GENERAL
Capital
Castries.
Geography
St. Lucia is the second largest of the Windward Islands with one of the most beautiful mountain landscapes in the West Indies. The island is 43 km long and 23 km wide and has a rich tropical flora and fauna. At 960 m, Mount Gimmie is the highest point on the island, and on the west coast the volcanic mountain cones Gros Piton and Petit Piton protrude from the sea. Here are the Sulfur Springs, volcanic openings that emit sulfur and other gases. The mountains are crossed by rivers, which in some regions form fertile valleys. The island’s excellent beaches are lapped by the clear, warm waters of the Caribbean. The sun shines all year round. According to localtimezone, St. Lucia is a country in Central America.
Government
Parliamentary monarchy (in the Commonwealth) since 1979. 1979 Constitution. Bicameral Parliament. Independent since 1979 (former British colony).
Head of state
Queen Elizabeth II, represented by the local Governor General Perlette Louisy, since 1997.
Head of government
Allen Chastanet, since June 2016.
Electricity
220 volts, 50 Hz alternating current. (Some hotels have 110 volts, 60 Hz). Most electrical outlets only fit three-prong rectangular plugs (British standard). Some sockets also fit two-pin round plugs or, less often, flat American plugs. Adapters are usually available in hotels.
Time zone
Atlantic Standard Time: CET -5
COMMUNICATION
Phone
Dial-up remote service. There are card and coin-operated phones all over the island. Phone cards are available from Cable & Wireless, the St. Lucia Tourist Board information centers, and many other stores such as airports, Rodney Bay Marina, etc.
Cellphone
GSM 900/1800/850. Network operators are Cable & Wireless, Digicel (St. Lucia) Ltd., Digicel (St. Vincent and the Grenadines) Ltd. and Wireless Ventures (St. Lucia) Ltd. Cell phones can be rented from Cable and Wireless Caribbean Cellular’s offices in Gablewoods Mall in Rodney Bay and the Castries Waterfront.
Internet
Main provider: Cable & Wireless (Internet: www.candw.lc). Internet access for the public at the Internet kiosk in Pointe Seraphine, in most shopping centers or in the three Cable & Wireless Internet cafes.
Post Office
Airmail to Europe takes up to 4 weeks. Poste restante items can only be picked up upon presentation of ID. Post office opening times: Mon-Fri 8.30 a.m.-4.30 p.m., Sat 9 a.m.-1.30 p.m. Postage stamps are available in stores where postcards can be purchased. Hotel receptions accept letters for a tip of around US $ 1.
Radio
Since the use of shortwave frequencies changes several times over the course of a year, it is advisable to contact Deutsche Welle customer service directly (Tel: (+49) (0228) 429 32 08. Internet: www.dw-world.de) to request.
MONEY
Currency
1 East Caribbean dollar = 100 cents. Currency abbreviation: EC $, XCD (ISO code). There are banknotes in the denominations of 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 EC $; Coins in circulation: 1 EC $ as well as 25, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cent. US dollars are accepted almost everywhere. The East Caribbean dollar is pegged to the US dollar.
Credit cards
American Express, MasterCard, Diners Club and Visa are accepted in all major shopping centers, restaurants, hotels etc. Cash can be withdrawn from ATMs in most banks using credit or debit cards. Details from the issuer of the credit card in question.
ATMs
ec / Maestro card
Cards with the Cirrus or Maestro symbol are accepted in Europe and worldwide. Further information from banks and credit institutes.
Attention: Travelers who pay with their bank customer card abroad and want to withdraw money should find out about the options for using their card from their bank prior to departure.
Bank opening times
Usually Mon-Thu 8 a.m.-3 p.m. and Fri 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Some are also open on Saturday mornings from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Foreign exchange regulations
No restrictions.
Currency Exchange
The best exchange rate is obtained with US dollars.
LANGUAGE
Overview
The official language is English. Patois (Creole French) is colloquial language.
Idioms
- Goodbye = goodbye
- Eight = Eight
- Eighty = eighty
- Exit = Exit
- Beer = beer
- Please = Please
- Thank you = Thank you
- Tuesday = Tuesday
- Doctor = Doctor
- Thursday = Thursday
- Three = three
- Thirty = Thirty
- Entrance = Entrance
- One hundred = one hundred
- One = One
- One thousand = one thousand
- Friday = Friday
- Five = Five
- Fifty = Fifty
- Danger = Danger
- Closed = closed
- Hello = Hello
- Today = Today
- Hotel = hotel
- I feel sick = I feel ill
- I don’t understand = I don’t understand
- Yes = Yes
- My name is?? = My name is??
- I’m fine. = I’m very well.
- Wednesday = Wednesday
- Monday = Monday
- Tomorrow = Tomorrow
- No = no
- Nine = nine
- Ninety = ninety
- Open = open
- Restaurant = restaurant
- Saturday = Saturday
- Six = Six
- Sixty = sixty
- Seven = Seven
- Seventy = Seventy
- Sunday = Sunday
- Menu = menu
- Do you speak German / English? = Do you speak German / English?
- Toilets = toilets
- Four = four
- Forty = Forty
- Wine = Wine
- How are you? = How are you?
- How much is it? = How much does it cost?
- Where is??? = Where is???
- Ten = ten
- Twenty = twenty
- Two = Two
CULTURE
Religion
Roman Catholic (90%) and various Protestant faiths (7%).
Social rules of conduct
General: The islanders are hospitable and happy when visitors adapt to the peaceful, leisurely lifestyle. However, invitations to private homes are rather rare.
Manners: The usual politeness formulas should be observed. Shake hands to greet you.
Clothing: Well-groomed casual clothing is accepted, some hotels expect a more elegant cloakroom for meals. Camouflage clothing should not be worn. Madras and foulards are rarely seen in everyday life, these traditional items of clothing are mainly worn at parties. Swimwear belongs on the beach. Sunbathing without a bikini top as well as changing clothes on the beach are seen as a public nuisance and are prohibited. This also applies to children.
Photographing: People should be asked before photographing them. Photography is often allowed in churches and museums, but you should ask beforehand.
Smoking: In principle, you can smoke anywhere. However, some hotels divide into smoking and non-smoking rooms. Non-smoking areas should be observed.
Security: As everywhere in the world, there are pickpockets on St. Lucia. Valuable jewelry and large amounts of cash should therefore not be bragged about, valuables should not be left unattended on the beach and rental cars should be locked. You should always copy important documents such as flight tickets, identification papers or booking confirmations.
CLIMATE
Best travel time
Hot tropical climate, tempered by trade winds. The dry season with cooler temperatures lasts from December to May. In summer and at the end of the year the precipitation rate is higher. Average annual temperature: approx. 30 ° C.
COUNTRY DATA
Area code +1 758 Area (km2) 619 Population 163,922 Population density (per km2) 266 Population in 2015 Member of the EU No main emergency number 911