St. Lucia

With its unspoiled beauty and its unique creole culture St. Lucia has French Flavour and it is very popular with North Americans and Europeans. The volcanic island of St. Lucia size is 620 km² with an estimated population of 160,000. Its capital is Castries, where about one third of the population lives.

The official language is English, but a creole language called Antillean Creole is spoken by 80% of the population and is getting increasing usage and official recognition. As a Commonwealth realm, Saint Lucia recognizes Queen Elizabeth II as the Head of State of Saint Lucia, represented on the island by a Governor-General. Executive power, however, is in the hands of the prime minister and his cabinet.
 
St. Lucia island is more mountainous than many other Caribbean islands and is dominated by the peaks of over 3000 ft. volcanic mountains (the highest point being Mount Gimie, at 950 metres or 3,120 ft. above sea level). Two other mountains called The Pitons are the most famous landmarks on the island. The another popular landmark is a nearby Soufriere - the world's only "drive-in" volcano. Other tourist attractions include the Botanical Gardens, the rain forests and Pigeon Island National Park, which is home to Fort Rodney, an old British military base.

This proud island nation has been the home of two Nobel laureates, Arthur Lewis and Derek Walcott, and so can claim the distinction of being the nation with the most such honorees per capita in the world.