Saint Lucia
Twin volcanic peaks rising from the sea, home to two Nobel laureates from one small town.
In 1979, Sir William Arthur Lewis, born in Castries, became the first Black scholar to win a Nobel Prize in economics, honored for pioneering research into how developing nations could grow. He was plain about what mattered most, saying the only real test of achievement is how far it lifts others.
Thirteen years later, fellow Castries native Derek Walcott won the Nobel Prize in Literature, making Saint Lucia home to two Nobel laureates from a single small town, a feat matched by almost no nation on Earth. It is the kind of achievement the national motto already promised: The Land, The People, The Light.
Get to Know Saint Lucia
Capital: Castries. Language: English (official), plus Saint Lucian Creole (Kwéyòl), a French based Creole spoken by most of the population. Currency: Eastern Caribbean dollar. Saint Lucia gained independence from Britain on February 22, 1979.
Fun Facts
- Home to two Nobel laureates born in the same small town, Castries: Sir Arthur Lewis (Economics, 1979) and Derek Walcott (Literature, 1992).
- The Pitons, twin volcanic spires rising straight from the sea, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Saint Lucia is the only country in the world named after a woman, Saint Lucy of Syracuse.
- Its cocoa industry traces back to cacao trees planted in the rainforest in the 1700s.
- Independence from Britain came on February 22, 1979.
Why Visit
Gros Piton and Petit Piton, the twin volcanic spires that rise straight from the Caribbean Sea, anchor a UNESCO World Heritage Site and draw hikers willing to climb one of the steepest trails in the Caribbean. Nearby, the Sulphur Springs at Soufriere let visitors drive up to an actual volcano and soak in mineral mud baths fed by its heat. Marigot Bay's calm, palm lined harbor and Anse Chastanet's reef just offshore round out the coastline, while inland tours walk travelers through the cocoa groves that supply the island's chocolate makers.
Made in Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia has built a name in cocoa and small batch chocolate, sugarcane rum, and bananas, once the island's leading export before trade rules reshaped the industry in the 1990s.
This space is reserved for a future Local Marketplace Spotlight, featuring Trust Standard certified Saint Lucian businesses once that pillar of the Americas Ecosystem exists. Soon.