Since 1979 St Lucia has been a stable independent democracy within the British Commonwealth. But after a few days on the island you'll discover influences and nuances hinting at its colorful past.

St Lucia was first inhabited by the peaceful Arawak Indians, but they were conquered by their old enemies, the fierce Caribs. Columbus navigator was the first European to discover St Lucia in 1499. Then the British came and in 1667 the French arrived. St Lucia was alternately British and French for the next 150 years, before it was finally ceded to

The war has left fortresses and relics behind. For example, Pigeon Island National Park and Fort Rodney. From the former British officers' mess, it is easy to imagine the cannons firing at French warships as they tried to slip past the fortified hilltop. You can also visit Morne Fortune, a site of a key battle, and Marigot Bay, once a vital wartime base and now a beautiful yacht haven. Diamond Falls and Mineral Baths, built by the French king, Louis XVI, to refresh and heal his troops stationed on St Lucia, are fascinating. As is historic Soufriere, the old French capital.

We still have many British characteristics and, although English is the official language, French patois is widely spoken by the locals. In spirit, the island is influenced by many cultures. St Lucians drive on the left and have a passion for cricket. But the Caribbean influence surfaces in the drinks - rum and locally brewed beer, in the music - calypso, soca, reggae, in the richly flavored Creole cuisine, in the carnivals, festivals and days of national pride, and in the open-air markets.

You'll find St Lucia a colorful, unique mixture of history and charming influences.

Famous St. Lucians
Saint Lucia is the birthplace of two Nobel Laureates (who by remarkable coincidence were both born on January 23). The late Sir W. Arthur Lewis won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1979, and poet Derek Walcott won the 1992 Nobel Prize for literature.

Settlement
The Arawak Indians were well established in St Lucia before the Europeans ever set foot on the island. Later, came the warrior Caribs, who overcame the peace loving Arawaks, and by around 800AD, Carib settlements dominated the island.

The tribes left their mark on the island. They called it "Ioüanalao" and "Hewanorra" meaning "there where the iguana is found". The name St Lucia was first used in the late 16th Century.

It was once believed that Christopher Columbus, on his fourth voyage to the West Indies in 1502, was the first European to set foot on Lucia, but Historians are now almost certain that he never landed on the island.

One theory suggests that Juan de Cosa, a little known explorer, who traveled with Columbus on his first and second voyages, named the island. One of his maps shows a small island named El Falcon near where St Lucia is located.

The first European to settle was Francois Le Clerc, known as Jambe de Bois or Wooden Leg. He was a pirate who settled himself up on Pigeon Island. From there he attached passing Spanish ships. The Dutch established a base at Vieux Fort around 1600.

The English first landed in 1605, having been blown off course on their way to Guyana aboard their vessel, the Olive Branch. Sixty-seven settlers landed and purchased huts from the Caribs. Once month later only 19 were left and these were forced to flee from the Caribs in a canoe. A second futile attempt at colonization by the British was by Sir Thomas Warner in 1639.

The French arrived in 1651 when two representatives of the French West India Company bought the island. Eight years later, ownership disputes between the French and the English ignited hostilities that should endure for 150 years. During this time, the island changed hands fourteen times and was finally ceded to the British in 1814.

In 1746, the first town was established; Soufriere, a French settlement. By 1780, twelve French towns had been founded and the French built the first sugar estates. Within 15 years, 50 more estates were in operation. In 1780, a hurricane destroyed many plantations but with slave labor, the French quickly repaired the damage.

Wars between the English and the French prevented the growth of large plantations and the sugar industry suffered heavily with the abolition of slavery in 1838. The industry finally died in the 1960's.