Lucia Republic

Lucia is a constituent republic of Kalina Commonwealth.

Lucia Republic
Island of Saint Lucia
Constituent Republic of Vekllei
Part of the Kalina Commonwealth
Capital	Castries
Population	402,781
Area	617 km²
Languages	English, Lucian Creole, Kalina Carib
Vekllei Accession	2025, as part of the West Indies Confederation

The Republic of Lucia is a constituent republic in the eastern Caribbean Sea, and part of the country of Vekllei. It sits in the Windward Islands chain between Madiana to the north and Youloumain to the south, forming a crucial link in the Commonwealth Kalina island chain.

Lucia is distinguished by the Pitons, twin volcanic peaks that rise dramatically from the sea on the southwest coast and have become iconic symbols of the island. The interior is mountainous and densely forested, cut by river valleys that descend to both coasts. The island’s volcanic origins are evident in the sulphur springs near Soufrière, where the earth still steams and bubbles with geothermal activity.

The island was originally home to Kalina peoples who called it Iouanalao, meaning “there where the iguana is found.” Unlike many Caribbean islands, Lucia’s Kalina population survived European colonisation in meaningful numbers, aided by the island’s rugged interior and frequent changes of colonial power. The island changed hands between French and British control fourteen times between 1650 and 1814, more than any other Caribbean territory. This constant upheaval meant neither power could establish the plantation monocultures that devastated indigenous populations elsewhere.

When Britain finally secured permanent control in 1814, they found an island with a substantial Kalina population living in the mountain valleys, a French-speaking creole majority along the coasts, and African communities descended from escaped slaves who had established independent settlements during the colonial chaos. This demographic reality, combined with Britain’s post-abolition shift away from plantation economics, resulted in an unusual accommodation. The Kalina were granted reserved lands in the interior valleys, particularly around the Quilesse Forest Reserve, where their communities persist to this day.

The population is predominantly Afro-Caribbean, with smaller communities of mixed descent and a handful of families tracing lineage to French, British and Indian ancestors. The island’s culture reflects this diversity – Catholic and Anglican churches stand alongside Kalina ceremonial grounds, while Lucian Creole (called Kwéyòl locally) serves as a common language across communities despite its French roots.

Lucia’s economy transformed dramatically during the Commonwealth period. The banana plantations that once dominated the windward coast have largely given way to precision agriculture focused on export crops suited to the island’s volcanic soil – cocoa, coconuts and exotic spices. The geothermal resources around Soufrière now power a significant portion of the island’s energy grid and supply hot water to the capital via an extensive district heating system, a remarkable feat of engineering completed in 2033.

The island has also become a centre for pharmaceutical research. The Commonwealth Equatorial Medicine Establishment (a constituent of the MSRE) maintains its Caribbean complex in the Castries hills, where researchers study endemic plants with medicinal properties. The Lucia Tropical School, part of CUWI, is training the next generation of researchers. The institute exports its findings through Commonwealth Oil’s chemical division, which operates a modern synthesis facility on the island’s northwest coast.

Castries remains the capital and largest settlement, though it was largely rebuilt after fires in the 1920s and 1940s. The harbour is one of the deepest in the Caribbean and serves as a crucial port for inter-island shipping. A rail line runs from Castries down the west coast to Soufrière, with branch lines serving the eastern settlements of Vieux Fort and Dennery. The mountain interior is served by a network of roads and hiking trails, many following ancient Kalina paths.

Lucian cuisine is a spectacular fusion. Green fig and saltfish remains the national dish despite its plantation origins, while bouyon stew and accra fritters show French creole influence. Kalina dishes include cassareep (a sauce made from cassava) and pepperpot, a meat stew that can simmer for days. The island produces excellent cocoa, and local chocolate-making has become a point of pride. Bay rum, distilled from leaves of the bay tree, is produced in the north and exported throughout the Commonwealth.

Most Lucians speak Kwéyòl at home and English at work and school. The Kalina communities use their own language among themselves, though most are trilingual by adulthood through compulsory schooling.

Climate

Tropical with a dry season from January to April and a wet season from June to November. The interior mountains receive significantly more rainfall than the coasts.

Public Holidays

• New Year’s Day 1 Jan
• Independence Day 22 Feb
• Good Friday
• Easter Monday
• Commonwealth Day 1 May
• Whit Monday
• Corpus Christi
• Emancipation Day 1 Aug
• Kalina Heritage Day 19 Aug
• Republic Day 13 Dec
• Christmas Day 25 Dec
• Boxing Day 26 Dec