St Lucia is the second largest of the Windward Islands in the Caribbean. It has a total area of 620 km2. The climate is tropical, moderated by north-east trade winds; the dry season is from January to April, the rainy season from May to August. The terrain is volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys. Natural resources are forests, sandy beaches, pumice, mineral springs and a geothermal potential. The religion is 90% Roman Catholic, 7% Protestant, 3% Anglican. The official language is English, with French and Creole also spoken. St Lucia was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1502, but first settled by France who signed a treaty with the indigenous Carib inhabitants in 1660. St Lucia was variously occupied by France and Britain until it was ceded to Britain in 1803, and gained self-government in 1967 and independence in 1979. Research St Lucia
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Gazetteer
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