Soufrière is a town on the West Coast of Saint Lucia, in the eastern Caribbean Sea. The town and the surrounding district has a population of 7,935. It was colonized by the French and was the original capital of the island.[3]
Soufrière
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Town
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Soufrière and the Pitons
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Political map of Saint Lucia showing Soufrière
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| Coordinates: 13°51′14″N 61°03′33″W / 13.854°N 61.0592°W / 13.854; -61.0592 | |
| Country |  Saint Lucia |
| Quarter | Soufrière Quarter |
| Founded | 18th century |
| Founded by | France |
| Named for | The local volcano |
| Government | |
| • Governing body | Soufrière Council |
| • Mayor | Joan Hippolyte[1] |
| Elevation | 5 m (16 ft) |
| Population
(2005)[2]
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| • Total | 7,935 (Soufrière District) |
| Time zone | UTC-4 (Eastern Caribbean Time Zone (ECT)) |
| Area code | 758 |
French colonizers built large estates in Soufrière, and their descendants still live in the area. The French Revolution of 1789 resulted in many Royalists being executed and the enslaved Africans were released from enslavement. However, Napoleon reintroduced slavery when he came to power.
The British invaded St Lucia shortly afterwards, but the enslaved Africans and French deserters fought them in a guerrilla campaign until 1803 when they were defeated and St Lucia became a British colony. Also, during that time, Castries became the capital of St Lucia.
Over the years, Soufrière has had to deal with hurricanes in 1780, 1817, 1831, 1898 and 1980, a major fire in 1955 and an earthquake in 1991. Many of these events have resulted in the town being rebuilt.
Soufrière inhabitants have included the future Empress of France Joséphine de Beauharnais (who spent much of her childhood in the area),[citation needed] and George Charles (the first Premier of St Lucia). When Queen Elizabeth II visited St Lucia in 1966, she landed at Soufrière rather than Castries.
Today, Soufrière is more dependent on tourism rather than agriculture. The Pitons are just south of the town and there are several attractions in the area. Many of the old estates are still there such as Soufrière Estate, Fond Doux Estate and Rabot Estate.
Soufrière was the filming location for most of the 1985 film Water, set on the fictional British colony of Cascara.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
