Saint Lucia Geography - 2023

Location

Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago

Geographic coordinates

13 53 N, 60 58 W

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Area

total: 616 sq km

land: 606 sq km

water: 10 sq km

Area - comparative

three and a half times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries

total: 0 km

Coastline

158 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate

tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season January to April, rainy season May to August

Terrain

volcanic and mountainous with broad, fertile valleys

Elevation

highest point: Mount Gimie 948 m

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

Natural resources

forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential

Land use

agricultural land: 17.4% (2018 est.)

arable land: 4.9% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 11.5% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 1% (2018 est.)

forest: 77% (2018 est.)

other: 5.6% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land

30 sq km (2012)

Population distribution

most of the population is found on the periphery of the island, with a larger concentration in the north around the capital of Castries

Natural hazards

hurricanes

volcanism: Mount Gimie (948 m), also known as Qualibou, is a caldera on the west of the island; the iconic twin pyramidal peaks of Gros Piton (771 m) and Petit Piton (743 m) are lava dome remnants associated with the Soufriere volcano; there have been no historical magmatic eruptions, but a minor steam eruption in 1766 spread a thin layer of ash over a wide area; Saint Lucia is part of the volcanic island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends from Saba in the north to Grenada in the south

Geography - note

the twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), striking cone-shaped peaks south of Soufriere, are one of the scenic natural highlights of the Caribbean