Tag Archives: Study in Saint Lucia

State of Central America whose territory is formed by the island of the same name, located in the central-southern sector of the Lesser Antilles, in the Windward Islands, between the islands of Martinique to the N and Saint Vincent to the S, from which it is separated by two arms of the sea, respectively the Saint Lucia Channel and the Saint Vincent Passage. The British and the French have alternated 14 times as colonizers, and the island has often been the scene of bitter battles. Inhabited mainly by blacks, descendants of slaves brought here from Africa, it is the most populated state in the Lesser Antilles. According to COUNTRYAAH, Saint Lucia is a nation in North America, the capital city of which is Castries. The latest population of Saint Lucia is 181,889.

THE COUNTRY
Independent since February 1979, Saint Lucia is a constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth; head of state is the British sovereign, represented by a governor general. The latter appoints the prime minister, responsible with the governor of the executive power; legislative power belongs to the bicameral Parliament composed of an Assembly elected by universal suffrage for 5 years and by the Senate of various appointments. The legal system in use is based on the British Common Law. Justice is administered through the Supreme Court of the Eastern Caribbean. The death penalty is in effect. There are no regular armed forces for the defense of the country. The maintenance of public order is entrusted to a Police Force which also includes the Coast Guard. Education is compulsory from 5 to 15 years old and is given in public and private schools. Primary school begins at age 5 and lasts for seven years. Secondary school starts at age 12 and includes a first cycle lasting three years and a second cycle lasting two. Despite the extended compulsory schooling, the percentage of illiterate people on the islands is still high (9.9% in 2003). L’

GEOGRAPHY
Of volcanic origin, the island is mountainous (Mount Gimie, 950 m) and covered by dense woods; near the southwestern coast the Gros Piton (798 m) and the Petit Piton (743 m) rise sharply, two volcanic cones that represent the main feature of the territory. The NE trade winds mitigate the tropical climate of the island, whose average temperature varies from 21ºC to 32ºC. Precipitation increases with altitude: from 1300 mm per year in the coastal strip to 3800 mm in the higher areas. Numerous watercourses descend from the reliefs, which form wide alluvial plains in the terminal part of their course.