Gros Islet
Encyclopedia
Gros Islet is a community located near the northern tip of the island
country of Saint Lucia
. Originally a quiet fishing village, it has gone on to become one of the more popular tourist destinations in the country.
Originally settled by the Carib (and possibly Arawak), a French
map from 1717 provides the first identification of the area as Gros Islet. The community has had a long history of being a Roman Catholic parish
, as the first priests who arrived on the island settled in the village in 1749.
In 1778, as a retaliation for the declaration of war on the British
by the French, the British navy
captured the island of Saint Lucia from the French, and built a naval base
at Gros Islet Bay in 1782 - temporarily changing the name to Fort Rodney. The island as a whole has switched hands between the British and French throughout its existence.
In modern times, the community has continued to flourish. Between 1991 and 2001 the population rose 54%; the highest rise in the country. In 2001, the population was 19,409, making it the second most-populous community in Saint Lucia, up from 13,505 in the 1991 census and 10,164 in the 1980 edition. Of this number, 9,307 were male and 10,102 were female.
A nearby mangrove swamp was dredged to form Rodney Bay
Marina and many hotels, resorts and villas have since appeared. However the old village of Gros Islet is still a flourishing district.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
country of Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 620 km2 and has an...
. Originally a quiet fishing village, it has gone on to become one of the more popular tourist destinations in the country.
Originally settled by the Carib (and possibly Arawak), a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
map from 1717 provides the first identification of the area as Gros Islet. The community has had a long history of being a Roman Catholic parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
, as the first priests who arrived on the island settled in the village in 1749.
In 1778, as a retaliation for the declaration of war on the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
by the French, the British navy
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
captured the island of Saint Lucia from the French, and built a naval base
Naval base
A naval base is a military base, where warships and naval ships are deployed when they have no mission at sea or want to restock. Usually ships may also perform some minor repairs. Some naval bases are temporary homes to aircraft that usually stay on the ships but are undergoing maintenance while...
at Gros Islet Bay in 1782 - temporarily changing the name to Fort Rodney. The island as a whole has switched hands between the British and French throughout its existence.
In modern times, the community has continued to flourish. Between 1991 and 2001 the population rose 54%; the highest rise in the country. In 2001, the population was 19,409, making it the second most-populous community in Saint Lucia, up from 13,505 in the 1991 census and 10,164 in the 1980 edition. Of this number, 9,307 were male and 10,102 were female.
A nearby mangrove swamp was dredged to form Rodney Bay
Rodney Bay
Rodney Bay is a bay on Saint Lucia; it is along the northwestern coast of the island to the north of Choc Bay. It is named after British naval officer George Brydges Rodney. At Rodney Bay you can climb aboard the brig Unicorn, used in the film Pirates of the Caribbean and see the west side of the...
Marina and many hotels, resorts and villas have since appeared. However the old village of Gros Islet is still a flourishing district.