea. The black and white 

implies the two cultures that dominate the country. Yellow symbolizes 

sunshine and prosperity and the two triangles represent the Pitons.

Saint Lucia is located within the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles. It was named by the French, after St. Lucy of Syracuse, but the early Amerindians called it Hewanorra. or ‘land where iguana are found’. It was formed by volcanic activity caused by the collision of the great American Plate meeting with and submerging under the Caribbean Plate. Time and erosion have created the landscape seen today, dominated by high peaks and rain forests. Today, the only signs of active volcanism are a sulfurous steam and water vent just south of the village of Soufriere - the last time the Soufriere volcano erupted was in 1780. The island also has many fine natural harbours and beaches.

Reduit Beach, Rodney Bay

The Lesser Antilles are situated along the edge of one of the more volatile sections of the earth’s crust. As a result of volcanic action, a chain of islands was created where molten rock material rose up through the fractured and weakened crust. 

Our condo in Rodney Bay.

I am amazed at how lush and green the island is. There are many different kinds of palm trees, broad-leaved trees, ferns and flowers. Flatter areas inland have been cleared for agriculture and the island’s coastal dry forests are increasingly being cleared for tourism development, but the interior of St. Lucia remains thickly forested. 

I have noticed that all the plants I have grown as house-plants over the years can be found here, either growing wild or in landscape plantings.  Also, fruit trees and coconuts, mangoes, guavas, papayas, passion-fruit, bananas and pineapples are common.

St. Lucia has a tropical, humid climate, but the northeast trade winds always blow and as a result, it doesn’t seem as hot to me as Ho Chi Minh. Most rainfall occurs from June to December. Castries is the capital city and that is where about one third of the population lives. Major towns include Gros Islet, Soufrière and Vieux Fort. Much of the country’s food is imported, and the Government has been concerned enough about St. Lucia’s annual food import bill to offer incentives to farmers, and has introduced mango and avocado farming, and encouraged the cultivation of cocoa, coconut and citrus fruits.

The nation’s best known bird species is endangered 

Saint Lucia 

Amazon parrot.    

Although there are no large indigenous  mammals on the island, bats are common and there are several species of snakes. The Asian mongoose was intentionally introduced to St Lucia by the British in the late 19th century to control rodents on plantations. The Brazilian Agouti, a large rodent about the size of a domestic cat, and the Southern Opossum were also introduced to St. Lucia, probably for food and trade.

mourning dove

And like most places in the world, St. Lucia has rats (not that I have ever seen one, although I did see them in Asia). Two rat species were introduced to the island with the first explorers from Europe and the slave boats from Africa. There is also an indigenous rat species, the Giant Rice Rat, but it is thought to be extinct.  The feral population on the island includes dogs, cats and pigs. Saint Lucia has hundreds of bird species, including hummingbirds, flycatchers and pigeons. The seas around Saint Lucia support healthy coral growth and species such as turtles, lobster, game fish and conch, as well as an abundance of other fish.

Fruits, vegetables, nuts and spices grown in St. Lucia

From Pigeon Island looking southwest over the Caribbean Sea.

Approximately 70% of the population is Roman Catholic and 35% are under the age of 19. Paul has told me that all his Ministry meetings start out with prayer and hymn singing. English is the official language, but a French patois is commonly spoken, although I tried speaking in French to a couple patois speaking Lucians, but none of them could understand me. (Of course that could be because of my poor French). I can pick up a few words of patois, but pronunciation and spelling are very different.

Jounen Kweyol, a national festival recognizing St. Lucia's creole heritage, is celebrated every October.  The above picture was taken at the International School of St. Lucia.

Rodney Bay - Sandals on the left, Reduit Beach on the right.

Tourism generates the most revenue for the island. Interestingly, the Bank of Nova Scotia is one of the largest companies.  Rodney Bay, where I live, is a popular spot for tourists, mainly because of the restaurants, bars and resorts. Reduit beach is arguably the nicest beach on the island – clean, warm water, calm – unlike the Atlantic side of the island where the waves are usually high and rough. 




I like being able to go to the grocery store and find familiar products. And even if I don’t recognize an item, the labels are in English so I know what I’m getting. In Vietnam, I often had to guess and hope for the best! Food and goods are expensive, and there are often shortages. When we returned here in early January, there was no fresh milk for two weeks. Local fruits and vegetables, when available, are more reasonably priced. Rum is cheap.

Pina Colada

Ingredients

ice cubes
1/2 cup rum
1/4 cup coconut cream
1/4 cup pineapple chunks

Directions

Fill blender halfway with ice cubes. Add rum, coconut cream, coconut milk and pineapple chunks. Puree. Served garnished with a slice of pineapple and maraschino cherry, if desired. Enjoy!