• Saint Lucia has had a long colonial history and control has passed from the French to the British many times over the years. The island was formally ceded to the British in 1814. The African population on the island was brought there as slaves, mostly in the eighteenth century. The island achieved independence in 1979, after gaining increasing autonomy in the latter half of the twentieth century.
• Although the formal institutions in Saint Lucia are very European, the traditional folk culture is markedly rooted in African culture. Due to the history of slavery on the island, some lingering black-white tension remains. There is no single unifying culture although there is a strong sense of belonging and possession of place among the population. The language spoken by the majority of the population is a French-derived creole language.

Saint Lucia is a parliamentary, democratic monarchy. The Head of State is the Monarch (currently the Queen of England) who appoints the Governor General as a representative. The Prime Minster is normally the head of the party which commands a majority in the House of Assembly. The Governor General acts on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet.

Saint Lucia is a member of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) and uses the Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC$) as its official currency. The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) manages monetary policy and regulates commercial banking activities in all member states of the ECCU.