- Castries; 14,000 - 616 square kilometers (238 square miles) -
English, French patois - Roman Catholic, Protestant - East
Caribbean dollar - Life Expectancy: - GDP per Capita: - U.S.
$5,400 - Literacy Percent: Saint Lucia Facts Flag Saint Lucia, a
tropical island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, gained
independence from Britain in 1979. Tropical forests cloak a
mountainous interior flanked by twin volcanic peaks, known as
pitons. Oil transshipment via a U.S.-built terminal and the
export of manufactured goods supplement agriculture and tourism.
The government is challenged by unemployment and drug-related
crime. - Industry: Clothing, assembly of electronic components,
beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes - Agriculture: Bananas,
coconuts, vegetables, citrus - Exports: Bananas, clothing,
cacao, vegetables —Text From National Geographic Atlas of the
World, Eighth Edition With hotel rates dropping at the island's
top resorts in summer and more direct flights from the states
each week, off-season St. Lucia is becom