Castries (kästrēˈ, käsˈtrēs) [key], town (1991 pop. 11,147; 1991 metropolitan area pop. 51,994), capital and commercial center of Saint Lucia. Its excellent landlocked harbor is one of the best in the West Indies. Castries was founded by the French in 1650. The secretariat for the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States is located there.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.