Saint Lucia Geography - 2023

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

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

NOTE: The information regarding Saint Lucia on this page is re-published from the 2023 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Saint Lucia 2023 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Saint Lucia 2023 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.