| GEOGRAPHY |
St Lucia is the second-largest
of the Windward Islands. It has some of
the finest mountain scenery in the West
Indies, rich with tropical vegetation. For
so small an island, 43km (27 miles) by 23km
(14 miles), St Lucia has a great variety
of plant and animal life. Orchids and exotic
plants of the genus anthurium grow wild
in the rainforests and the roadsides are
covered with many colourful tropical flowers.
Flamboyant trees spread shade and blossom
everywhere. Indigenous wildlife includes
a species of ground lizard unique to St
Lucia, and the agouti and the manicou, two
rodents, common throughout the island. The
Amazon versicolor parrot is another, though
more elusive, inhabitant of the deep interior
rainforest. The highest peak is Mount Gimie
at 950m (3117ft). Most spectacular are Gros
Piton and Petit Piton, ancient, volcanic
forest-covered cones which rise out of the
sea on the west coast. Soufri (vents in
a volcano which exude hydrogen sulphide,
steam and other gases) and boiling waterpools
can be seen here. The mountains are intersected
by short rivers which in some areas form
broad fertile valleys. The island has excellent
beaches and is surrounded by a clear, warm
sea. |
