Choiseul District Explained

Choiseul District
Settlement Type:	District
Coordinates:	13.7833°N -63°W
Coor Pinpoint:	Town of Choiseul
Subdivision Type:	Country
Subdivision Name:	St. Lucia
Area Land Km2:	31
Population Footnotes:	^[1]
Population Total:	6,130
Population As Of:	2010
Population Density Km2:	197.75
Postal Code:	LC-03

Choiseul District is one of the 10 districts (formerly called quarter) of the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia. Located on the southwestern side of the island, the district is home to 6,130 people, according to the 2019 census. The seat of Choiseul District is the town of Choiseul.^{[2] [3] [4] [5]}

History

See main article: History of Saint Lucia. The Choiseul District/Quarter was originally known as Anse Citron, and an independent parish was established in 1765. In 1769 a census was done and recorded 75 whites, 25 free coloured, 512 negroes and 69 estates in Choiseul. However, most activity was originally in the River Dorée area, south-east of Choiseul.^[6]

An Anglican church at River Dorée was built in 1846 and the first school was opened in 1848. The area was primarily run by English plantation owners and by the end of the 19th century the population was approximately 4,000.

A Catholic church was built in Choiseul village at the end of the 19th century by Father Pierre Prudent René. It took several years to build and by 1914 the church was completed.

The main city of the district goes by the same name, and is home to the indigenous craft of coal pot manufacturing on the island and many local arts and crafts can be purchased at the roadside craft market, including grass place mats, market chairs, and local clay products; such as coal pots which are still widely used in many St. Lucian kitchens.

Government

The Choiseul District is an electoral district represented in the House of Assembly of Saint Lucia. The district has been represented since July 2021 by Bradley Felix as the Parliamentary Representative. The district elected their representative during the countries recent general election.^{[7] [8] [9]}

Local attractions

The following are some of the local attractions in the Choiseul District:^[10]

• Anse l'Ivrogne Beach. The beach is regarded as one of the best sites for scuba diving in Saint Lucia, and is known as "the Black Hole" because of the underwater drop of 600m. Anse l'Ivrogne is located at the foot of Gros Piton.^[11] (Anse l'Ivrogne: 13.7986°N -61.0697°W)
• Balembouche Estate. This is a former sugar plantation set in 70acres near the coast East of Choiseul. There are ruined sugar mills and today it is a heritage site as well as an organic farm. (13.7575°N -61.0272°W) ^[12]
• Choiseul, Saint Lucia. An arts and craft town. (13.7744°N -61.0505°W)
• Morne Sion Windmills. Three windmills were built by the British in the early 19th Century to crush sugar cane for the production of rum as well as granulated sugar. (Morne Sion: 13.7871°N -61.0564°W)
• La Pointe Beach. (13.7897°N -61.0675°W)
• Pon George (Devil's Bridge). This is a bridge spanning a 60m deep ravine in the River Dorée area. Legend has it that the Devil wanted the soul of the first living thing to cross the bridge, so an enterprising local sent a dog over to cheat him. (River Dorée: 13.7637°N -61.0365°W)
• Reunion Estate: Agricultural research station. (13.7767°N -61.0449°W)
• Sabwesha Beach. This is a black sand beach just north of Choiseul with views of Gros Piton as well as views of the neighbouring island of Saint Vincent. (Sabwesha beach: 13.7804°N -61.0548°W, Choiseul Bay: 13.7752°N -61.0527°W)
• Saltibus Waterfall Trail. North of Choiseul, near the village of Saltibus is a rainforest trail leading to Saltibus Waterfall. This is a series of five waterfalls with heights from 3 to 10 metres. (Saltibus: 13.8095°N -61.0111°W)

Government

The seat of the Choiseul District government is in the town of Choiseul. There are 39 second-order administrative divisions in the Choiseul District.^[13]

The Choiseul District is also an electoral constituency and has been represented since 2021 in the House of Assembly of Saint Lucia by Bradley Felix, Parliamentary Representative for the Choiseul electoral constituency.^[14]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Saint Lucia 2010 Census. Government of Saint Lucia. August 9, 2021.
2. Web site: Archived copy . 2005-09-21 . https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20071124143804/http://www.stats.gov.lc/pop22.htm . 2007-11-24 . dead .
3. Web site: 2010 Census data Saint Lucia Government Stats. August 9, 2021.
4. Web site: Map of Choiseul District. Government of Saint Lucia. August 15, 2021.
5. The term district, vice quarter, was used in both the 2001 and 2010 census of Saint Lucia.
6. Web site: Choiseul, the Cradle of Craft. Saint Lucia Tourism. 20 April 2020 . August 17, 2021.
7. Web site: 2021-07-27. SLP Wins Landslide Victory In Saint Lucia Elections. 2021-08-18. St. Lucia Times News. en-US. 2021-07-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20210728065114/https://stluciatimes.com/slp-wins-landslide-victory-in-saint-lucia-elections/. dead.
8. Web site: Constituences. 2021-08-18. Saint Lucia Electoral Department. en-US.
9. Web site: 2021-07-27. Election Update 2021: Bradley Wins it for UWP in Choiseul. 2021-08-19. St. Lucia News From The Voice. en-US.
10. Web site: Choisseul. GeoNames. August 15, 2021.
11. Web site: Anse L'Ivrogne Beach. Kaipapai. 5 January 2017 . August 15, 2021.
12. Web site: Balenbouche Estate. Balenbouche Estate.
13. Web site: Choiseul regions. GeoNames. August 17, 2021.
14. Web site: House of Assembly. Government of Saint Lucia. August 8, 2021.