Vieux Fort, Saint Lucia

Vieux Fort is a town located near the southernmost point of Saint Lucia, a Caribbean island nation. It is named after a fort that used to watch out towards Saint Vincent towards the south. The population of the town was 4,574 in 2000 while the surrounding district of Vieux Fort has a total population of about 15,132 in 2010.[2][3]

Vieux Fort (town)
Vieux Fort
Vieux Fort
Map of Saint Lucia showing location of Vieux Fort District and the town of Vieux Fort
Map of Saint Lucia showing location of Vieux Fort District and the town of Vieux Fort
Coordinates: 13°43′41″N 60°57′14″W / 13.728°N 60.954°W / 13.728; -60.954
Country Saint Lucia
DistrictVieux Fort District
Founded18th Century
Named forA nearby fort
Government
 • Governing bodyVieux Fort Council
Elevation1 m (3 ft)
Population
 (2005)[2]
 • Total
15,750 (District)4,574 (town)
Time zoneUTC-4 (Eastern Caribbean Time Zone (ECT))
Area code758

History

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In the 18th and 19th centuries it was an important centre of the sugar industry in Saint Lucia, before that industry declined.

During World War II, the Americans constructed an airfield called Beane Army Airfield. After the war it was subsequently expanded to form Hewanorra International Airport.[4]

Today, Vieux Fort is the main point of entry for Saint Lucia and also hosts a port[5] just to the south of the town. It is also a major industrial area and also hosts other places such as St Jude's Hospital and the George Odlum Stadium.

Climate

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Climate data for Hewanorra International Airport (1991–2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 29.2
(84.6)
29.2
(84.6)
29.6
(85.3)
30.3
(86.5)
30.9
(87.6)
30.9
(87.6)
30.9
(87.6)
31.2
(88.2)
31.5
(88.7)
31.2
(88.2)
30.5
(86.9)
29.8
(85.6)
30.4
(86.7)
Daily mean °C (°F) 26.5
(79.7)
26.5
(79.7)
26.8
(80.2)
27.5
(81.5)
28.3
(82.9)
28.3
(82.9)
28.3
(82.9)
28.4
(83.1)
28.4
(83.1)
28.2
(82.8)
27.7
(81.9)
27.1
(80.8)
27.7
(81.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 23.9
(75.0)
23.7
(74.7)
24.0
(75.2)
24.8
(76.6)
25.7
(78.3)
25.8
(78.4)
25.7
(78.3)
25.6
(78.1)
25.4
(77.7)
25.2
(77.4)
24.9
(76.8)
24.4
(75.9)
24.9
(76.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 84.7
(3.33)
50.7
(2.00)
56.9
(2.24)
84.4
(3.32)
69.9
(2.75)
136.3
(5.37)
153.5
(6.04)
167.1
(6.58)
186.2
(7.33)
217.4
(8.56)
191.2
(7.53)
99.2
(3.91)
1,497.5
(58.96)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) 13.4 9.8 9.4 8.8 9.7 14.1 17.5 16.7 14.5 16.1 15.9 14.0 160.0
Mean monthly sunshine hours 278.3 265.4 282.7 279.0 287.0 252.2 274.3 277.2 257.9 252.7 246.2 272.2 3,225.2
Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Vieux Fort". Freemeteo.
  2. ^ a b "Government Statistics". Government of Saint Lucia.
  3. ^ "Vieux Fort". GeoNames. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  4. ^ Harmsen, Jolien; Ellis, Guy; Devaux, Robert (2014). A History of St Lucia. Vieux Fort: Lighthouse Road. p. 284,357. ISBN 9789769534001.
  5. ^ Saint Lucia Air and Sea Port Authority. "slaspa.com". Archived from the original on 2010-03-08. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
  6. ^ "Hewanorra Climate Normals for 1991-2020" (CSV). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 20 August 2024.