Map of Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is a country in North America with its capital at Castries, home to about 180,149 people across 617 km². The interactive map below plots 1 cities and towns, 1 mountain summits and 1 ports recorded for Saint Lucia in YearMaps.
- Population
- 180,149
- Area
- 617 km²
- Capital
- Castries
- Continent
- North America
Interactive Map of Saint Lucia
Centred on Castries at 14.0020° N, 61.0000° W. Use the layer panel to switch on rivers, dams, ports, peaks and historical borders.
About Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia (also written as St. Lucia) is an island country in the eastern and southern Caribbean. Part of the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 617 km2 (238 sq mi) with an officially estimated population of over 184,100 people as of mid 2023. The nation's capital and largest city is Castries.
The first proven inhabitants of the island, the Arawaks, are believed to have been the first to settle on the island in 200–400 AD. In 800 AD, the island was taken over by the Kalinago. The French were the first European colonists to settle on the island, and they signed a treaty with the native Caribs in 1660. The English took control of the island in 1663. In ensuing years, England and France fought 14 times for control of the island; consequently control over this immensely valuable geopolitical position changed frequently. Eventually, the British took complete control in 1814, shortly after the victory over French Emperor Napoleon I. Because the island switched so often between British and French control, Saint Lucia was also known as the "Helen of the West" after the Greek mythological character, Helen of Troy.
Representative government was introduced in 1924 with universal suffrage being established in 1951. From 1958 to 1962, the island was a member of the West Indies Federation. On 22 February 1979, Saint Lucia became an independent state, while remaining as a Commonwealth realm.
Saint Lucia is a member of the United Nations, the Organization of American States, the World Trade Organization, Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). It is also a member of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Saint Lucia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Geography and Climate of Saint Lucia
England and France contested Saint Lucia -- with its fine natural harbor at Castries and burgeoning sugar industry -- throughout the 17th and early 18th centuries, with possession changing 14 times; it was finally ceded to the UK in 1814 and became part of the British Windward Islands colony. Even after the abolition of slavery on its plantations in 1834, Saint Lucia remained an agricultural island, dedicated to producing tropical commodity crops. In the mid-20th century, Saint Lucia joined the West Indies Federation (1958–1962) and in 1967 became one of the six members of the West Indies Associated States, with internal self-government. In 1979, Saint Lucia gained full independence.
- Location
- Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago.
- Climate
- Tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season January to April, rainy season May to August.
- Terrain
- Volcanic and mountainous with broad, fertile valleys.
- Highest point
- Mount Gimie 948 m.
- Lowest point
- Caribbean Sea 0 m.
- Coastline
- 158 km.
- Land borders
- Total: 0 km.
- Natural resources
- Forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential.
- Land use
- Agricultural land: 16.3% (2023 est.); arable land: 4.4% (2023 est.); permanent crops: 11.3% (2023 est.); permanent pasture: 0.6% (2023 est.); forest: 53.7% (2023 est.); other: 30% (2023 est.)
- Natural hazards
- Hurricanes volcanism: Mount Gimie (948 m), also known as Qualibou, is a caldera on the west of the island; the iconic twin pyramidal peaks of Gros Piton (771 m) and Petit Piton (743 m) are lava-dome remnants associated with the Soufrière volcano; there have been no historical magmatic eruptions, but a minor steam eruption in 1766 spread a thin layer of ash over a wide area; Saint Lucia is part of the volcanic-island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends from Saba in the north to Grenada in the south.
- Geographic note
- The twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), striking cone-shaped peaks south of Soufrière, are one of the scenic natural highlights of the Caribbean.
- Languages
- English (official), Saint Lucian Creole.
- Religions
- Roman Catholic 61.5%, Protestant 25.5% (includes Seventh Day Adventist 10.4%, Pentecostal 8.9%, Baptist 2.2%, Anglican 1.6%, Church of God 1.5%, other Protestant 0.9%), other Christian 3.4% (includes Evangelical 2.3% and Jehovah's Witness 1.1%), Rastafarian 1.9%, other 0.4%, none 5.9%, unspecified 1.4% (2010 est.)
