The earliest known St. Lucians were the Arawak Indians who were
eventually supplanted by the Caribs. Of course, they did not call the
island St. Lucia; to them it was "Iouanalao" and "Hewanorra," meaning
"Island of the Iguanas."
The British and French battled repeatedly for the island over a span
of more than 100 years. Eventually, the British prevailed. In fact
St. Lucia has been independent within the British Commonwealth only
since 1979. The early touch of the French is still evident, however,
in the St. Lucian Creole.