Saint Lucia has a population of around 180,000. The island is predominantly rural — only about a fifth of people live in urban areas, with Castries being the only significant city.
The population is mostly of African or mixed African-European descent, a legacy of the colonial plantation economy. There is also a small East Indian community, descendants of indentured labourers brought to the island in the 19th century, and a small Carib (indigenous) population.
English is the official language and used in schools, government, and business. But almost everyone also speaks Kwéyòl — Saint Lucian Creole French — in daily life. Kwéyòl has deep African roots and is closer to French than to English, though it is not simply a patois of either. You'll hear it everywhere from the market to the rum shop to the radio.
Saint Lucians are predominantly Christian. About two-thirds of the population is Roman Catholic, reflecting the island's long French colonial history, with Seventh-day Adventists and Pentecostals making up most of the remainder.
The island has produced two Nobel laureates: economist Sir Arthur Lewis (1979) and poet Derek Walcott (1992). Both are celebrated on the island — the main hospital and a cultural centre in Castries bear their names, and their portraits have appeared on banknotes.
Saint Lucia changed hands between Britain and France fourteen times before finally becoming British in 1814. That back-and-forth history left a deep cultural imprint: the place names are overwhelmingly French, the cuisine is Creole, and Kwéyòl is spoken far more than English in everyday conversation. The island became independent in 1979 and remains part of the Commonwealth.