- Ethnic groups
- Black/African descent 85.3%, mixed 10.9%, East Indian 2.2%, other 1.6%, unspecified 0.1% (2010 est.)
- Economy
- Upper middle-income, tourism-based Caribbean island economy; environmentally fragile; energy import-dependent; major banana producer; well-educated labor force; key infrastructure, IT, and communications investments.
From the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived edition of 2026-01-22. The Factbook is no longer updated, so figures reflect that edition.
Saint Lucia in Numbers
- Population
- 180,149
- GDP
- US$2.7 billion
- GDP per person
- US$14,746
- Life expectancy
- 72.8 years
- Population growth
- 0.23% a year
- Population density
- 295 per km²
- Urban population
- 29.1%
- Surface area
- 616 km²
- Forest cover
- 53.8%
- Arable land
- 4.4%
- Access to electricity
- 100.0%
- Internet users
- 68.2%
Indicators from World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). The year under each figure is its reference year.
Saint Lucia in Depth
History
The first proven inhabitants of Saint Lucia were the Arawaks, though there may have been other native peoples prior to them. The Arawaks are believed to have come from northern South America, sometime around 200–400 AD, as there are numerous archaeological sites on the island where specimens of their pottery have been found.
The Kalinago (Island Caribs) arrived around 800 AD, and seized control from the Arawaks by killing their men and assimilating the women into their own society.
It is possible that Christopher Columbus may have sighted the island during his fourth voyage in 1502, but he does not mention the island in his log. Juan de la Cosa noted the island on his map of 1500, calling it El Falcon, and another island to the south Las Agujas.
Geography
Saint Lucia has a total area of 617 km2 (238 sq mi). As a volcanic island, Saint Lucia is very mountainous, with its highest point being Mount Gimie, at 950 m (3,120 ft) above sea level. The Pitons, two mountainous volcanic plugs, form the island's most famous landmark. Saint Lucia is also home to the world's only drive-in volcano, the Sulphur Springs. There are a number of small islands off the coast, the largest of which are the Maria Islands, located in the south-east of the island.
Saint Lucia lies at latitude 14° N and longitude 61° W. The population tends to be concentrated around the coast, with the interior more sparsely populated, due to the presence of dense forests.
Economy
Saint Lucia is a Small Island Developing State, a designation similar to a developing country with a few substantial differences due to Saint Lucia's island nature. The service sector is the largest sector of the economy, accounting for 86.9% of GDP in 2020, followed by industrial and agricultural sectors at 10.9% and 2.2%, respectively.
Saint Lucia has been able to attract foreign business and investment due to its educated workforce and improvements in roads, communications, water supply, sewerage, and port facilities. Like most small islands, tourism and offshore banking are Saint Lucia's main sources of revenue. Agriculture, specifically the banana industry, was previously the largest sector of the economy, although its importance has declined significantly.
Demographics
A census is normally held in Saint Lucia every 10 years. In the 2010 census, Saint Lucia reported a population of 165,595 in 58,920 households. This was a 5.1% increase from the 157,490 recorded at the previous census in 2001. Ages 0–14 made up 24.1% of the population while those 65 and over made up 8.6%. Nearly 40% of the island's population lived in the District of Castries, where the nation's capital of the same name is located.
Saint Lucia had a fertility rate of 1.4 children per woman in 2021, the lowest in the Americas.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Saint Lucia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Saint Lucia: Key Facts
| Currency | Eastern Caribbean dollar |
|---|---|
| Official language | English |
| Head of state | Charles III |
| Head of government | Philip J. Pierre |
| Form of government | constitutional monarchy |
| Calling code | +1758 |
| Internet domain | .lc |
| Highest point | Mount Gimie |
| Lowest point | Caribbean Sea |
| Established | 22 February 1979 |
Facts from Wikidata Q760 (CC0).
