Saint Lucia is of volcanic origin. Wooded mountains in the north-south direction dominate the island’s interior. The highest point is Mount Gimie, 950 meters above sea level. At the far southwest, two twin volcanoes, Gros Piton (798 masl) and Petit Piton (743 masl), rise from the sea. Near these are the volcano Qualibou, which constantly emits steam and gas.

Climate

The climate is maritime, tropical with precipitation varying from 1300 mm on the coast to approx. 3000 mm inland.

Detailed climate information about Saint Lucia on the World Meteorological Organization’s websites.

Geography and environment

The island’s largest length is 43.5 kilometers and greatest width 22.5 kilometers. Saint Lucia is volcanic with wooded mountains in the interior. The highest point is Mount Gimie, 958 meters above sea level. To the southwest are the twin volcanoes Gros Piton and Petit Piton. There are sulfur springs in Sulfur Springs southwest of the coastal town of Soufriere. Saint Lucia has many fine sandy beaches and some rainforest. There are several broad and fertile valleys. Erosion due to deforestation is a major environmental problem, especially in the northern part of the island. Off the coast is the small island of Frigate and a number of coral reefs.

Volcanic mountains along the coast of Saint Lucia.

Saint Lucia has an exceptionally rich flora and fauna with more than 200 endemic (native) species. There are more than 1300 species of flower plants and 150 species of ferns. The inner volcanic landscape has dense rainforest, but in many places it has been destroyed by logging. Trees include bamboo, poinciana, bread fruit tree and coconut palm.

There are no large mammals, but many species of bats. Introduced rat, mangosteen and opossum have eradicated many native animal species. There are about 200 species of birds, including hummingbirds, brown pelicans, red flamingos. Frigate bird is found especially on the small island of Frigate. The native of Saint Lucia is the endangered parrot species saintlucia-amazon and the sparrow species saintlucia-trupial. Of the reptiles can be mentioned green iguan and green gecko, and there are four snake species. In the sea there are many species of coral reef fish, including eagle and barracuda and sea ​​turtles, and many species of coral, clams and snails.

There is a tropical ocean climate moderated by northeastern passages. There is rainy season in June-November and drying time in December-May. The average daytime temperature in the hottest month of November is 29 degrees Celsius. The annual rainfall is 1300-3850 millimeters; it rains mostly in the mountains. Hurricanes occur occasionally.