Saint Lucia (62 degrees west and 13.6 degrees north), is the second largest of the Windward Islands in the Caribbean, it is approximately 616 km2 (238 square miles). Its closest island neighbors are Martinique in the North, Barbados in the South-East, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the South. The 2010 Population and Housing Census reported a resident population at 166, 526.
The island is volcanic in origin and much of its terrain is rugged and mountainous especially at its center. There are many fertile valleys throughout the country with the largest in the northern end of the island. About half of the arable land is utilized for agricultural purposes. Most of the population inhabits the coastal areas and the less mountainous regions of the north and south.
There are two major airports located in the outskirts of the two major cities (Castries - the capital, and Vieux Fort - the second city), providing excellent linkages with the neighboring islands and the larger metropoles outside the Caribbean. Major seaports are also situated in those two districts. A good network of roads links most communities and villages to the main urban centres.
