Geography of Saint Lucia
Continent	Americas
Region	Caribbean
Coordinates	13°53′N, 60°58′W
Area	Ranked 192th 616 km² - miles² 98.2% land 1.8% water
Coastline	158 km (98 miles)
Borders	Total land borders: 0 km
Highest point	Mount Gimie 950 m
Lowest point	Caribbean Sea 0 m
Longest river
Largest lake

Saint Lucia. Satellite image, OnEarth WMS global mosaic pseudocolor layer.

Saint Lucia is one of many small land masses composing the insular group known as the Windward Islands. Unlike large limestone areas such as Florida, Cuba, and the Yucatan Peninsula, or the Bahamas, which is a small island group composed of coral and sand, St. Lucia is a typical Windward Island formation of volcanic rock that came into existence long after much of the region had already been formed. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (733x1036, 648 KB) Summary a map of Saint Lucia that i created, based on a public domain map from the PCL, found here. ... World map showing the Americas CIA political map of the Americas The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World consisting of the continents of North America[1] and South America with their associated islands and regions. ... West Indian redirects here. ... Countries by area This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. ... This is a list of land borders between countries Note: Entries which are not sovereign states are italicised. ... Mount Gimie is the tallest mountain on the island of St. ... Map of Central America and the Caribbean Caribbean Sea from space (top left). ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 305 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (985 × 1935 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 305 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (985 × 1935 pixel, file size: 2. ... The Windward Islands are the southern islands of the Lesser Antilles. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] km²)  - Width 361 miles (582 km)  - Length 447 miles (721 km)  - % water 17. ... The Yucatán Peninsula separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico. ... This article is about volcanoes in geology. ...

St. Lucia's physical features are strikingly beautiful. Dominated by high peaks and rain forests in the interior, the 616 square-kilometer island is known for the twin peaks of Gros Piton and Petit Piton on the southwestern coast, its soft sandy beaches, and its magnificent natural harbors. Mount Gimie, the highest peak, is located in the central mountain range and rises to 958 meters above sea level, a contrast that is also evident in the abrupt climatic transition from coastal to inland areas. The steep terrain also accentuates the many rivers that flow from central St. Lucia to the Caribbean. Fertile land holdings, which support banana farming, are scattered throughout the island. Gros Piton and Petit Piton Gros Piton is one of two mountains overlooking Soufrière Bay in the southwest of Saint Lucia. ... Panorama View from the top of Gros Piton, looking north. ... Mount Gimie is the tallest mountain on the island of St. ...

St. Lucia has a tropical, humid climate moderated by northeast trade winds that allow for pleasant year-round conditions. Mean annual temperatures range from 26^oC to 32^oC at sea level and drop to an average of 13° C in the mountain peaks. The abundant annual rainfall accumulates to approximately 200 centimeters, with most precipitation occurring during the June to December wet season. Hurricanes are the most severe climatic disturbance in this area and have been known to cause extensive damage. Although St. Lucia has historically been spared from serious hurricane destruction, Hurricane Allen decimated the agricultural sector and claimed nine lives in 1980. Hurricane Allen was the strongest hurricane of the 1980 Atlantic hurricane season. ...

General

Location

Saint Lucia is in the Caribbean, an island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago. The capital city of Saint Lucia is Castries, where about one third of the population lives. Major towns include Gros Islet, Soufrière and Vieux Fort. West Indian redirects here. ... Map of Central America and the Caribbean Caribbean Sea from space (top left). ... For other uses, see Atlantic (disambiguation) The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of its surface. ... The Quarter of Castries, showing Castries city (red dot) Castries, population 11,147 (1991), is the capital city of Saint Lucia. ... Gros Islet is the newest town in Saint Lucia, having been recently promoted from a village to a town. ... Soufrière can mean the following Soufrière, a volcano on the island of Saint Vincent in the West Indies. ... Vieux Fort is located in the southern part of St. ...

Measurements

total area: 616 km²
length: 43 km
width: 23 km
comparative area: 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 158 km Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United...

Maritime claims

200 nautical miles (370 km)
contiguous zone: 24 nautical miles (44 km)
exclusive economic zone: 200 nautical miles (370 km)
territorial sea: 12 nautical miles (22 km)

Climate

Saint Lucia is in the tropical zone, although its climate is moderated by northeast trade winds. Since it's fairly close to the equator, the temperature doesn't fluctuate much between winter and summer. The dry season is from January to April, and the rainy season is from May to August. Average daytime temperatures are around 29° C, and average nighttime temperatures are around 18° C. Average annual rainfall ranges from 130 cm on the coast to 381 cm in the mountain rainforests.

Terrain

Volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys.

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m.
highest point: Mount Gimie 950 m. Mount Gimie is the tallest mountain on the island of St. ...

