Gros Islet | |
---|---|
Coordinates(Town of Gros Islet): 14°04′N60°56′W / 14.067°N 60.933°W [1] | |
Country | St. Lucia |
Area | |
• Total | 100.3 km2 (38.73 sq mi) |
Population (2010) [2] | |
• Total | 20,872 |
• Density | 100.3/km2 (208/sq mi) |
ISO 3166-2:LC | LC-06 |
Gros Islet District, one of 10 first order subdivision (districts, formerly quarters) of the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia which includes the island's northernmost point, Cap Point and the notable Cap Estate, where the renowned St. Lucia Golf and Country Club is located. Whilst the town of Gros Islet is an important administrative centre, Rodney Bay is the main financial center of the district.
The Arawak and Carib artifacts found in Gros Islet District date back to around 1000 A.D. [3]
The pirate François Le Clerc, nicknamed Jambe de Bois because of his wooden leg, used Pigeon Island as a base to attack Spanish ships in the 1550s. Peg-Leg Le Clerc was originally from Normandy and the first European to settle Saint Lucia. [4] [5]
Because of the good anchorage at Gros Islet harbor, early French and British sailing ships often anchored at this port city. The French established 47 plantations for producing sugar in Gros Islet by 1775. The Marquis de Bouille captured Gros Islet in 1793 before he was forced to retreat by George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney from his base on Pigeon Island. [6]
During World War II, 221 acres of land at Gros Islet were turned into a U.S. Naval Air Station with seaplanes. All that survives today are the cement ramps used by the plane to come on land. [6]
The Gros Islet District is an electoral constituency and has been represented since July 2021 in the House of Assembly of Saint Lucia by Kenson Casimir, Parliamentary Representative for the Gros Islet electoral constituency. [7] [8]
The town of Gros Islet lies north of Castries, the capital of Saint Lucia. Gros Islet is the newest town in Saint Lucia, having been promoted from a village to a town in 1985. It is the location of the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium where Twenty20 Internationals, One Day Internationals and Test Cricket are played. Parts of the 2007 Cricket World Cup, 2010 ICC World Twenty20 and 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup have been played there.
The town of Gros Islet features a Friday Night Street Party as its major tourist attraction. Also known as the jump-up, the Friday Night Street Party encompasses several blocks, which are informally cordoned off with the stalls of street vendors. Steamed fish, barbecue chicken and St. Lucia's own Piton beer can be purchased from these vendors. Locals and tourist both dance in a central cross section in the small streets to the sounds of calypso, zouk, reggae and R&B. [9]
The Rodney Bay area further south differs greatly from the small, makeshift housing littering most of the town of Gros Islet. Catering mostly to the tourism populace, the areas surrounding the marina contain shops, malls, restaurants and night clubs that fall on the higher end of the spectrum compared to other local enterprises. Land development costs in Rodney Bay are extremely high. The exclusive beach front properties have almost all been purchased by small and large hoteliers, and restaurateurs, frustrating locals who continually see access to the public beaches being blocked by large construction projects. [10]
The historic Pigeon Island is a popular place for tourists because of it peacefulness and wildlife. A man-made causeway connects it to the mainland. [11]
The following sites of interest are in Gros Islet District: [1]
Saint Lucia is one of many small land masses composing the insular group known as the Windward Islands. Unlike large limestone areas such as Florida, Cuba, and the Yucatan Peninsula, or the Bahamas, which is a small island group composed of coral and sand, Saint Lucia is a typical Windward Island formation of volcanic rock that came into existence long after much of the region had already been formed.
Dennery District is one of 10 districts of the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia. The seat of Dennery District is the Dennery Village. The main economic activities are fishing, and the cultivation of lima beans, bananas, and other tropical fruit. The population of the quarter was estimated at 12,876 in 2002 and fell to 12,767 in 2010.
Anse la Raye District is one of 10 districts of the island nation of St. Lucia in the Caribbean Sea. The name Anse la Raye is French for cover/bay of the rays, since there are a large number of skate fish or rays in the bay. In 2005/2010, the population of the district was 6,382/6,060 people, and they are mainly fishers and agricultural workers. The main town in the area takes the same name as the district and is located down the western coast from Castries, the capital of the country.
Choiseul District is one of the 10 districts of the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia. Located on the southwestern side of the island, the district is home to 6,130 people, according to the 2019 census. The seat of Choiseul District is the town of Choiseul.
