ABSTRACT
St Lucia lies to the north-west of Barbados and midway between the islands of St Vincent and Martinique in the chain of islands of the South Caribbean known as the Windward Islands. Its area is 238 square miles, and it is a mountainous island, mainly of volcanic origin. Most spectacular are the Pitons, two conical-shaped forest-clad mountains rising sheer out of the sea: Petit Piton (2,619 feet) and Gros Piton (24,561 feet) to the south of Soufriere Bay, on the west coast, which have become known throughout the world as St Lucia's landmarks. In 1990, the population of St Lucia was estimated at 151,000.
