Geography
Saint Lucia
Area
land
606 sq km
water
10 sq km
total
616 sq km
Climate
tropical climate, influenced by northeast trade winds; dry season from January to April, and rainy season from May to August
Terrain
characterized by volcanic and mountainous terrain along with expansive, fertile valleys
Land use
other
30% (2023 est.)
forest
53.7% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
16.3% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 4.4% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 11.3% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 0.6% (2023 est.)
Location
located in the Caribbean, this island lies between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, to the north of Trinidad and Tobago
Coastline
158 km
Elevation
lowest point
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point
Mount Gimie 948 m
Irrigated land
30 sq km (2012)
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Land boundaries
total
0 km
Maritime claims
contiguous zone
24 nm
territorial sea
12 nm
continental shelf
200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Natural hazards
hurricanes
volcanism: Mount Gimie (948 m), also referred to as Qualibou, is a caldera situated on the island's western side; the notable twin pyramidal peaks of Gros Piton (771 m) and Petit Piton (743 m) are remnants of lava domes linked to the Soufrière volcano; while there have been no recorded magmatic eruptions, a minor steam eruption in 1766 dispersed a light layer of ash over a broad area; Saint Lucia forms part of the volcanic island arc of the Lesser Antilles, which stretches from Saba in the north to Grenada in the south
Geography - note
the iconic twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), impressive cone-shaped summits located south of Soufrière, represent one of the Caribbean's stunning natural attractions
Natural resources
comprising forests, sandy shorelines, minerals (such as pumice), mineral springs, and geothermal resources
Area - comparative
3.5 times larger than Washington, D.C.
Geographic coordinates
13 53 N, 60 58 W
Population distribution
the majority of the population resides along the island's periphery, with a significant concentration in the northern region near the capital, Castries