Saint Lucia is a sovereign island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Saint Lucia was named after Saint Lucy of Syracuse by the French, the island's first European settlers. On 22 February 1979, Saint Lucia became an independent state of the Commonwealth of Nations associated with the United Kingdom. Saint Lucia has a legal system based on English common law.

The island nation has been able to attract foreign business and investment, especially in its offshore banking and tourism industries, which is the island's main source of revenue. The manufacturing sector is the most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean area, and economic fundamentals remain solid.

Tourism is vital to Saint Lucia's economy and the sector’s economic importance is expected to continue to increase as the market for bananas becomes more competitive. Popular for its tropical weather and scenery and its numerous beaches and resorts, tourism tends to be more substantial during the dry season.

Popular tourist attractions include a drive-in volcano, Sulphur Springs (in Soufrière), the Botanical Gardens, the Majestic twin Peaks "The Pitons", a world heritage site, the rain forests, and Pigeon Island National Park, which is home to Fort Rodney, an old British military base.