History of Saint Lucia: Empires and States
The atlas records 5 polities whose mapped territory included part of Saint Lucia, from Kingdom of France in 1645 CE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here | Extent |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom of France | 1645–1761 CE | Nearly all |
| New France | 1645–1761 CE | Nearly all |
| British Colonial Empire | 1762–1995 CE | Nearly all |
| The British Empire | 1762–1995 CE | Nearly all |
| Saint Lucia | 1979–2024 CE | Nearly all |
Historical Maps of Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Visiting Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is an island nation in the Caribbean. Saint Lucia is a popular destination due to its tropical weather, lush and mountainous scenery, numerous beaches, local accommodations, and range of resorts. St. Lucia has become a significant wedding destination.
Other tourist attractions include a drive-in volcano and sulphur springs, the Botanical Gardens, the Majestic twin Peaks "The Pitons"--a world heritage site, Edmund Rainforest, the Tourille Waterfall (almost a drive-ion waterfall), Sapphire Jungle Spa, extensive reef for diving and snorkelling (all in Soufriere), and Pigeon Island National Park, which is home to Fort Rodney, an old British military base.
The twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton) are striking cone-shaped peaks south of Soufriere that are one of the scenic natural highlights of the Caribbean.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Saint Lucia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in Saint Lucia
1 city recorded. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Castries | 37,963 | — | National capital |
Highest Mountains in Saint Lucia
1 mountain recorded. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mount Gimie | 950 m | 3,117 ft | North America |
Mount Gimie
Mountain · 950 m
Mount Gimie is a mountain rising to 950 metres (3,117 ft) in Saint Lucia, in the North America region. From PeakBagger.com, with kind permission..
Mount Gimie is the tallest mountain on the island of Saint Lucia. It is located in the Canaries District on the west side of Saint Lucia. The mountain's peak reaches 950 m (3,120 ft). It is covered by lush tropical rainforest and was formed as the result of intense volcanic activity 200,000 to 300,000 years ago. Mount Gimie is still volcanic and so are many other of the Pitons (a couple of volcanic plugs in which Mount Gimie belongs).
Adapted from Wikipedia: Mount Gimie (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Elevation
- 950 m (3,117 ft)
- Global rank
- #565 of 641 indexed
- Region
- North America (#115)
- Subregion
- West Indies
- Country
- Saint Lucia
- Coordinates
- 13.8600°, -61.0100°
Of the 641 named summits indexed in YearMaps, Mount Gimie ranks #565 by elevation, below Cerro El Copey (957 m) and above Aripo Peak (940 m).
- Ranges:
- Wilhelmina Gebergte (South America), Tumuc-Humac Mountains (South America)
- Neighbouring summits:
- Montagne Pelée (1,397 m), Mount Hillaby (340 m), Morne Diablotins (1,447 m)
- Settlements below:
- Castries (16 km), Kingstown (82 km), Fort-de-France (84 km)
More about Mount Gimie
Mount Gimie: Key Facts
| Topographic prominence | 950 m |
|---|
Facts from Wikidata Q1811114 (CC0).
Ports in Saint Lucia
1 port recorded. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on.
| # | Name | Channel Depth | Class | Sea | Max Vessel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vieux Fort | 34.7 m | Very Small | Caribbean Sea | large vessels |
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Saint Lucia
1 World Heritage Site recorded. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each.
| # | Name | Inscribed | Type | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pitons | 2004 | Natural | (vii) (viii) |
Countries Bordering Saint Lucia
Land and maritime neighbours.
More Maps in North America
Saint Lucia: Quick Answers
- What is the capital of Saint Lucia?
- The capital of Saint Lucia is Castries.
- What is the population of Saint Lucia?
- Saint Lucia has a population of about 180,149, the #189 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.
- How big is Saint Lucia?
- Saint Lucia covers 617 km², ranking #195 by area, with about 292 people per square kilometre.
- Which continent is Saint Lucia in?
- Saint Lucia is in North America.
- Which countries border Saint Lucia?
- Saint Lucia shares a land or maritime border with Venezuela.
- What is the largest city in Saint Lucia?
- Castries is the largest city in Saint Lucia, with a metropolitan population of about 37,963.
- What is the highest mountain in Saint Lucia?
- The highest summit recorded for Saint Lucia in YearMaps is Mount Gimie at 950 m (3,117 ft). Summits on a border are counted for both countries.