Gros Islet (English: ''Large Island'') is a community near the northern tip of the
island
An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...
country of
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean. Part of the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines), Saint Vincent ...
, in the
Gros Islet Quarter. Originally a quiet fishing village, it has become one of the more popular tourist destinations in the country.
History
Originally settled by the
Carib (and possibly
Arawak
The Arawak are a group of Indigenous peoples of northern South America and of the Caribbean. The term "Arawak" has been applied at various times to different Indigenous groups, from the Lokono of South America to the Taíno (Island Arawaks), w ...
), the area was first identified as Gros Islet in a
French map from 1717. The community was a
Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...
, and the first
priests
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, ...
who arrived on the island settled in the village in 1749.
In 1778, the
Anglo-French War broke out between
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
and
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...
. As part of the conflict, the British
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
captured the island of Saint Lucia and built a
naval base
A naval base, navy base, or military port is a military base, where warships and naval ships are docked when they have no mission at sea or need to restock. Ships may also undergo repairs. Some naval bases are temporary homes to aircraft that usu ...
at Gros Islet Bay in 1782, temporarily changing the name to Fort Rodney. The island has changed hands between the British and French throughout its existence.
Between 1991 and 2001, the population rose 54%;
the biggest increase in the country. In 2001, the population of Gros Islet 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 census.
Of that number, 9,307 were male and 10,102 were female.
A nearby
mangrove swamp
Mangrove forests, also called mangrove swamps, mangrove thickets or mangals, are productive wetlands that occur in coastal intertidal zones. Mangrove forests grow mainly at tropical and subtropical latitudes because mangrove trees cannot withs ...
was dredged to form
Rodney Bay Marina, and many hotels, resorts, and villas have since been built. However, the old village of Gros Islet is still a flourishing district.
In September 2011, the parliamentary representative for the area, the Honourable
Lenard Montoute, advised that the constituency might become St. Lucia's second city, if the expansion plans for the area progress in accordance with its development blueprint.
See also
*
Daren Sammy Cricket Ground
References
External links
*
*http://www.grosislet.communitysaintlucia.com/
{{Authority control
1749 establishments in the French colonial empire
Populated coastal places in Saint Lucia
Towns in Saint Lucia