SAINT LUCIA

SAINT LUCIA.

Attractions.
The Pitons.
Nineth stamp in a set of 14, issued on 01.02.1970.
Face value: 25 East Caribbean cents.
Printing: Offset lithography.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 261.
- Scott No. 269.
- StampWorld No. 260.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 284.

Saint Lucia (French: Sainte-Lucie; Creole: Sent Lisi) is an island country in the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. It covers a land area of 617 km² (238 sq mi) and reported a population of 178,015 in the 2016 census. Its capital is Castries. The French were the first Europeans to settle on the island. They signed a treaty with the native Caribs in 1660. England took control of the island from 1663 to 1667. In ensuing years, it was at war with France fourteen times, and the rule of the island changed frequently. From 1958 to 1962, the island was a member of the West Indies Federation. On February 22, 1979, Saint Lucia became an independent state and a member of the Commonwealth of Nations as a Commonwealth realm. It is a member of Organisation internationale de la Francophonie. Is a volcanic island very mountainous: the highest point being Mount Gimie, at 950 m (3,120 ft). The official language is English. Saint Lucian French Creole (Kwéyòl), which is colloquially referred to as Patois (Patwa), is spoken by 95% of the population.

The Pitons are two mountainous volcanic plugs, volcanic spires, located at the south-west of the island, near the town of Soufrière. Gros Piton is 798.25 m (2,618.9 ft) high, and Petit Piton is 743 m (2,438 ft) high; they are linked by the Piton Mitan ridge. The Pitons are a World Heritage Site, 2,909 ha (7,190 acres) in size.