Sulfur spring.

bubbling sulfur spring in caldera on st. ... bubbling sulfur spring in caldera on st. ...

Natural resources

Forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential. This article is about forests as a massing of trees. ... The Beach in Calella, Spain. ... Minerals are natural compounds formed through geological processes. ... // Specimen of highly porous pumice from Teide volcano on Tenerife, Canary Islands. ... Mineral water is water containing minerals or other dissolved substances that alter its taste or give it therapeutic value. ... Earth cutaway from core to exosphere. ...

Land use

Arable land: 8%
permanent crops: 21%
permanent pastures: 5%
forests and woodland: 13%
other: 53% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 10 km² (1993 est.)

Political map

Quarters

Main article: Quarters of Saint Lucia

Quarters of Saint Lucia

The island of Saint Lucia is divided into 11 quarters: This article needs to be wikified. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 511 × 600 pixels Full resolution (850 × 998 pixel, file size: 38 KB, MIME type: image/png) Travail personnel de User:PoM Nouveaux districts de Sainte-Lucie mis à jour. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 511 × 600 pixels Full resolution (850 × 998 pixel, file size: 38 KB, MIME type: image/png) Travail personnel de User:PoM Nouveaux districts de Sainte-Lucie mis à jour. ...

1. Anse la Raye
2. Canaries
3. Castries
4. Choiseul
5. Dennery
6. Forest
7. Gros Islet
8. Laborie
9. Micoud
10. Soufrière
11. Vieux Fort

The Quarter of Anse la Raye Anse la Raye is a Quarter on the West coast of St. ... The Quarter of Castries, showing Castries city (red dot) Castries Quarter is one of eleven Quarters on the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia. ... The Quarter of Choiseul, in Saint Lucia Choiseul is a Quarter of the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia. ... The Quarter of Dennery, and the town of the same name Dennery is a both a quarter and a town on the east (windward) coast of the island of Saint Lucia. ... The Quarter of Gros Islet, with the town marked in red Gros Islet is the newest town in Saint Lucia, having been recently promoted from a village to a town. ... The Quarter of Laborie, with the village marked in red Laborie is a Quarter on the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia, and also a village inside that Quarter. ... The Quarter of Micoud in Saint Lucia Micoud is a Quarter on the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia, and also a village inside that Quarter. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Soufrière quarter. ... The Quarter of Vieux Fort, and the city of the same name Vieux Fort is located in the southern part of St. ...

Natural hazards

Hurricanes and volcanic activity. This article is about weather phenomena. ...

The island was severely affected by Hurricane Allen in 1980, causing tourism to drop, but Saint Lucia has generally had fewer hurricanes than most other caribbean islands. Hurricane Allen was the strongest hurricane of the 1980 Atlantic hurricane season. ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ...

Environment

Current issues

Deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region.

International agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Rainforests are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on earth Biodiversity is the variation of taxonomic life forms within a given ecosystem, biome or for the entire Earth. ... UNFCCC logo. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... The Siberian Tiger, a subspecies of tiger. ... note - abbreviated as Environmental Modification opened for signature - December 10, 1976 entered into force - October 5, 1978 objective - to prohibit the military or other hostile use of environmental modification techniques in order to further world peace and trust among nations parties - (66) Afghanistan, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria... Hazardous waste is waste that poses substantial or potential threats to public health or the environment and generally exhibits one or more of these characteristics: ignitability corrosivity reactivity (explosive) toxicity Many types of businesses generate hazardous waste. ... Admiralty law (usually referred to as simply admiralty and also referred to as maritime law) is a distinct body of law which governs maritime questions and offenses. ... Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping Wastes and Other Matter (London Convention) note - abbreviated as Marine Dumping opened for signature - 29 December 1972 entered into force - 30 August 1975 objective - to control pollution of the sea by dumping and to encourage regional agreements supplementary to the Convention... The crew of the oceanographic research vessel Princesse Alice, of Albert Grimaldi (later Prince Albert I of Monaco) pose while flensing a catch. ... Earth as seen by Apollo 17 The Kyoto Protocol is an amendment to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), an international treaty on global warming. ...

See also

• List of rivers in Saint Lucia
• Demographics of Saint Lucia

Balenbouche River Canaries River Canelles River Castries River Cul de Sac River Dennery River Dorée River Fond dOr River Migny River Piaye River Soufriére River Troumassée River Vieux Fort River Higgins, Chris (2001). ... Saint Lucias population is predominantly of African and mixed African-European descent, with small East Indian and European minorities. ...

References

• This article contains material from the Library of Congress Country Studies, which are United States government publications in the public domain.

• Philpott, Don (1999). St Lucia. Derbyshire: Landmark Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-901522-28-8. 
• Higgins, Chris (2001). St. Lucia. Montreal: Ulysses Travel Guides. ISBN 2-89464-396-9.