Saint Lucia, flag 156

Before this visitor found my blog, I had never heard of the country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean, called Saint Lucia.
For me Saint Lucia was connected to December 13th and Saint Lucy the wealthy young Christian martyr who is venerated as a saint by Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and Orthodox Christians. The island-country with an estimated population of 160,000 and its fine natural harbor at Castries, was contested between England and France throughout the 17th and early 18th centuries (changing possession 14 times); it was finally ceded to the UK in 1814. Even after the abolition of slavery on its plantations in 1834, Saint Lucia remained an agricultural island, dedicated to producing tropical commodity crops. Self-government was granted in 1967 and independence in 1979.

The flag of Saint Lucia was adopted on March 1, 1967. The blue color stands for the blue sky and blue ocean that surround the island, and for fidelity. Gold stands for sunshine and prosperity. The black and white portions symbolize racial harmony, although the majority of black shows the dominant influence of black culture over European culture. The triangle parts of the design are intended to evoke the Pitons, the island's two large peaks that rise from the ocean and are recognized symbols of the island.

Hope you will return to my blog again.