Caribbean
1
Saint Lucia 2.
Saint Lucia 2.
Culture:
The 'Culture of Saint Lucia blends the influences of African, French, and English heritage. The official language of the island is English but Kreole, a form of a French dialect, remains an influential secondary language. The people are predominantly Catholic but the religious climate is tolerant.
Cuisine:
Saint Lucian cuisine is a combination of French, East Indian and British dishes. Before colonization, the Caribs and the Arawaks occupied the island, surviving on its various natural fruits and vegetables like mangoes, oranges, tangerines, avocados, and breadfruits. St Lucia is also known for its famous dish banana and salt fish; breadfruit and salt fish is also popular. One famous dish, bouyon, can be cooked with meat, plantains, dasheen, Yam and dumplings. The island's British influence is seen in the variety of spices used in its cuisine, which include garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg, cocoa, parsley, cloves, and allspice. Many St Lucians have a cold glass of water or fresh coconut water after their meals. St Lucia's national dish is green banana and saltfish.
The Island's Cuisine is a unique blend of West African, European (mainly British and French) and East Indian cuisine this creates dynamic meal dishes such as Macaroni pie, Stew chicken, rice and peas, hearty fish broths or fish water, hearty soups packed full with fresh locally produced vegetables. St Lucian cuisine is similar to many other commonwealth Caribbean nations such as Dominica, Jamaica Neighboring St Vincent and Trinidad. Typical essential food stuff are potatoes, onions, celery, thyme, coconut milk, the very hot scotch bonnet peppers, flour and cornmeal. All mainstream meat and poultry are eaten in St Lucia meat and seafood are normally stewed and browned to create a rich gravy sometimes served over ground provisions or rice. Due to St Lucia's East Indian influenced by its small Indo-Caribbean population, curry is very popular. However, due to the blend of between cooking styles, curry dishes have a distant Caribbean twist to it. In recent years, roti, a flatbread of Indian origin, has become very popular being imported from the twin island nation of Trinidad and Tobago to the south. This bread is typically served as a fast food snack. The bread itself is very flat (sometimes very thin) and is wrapped around curried vegetables such as chickpeas, potatoes, or meat.
In the past decade as well there has been a concerted effort within Saint Lucia’s agriculture sector to improve the quality and variety of produce grown on island. Organic fruits and vegetables of excellent quality are a common feature on the island’s menus providing the taste and freshness discerning tourists demand.
Cooking techniques and methods too reflect Saint Lucia’s cultural heritage. Many Lucians still rely on the small clay cooking pots that were used by the Amerindians; known today as ‘coal pots’, they are still produced in rural communities by the ancestors of island’s first inhabitants. Fuelled by locally produced charcoal, coal pots are an integral element in producing local Creole favourites. Coal pots can be seen in action at any of the island’s weekend street parties or at local establishments cooking authentic Creole fare.
But with the growth of tourism over the past three decades has come a large number of new influences from restaurateurs and chefs arriving from all over the world and given this array of new tastes and styles, it’s not surprising that there is a most enticing variety of cuisines served in St. Lucia restaurants today. Many of our dining establishments and island chefs, including locals serving more traditional fare, have achieved regional and international acclaim for both their culinary creations and the tropical ambiance provided.
Music:
The music of Saint Lucia is home to many vibrant oral and folk traditions and is based on elements derived from the music of Africa, especially rhythmically, and Western Europe, dances like the quadrille, polka and waltz. The banjo and cuatro are iconic Lucian folk instruments, especially a four-stringed banjo called the bwa poye. Celebratory songs called jwé show lyricism, and rhythmic complexity. The most important of the Afro-Lucian Creole folk dances is the kwadril. Music is an integral part of Lucian folk holidays and celebrations, as well as the good-natured rivalry between the La Rose and La Marguerite societies. There is little Western classical music on Saint Lucia, and the country's popular music industry is only nascent. There are few recording opportunities, though live music and radio remain a vital part of Lucian culture. Popular music from abroad, especially Trinidadian styles like calypso and soca, is widespread.
Music education has long been a part of Lucian public education in the primary school age groups. More recently, it has been introduced to older students, many of whom now participate in String Orchestras, wind ensembles, steelpan bands and other musical enrichment opportunities. There is also a well-known government assisted non-profit music school, the Saint Lucia School of Music. The Ministry of Education sponsors a variety of festivals and other special events. The island is also home to the prestigious Saint Lucia Jazz Festival and the Creole celebration Jounen Kwéyňl.
