- The harbor town of Castries is the capital of the island nation of Saint Lucia.
The capital and chief port of Saint Lucia is Castries. Saint Lucia is one of the Windward Islands in the Caribbean Sea, south of Martinique and north of Saint Vincent. Castries is a commercial and tourist center but has remained a small town. Places of interestCastries is a tourist town. The pretty beaches around the city are often filled with visitors, and hotels can be seen almost everywhere. The green slopes of Mount Fortune rise hundreds of feet above the town. Fort Charlotte, built in the 18th century, is atop the mountain. The scenic Marigot Bay is just south of Castries. Also nearby is Pigeon Island, which is a national park and the site of concerts and festivals. Hundreds of years ago the site changed hands often between British and French troops, who used Pigeon Island as a base to attack or defend the main island. EconomyTourism provides many jobs in Castries. Most of St. Lucia's hotels and tourist resorts are located in or around the town. Banks are also important to the town's economy. Because of St. Lucia's low taxes, people in other countries often deposit their money there. A nearby airport handles mostly Caribbean flights. The fine deepwater harbor of Castries is St. Lucia's chief port. Ships there mainly load up with bananas, which are the country's main export product. Sugarcane, rum, molasses, cacao, coconuts, copra, limes, essential oils, bay rum, and various tropical fruits and vegetables are also exported from Castries. HistoryThe entire island, including the Castries area, was occupied by Carib Indians when Europeans arrived there in about 1500. The fierce Caribs attacked and drove away the first European colonists. The French finally started a town on the southern coast in 1650. Castries was established later. The island changed hands several times as the French and British battled for control of the harbor at Castries. St. Lucia was finally won by Britain in 1814, after which it became a colony. St. Lucia achieved independence in 1979, with Castries as its capital. The following year a terrible hurricane struck, wiping out the banana crop and damaging the tourism industry, especially around Castries. Hurricanes are a constant threat, but on several occasions the town has been damaged more seriously by fire. The writer Derek Walcott, winner of the Nobel prize for literature in 1992, was born in Castries. Population (1997 estimate), city, 2,249; urban area, 13,938. |