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St Lucia, known as
"The Helen of the West",
is located approximately
1,300 miles southeast of
Florida, in the Windward
Islands, which are part
of the Lesser Antilles.
The mountainous, mango
shaped island covers
over 238 square miles
and is about 27 miles
long and 14 miles at its
widest.
It lies 21 miles south
of its nearest neighbor
Martinique and 24 miles
north of St. Vincent.
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Climate
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St. Lucia has a mild
climate, and
you'll feel the
constant breeze
of the northeast
Trade Winds.
Average rainfall
ranges from 60
inches in the
coastal region
to 160 inches in
the interior
rainforest. The
average annual
temperature is
26°C (82°F), and
the rainy season
is from June
through
November.
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Time Zone
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St. Lucia is located
within the
Atlantic
Standard Time
Zone which is 4
hours behind
London (GMT) and
1 hour ahead of
New York (except
during the
Daylight Savings
months in the US
when it is the
same).
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Population
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Approximately
158,178(2001
Estimate) with
most living in
the capital
Castries and
north of
the island.
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Languages
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English is the official
language of St.
Lucia with a
French-based
Creole Patois
being commonly
spoken by
locals.
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Currency
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Local currency is the
Eastern
Caribbean
Dollar
(EC$)
with a
current
exchange
rate of
approximately
EC$2.67=US$1.
US and
other
major
currencies
are
commonly
accepted
for
exchange
at local
banks.
Major
credit
cards
and
travellers
cheques
are also
readily
accepted.
Banks
are
generally
open
Monday
through
Friday
from 8am
to 3pm
with
those in
the
Rodney
Bay area
to the
north
also
open
Saturday
from 8am
to noon.
Automated
Bank
Machines
(ABMs)
are
found at
nearly
all
branch
locations.
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Business Hours
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Banks are open 8 AM–3
PM
Monday–Thursday,
and 8
AM–5 PM
on
Friday.
Some
banks
are open
on
Saturday
morning
from 8
AM–noon.
Stores
are
generally
open 8
AM–4:30
PM
Monday–Friday,
and from
8
AM–noon
on
Saturday.
Though
most
stores
are
closed
on
Sundays
and
public
holidays,
many
will
open if
a cruise
ship is
in port
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Dress
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Casual resort clothing is appropriate year-round on Saint Lucia, although a wrap or pullover may be needed on cooler winter evenings. Some of the larger restaurants require men to wear jackets and sometimes ties. Swimwear and short shorts should be reserved for the beach. Go bare-backed only on the beaches.
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Getting
around
St.
Lucia
Taxis
are
popular
means of
getting
around.
Drivers
are well
informed
and
friendly
and know
nearly
all the
points
of
interest.
In Saint
Lucia,
you
drive on
the left
side of
the
road.
Before
you hire
a car
for the
day,
settle
on the
price.
The taxi
fare
from
Hewanorra
Airport
to
Soufriere
should
be about
EC$
120.00.
Drivers
need to
purchase
a local
driving
permit,
which is
issued
on the
presentation
of a
foreign
or
international
license.
Local
permits
are
obtainable
from the
immigration
offices
at
Hewanorra
and
Vigie
Airports.
However,
all the
major
car
rental
agencies
issue
the
permits.
St. Lucia has about 500 miles of
roads.
All
towns
and
villages
are
connected
to major
roads.
But as
only 281
miles of
road are
paved,
the
driving
can get
a little
rough in
places.
Remember
to drive
on the
left.
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