Ethnic Racial Composition:
* 96.2% Black & Mulatto
* 2.2% East Indian
* 1.6% White, Amerindian, Asian
People:
Saint Lucia's population is predominantly of African and mixed African-European descent, with a small Indo-Caribbean minority (3%). Members of other or unspecified ethnic groups, account for about 2% of the population.
Despite a high emigration rate the population is growing rapidly at about 1.2% per year. Migration from Saint Lucia is primarily to Anglophone countries, with the United Kingdom having almost 10,000 Saint Lucian-born citizens, and over 30,000 of Saint Lucian heritage. The second most popular destination for Saint Lucian émigrés is the United States, where a combined (foreign and national-born Saint Lucians) almost 14,000 reside. Canada is home to a few thousand Saint Lucians.
Languages:
English is the official language of Saint Lucia. However, the local language of Saint Lucians is French with it's local dialect known as Patois or Saint Lucian French. Saint Lucian French derives from the French spoken in Northern France known as Normandi French, with influences from English & West African languages. It also has many Island Carib words and vocabularies. Saint Lucian English has it's roots from the English spoken in Southern Ireland and British English with some influences from French and West African languages. They can also speak an intermediate between English and French.
Religion:
About 70% of the population is Roman Catholic, a legacy of French colonization of the island. The remaining 30% belongs to other Christian denominations, including the Seventh-day Adventist Church (7%), Pentecostals (6%), Anglicans (2%), other Evangelicals (2%); in addition, about 2% of the population adheres to the Rastafari movement.
Sports:
Cricket and football (Soccer) are the most popular sports in Saint Lucia.
Darren Sammy was the first and only St Lucian to be called up to the West Indies Cricket Team. Darren Sammy was the first St Lucian to play Test cricket in the West Indies and his figures were the second best by a West Indian debutante after Alf Valentine took eight wickets in 1950. St Lucia annually hosts games in the West Indies limited-overs and four-day cricket competitions, usually at the Beausejour Cricket Grounds, one of the most modern facilities in West Indies cricket. Sammy played his first major international match at Beausejour in 2008, a one day international against Sri Lanka. Nadine George is another of St Lucia's leading cricketers. She was the first West Indies woman to hit a century in Test cricket and was eventually named captain of the West Indies team.
Tennis is growing in popularity in St Lucia. The St Lucian hotel of the island offers two coobuip Junior Tournament takes place. St Lucia is also an annual competitor in the Davis Cup, an international tennis competition, with former Sportsman of the Year Vernon Lewis and Kane Easter having been two of the island's consistent players over the years. The Government of St Lucia is planning on constructing a Tennis Centre. (update) The Tennis Center has been built and was opened to the public on 11th April 2011. Which has fostered the growth of many young athletes. Also on the rise is a tennis Academy, namely Tigers Inflow tennis Academy, which is geared at introducing kids to the sport and also opening avenues so that these kids can gain scholarships to university to further education and their tennis careers.
Volleyball enjoyed a period of growth in the 1980s, when club rivalries between teams like Le Club and Ciceron Seagulls fuelled growth in interest. St Lucia won the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) men's and women's volleyball competitions a number of times, including having won the women's tournament when it was held for the first time at the Beausejour Indoor Facility in 2008. The Beasejour gymnasium also hosted the first round of the men's and women's FIVB World Volleyball Championships in 2009.
There are three golf courses in St Lucia. The Sandals St Lucia golf course is equipped with 18 holes and is on the southern part of the island. The St Lucia Golf & Country club has 18 holes and Jalousie Hilton Resort & Spa has nine holes.
Squash is also relatively popular in St Lucia. The prime squash courts of St Lucia are found in the adjoining areas of St Lucia Racquet Club and St Lucia Yacht Club. St Lucia has hosted and won several iterations of the OECS Squash Tournament.
Netball, swimming and basketball are rapidly becoming popular around the island. The Rodney Heights Aquatic Centre is a short-course (25m) swimming facility in the north of the island. St Lucia has also won multiple OECS Championships in swimming.
St Lucia was recently represented by a team of 48 who proceeded to Grenada on July 25, 2008 to participate in the Windward Islands Inter-School Championship Games. The tournament included Male and Female Volleyball, in which both the male and female teams were victorious, Male and Female Basketball, Netball, Football and Track and Field.
St Lucia is also home to Levern Spencer, who is a high jumper and holds the St Lucian record of 1.94 meters.
Saint Lucian videos.
Devoted to Lily http://www.theapricity.com/forum/sho...aradise-Island
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