A chronology of key events: 1501 - St Lucia sighted by Christopher Columbus. 1635 - The French establish a colony on St Lucia.
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Castries, the capital, boasts a natural deepwater harbour
Founded by the French in 1650
Castries population: 63,000 (2000 estimate)
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1660 - The French sign a treaty with the indigenous Carib people. 1814 - France cedes St Lucia to Britain following the Treaty of Paris; Britain proclaims the island a crown colony and brings in African slaves to work on the sugar cane plantations. 1834 - Slavery abolished. 1871-1956 - St Lucia a member of the Leeward Islands Federation. 1924 - St Lucia granted representative government. 1936 - St Lucia given a constitution providing for a majority of elected representatives in the legislative council. 1951 - St Lucia granted universal adult suffrage. 1958-62 - St Lucia a member of the Federation of the West Indies. 1964 - St Lucia ceases sugar cane production. 1967 - St Lucia becomes fully self-governing in internal affairs, with Britain remaining in charge of external matters and defence. Independence 1979 - St Lucia becomes independent with John Compton, leader of the United Workers Party (UWP) as prime minister. 1979 - Allan Louisy becomes prime minister after his St Lucia Labour Party (SLP) wins the general election.
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NOBEL LAUREATE
Derek Walcott was awarded the Nobel prize for literature in 1992
Poet, playwright, writer, visual artist
Plays embedded in folk tradition
Poems celebrate beauty of Caribbean
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1981 - Louisy resigns following a split in the SLP and is replaced by the attorney-general, Winston Cenac. 1982 - John Compton returns to power after his UWP wins a decisive victory in the general election. 1987 - The UWP wins a narrow victory in the general election. 1992 - The UWP wins another general election. 1992 - Derek Walcott, a native of the capital, Castries, wins the Nobel Prize for literature. 1993 - Fall in the price of bananas leads to unrest and strikes by farmers and agricultural workers. 1996 - John Compton resigns and is succeeded by Vaughan Lewis as prime minister. Kenny Anthony elected 1997 - Kenny Anthony becomes prime minister after his SLP-led coalition wins the country's biggest ever landslide in the general election. 2002 September - Tropical Storm Lili destroys about half of the banana crop. In some places entire plantations are wiped out. 2003 July - Parliament amends constitution to replace oath of allegiance to British monarch with pledge of loyalty to St Lucians.
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FATHER OF THE NATION
Sir John Compton's political career spanned many decades
Steered country towards independence
Served as prime minister several times
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2003 November - New criminal code passed, with controversial clauses on imprisonment for spreading "false news" and legalisation of abortion in some circumstances. 2004 July - Volcanic twin peaks - the Pitons - are declared a Unesco world heritage site. 2006 December - Sir John Compton's UWP wins general elections. 2007 April - St Lucia says it will re-establish diplomatic ties with Taiwan, 10 years after it broke off relations in favour of China. 2007 September - Prime minister Sir John Compton dies, is replaced by Stephenson King. 2011 December - Kenny Anthony becomes prime minister after his SLP wins a snap general election.
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