Dauphin was a Quarter on the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia. The district was merged with Gros-Islet in 2014. It contains a village of the same name, located at 14°02′N60°54′W. It was home to Amerindians, the Island Caribs, who settled there. To this day, there are ruins which serve as a reminder of people who lived there long before Christopher Columbus crossed the Atlantic from Europe.
Micoud District is one of 10 districts of the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia The seat of this district is the town of Micoud inside this district. According to the 2002 census, the population of the district was 16,143 people. The final 2010 Census recorded a population of 16,284 in Micoud District. A former quarter, Praslin Quarter, was merged into Micoud Quarter. It was not enumerated separately in the 2010 Census. The 2001 Census shows Praslin as part of Micoud District.
Praslin Quarter was a former quarter on the island nation of Saint Lucia. Since at least 2001, it has been a second-order subdivision of the Micoud District. The 2001 and 2010 Census show Praslin as part of the Micoud District. The population of Praslin is 341.
Gros Islet is a community near the northern tip of the island country of Saint Lucia, in the Gros Islet Quarter. Originally a quiet fishing village, it has become one of the more popular tourist destinations in the country.
Pigeon Island is a 44-acre (180,000 m2) islet located in Gros Islet in the northern region of Saint Lucia. Once isolated from the country in the Caribbean Sea, the island was artificially joined to the western coast of mainland in 1972 by a man-made causeway built from dirt excavated to form the Rodney Bay Marina. Composed of two peaks the island is a historic site with numerous forts such as an 18th-century British fort and Fort Rodney both used by the British to spy on French Ships from neighbouring Martinique. In 1979 it was named a national park and again in 1992 it became a national landmark under the control of the Saint Lucia National Trust (SLNT). Today, Pigeon Island is the home and major venue of the Saint Lucia Jazz Festival.
Babonneau is one of the regions of the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia. Babonneau is located in the north of the island in the Castries Quarter. There are extensive rain forests in the region, which is an important source of fresh water for Saint Lucia. Babonneau is also an electoral constituency of Saint Lucia represented in the House of Assembly of Saint Lucia, which extends into Gros Islet District.
Saint Lucia, an island nation in the Caribbean islands, has a relatively large tourism industry. Due to the relatively small land area of the country, most of the governmental promotion is performed by the state-operated Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, led by Executive Chairperson Agnes.
HMS Formidable was a 98-gun second rate man-of-war serving the Royal Navy.
The Roseau Valley is a second-order subdivision in the island nation of St. Lucia. It is home to the island's largest banana plantation. The 2010 population of the Roseau Valley was 227.
Monchy is a town and second-order administrative division of Gros Islet District in the island nation of Saint Lucia. The town is located near the northern end of the island about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from Gros Islet, and about 7.9 kilometres (4.9 mi) from the capital, Castries.
Rodney Bay is a town and bay located in the Gros Islet District on the island of Saint Lucia. Gros Islet is one of the ten districts in the island. It can be found on the northwestern coast of the island above the Castries District, where the capital of St. Lucia is, and the former Dauphin quarter. St. Lucia is a small island in North America located in the Caribbean Sea and it is the largest of the Caribbean's Windward Islands. The Windward islands include Martinique, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada. It is in a chain of islands in the Lesser Antilles with Martinique to the north and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to the south. These islands are southeast of the islands of Puerto Rico and Haiti. Out of the two airports in St.Lucia, Hewanorra and Charles airport, Rodney Bay is closer to the latter.
The Bois d'Orange River is a river in Gros Islet Quarter, Saint Lucia that flows into the Caribbean Sea.
Soufrière is a town on the West Coast of Saint Lucia, in the eastern Caribbean Sea. The town and the surrounding district has a population of 7,935. It was colonized by the French and was the original capital of the island.
Canaries District is one of 10 districts of the island nation of St. Lucia in the Caribbean Sea. In 2010, the population of the region was 2,009 people, and they are mainly fishers and agricultural workers. The main town in the area takes the same name as the district and is located down the western coast from Castries, the capital of the country. It is the smallest district of Saint Lucia, both by population and area.
Choc Bay is a bay in Gros Islet Quarter on the island nation of Saint Lucia; it is along the northwestern coast of the island. The Choc River flows into the bay.
The Invasion of Tobago was a French invasion of the British-held island of Tobago during the Anglo-French War. On 24 May 1781, the fleet of Comte de Grasse landed troops on the island under the command of General Marquis de Bouillé. By 2 June 1781, they had successfully gained control of the island.