ships from the ocean to reach the industrial
and farming regions around the
Great Lakes. This makes the system very
important to the economies of both the
United States and Canada.
The Saint Lawrence Seaway is about
2,340 miles (3,770 kilometers) long. At
its western end is the city of Duluth,
Minnesota. Duluth is a port on Lake
Superior, one of the five Great Lakes.
Narrow waterways link the lakes to one
another. The Saint Lawrence River itself
begins at the eastern end of Lake
Ontario. It flows 740 miles (1,190 kilometers)
to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence.
Finally, the Cabot Strait connects the
gulf to the Atlantic Ocean.
French explorer Jacques Cartier was the
first European to sail into the Saint
Lawrence River. He could not travel
very far into the continent by river, however.
The way was blocked by a stretch
of rapids. Later explorers discovered
other natural barriers to sailing through
the Great Lakes.
Over the years people built canals, locks,
and dams to get around some of these
barriers. Canals are waterways built to
connect two natural bodies of water.
Locks are structures that raise or lower a
ship from one water level to another.
They are needed where the water level
varies between different bodies of water.
Some barriers remained, however.
Finally in 1954 the governments of the
United States and Canada agreed to
build the Saint Lawrence Seaway. The
construction took nearly five years. In
addition to building locks and canals,
workers deepened several waterways.
The seaway opened to ships in 1959.
#More to explore
Atlantic Ocean • Canal • Dam • Great
Lakes • Sault Sainte Marie Canals
A passenger ship winds through the Thousand
Islands section of the Saint Lawrence
River near the river’s source at Lake Ontario.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Saint Lawrence River and Seaway 13
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is a small island country in
theWest Indies region of the Caribbean
Sea. Castries is the capital.
Geography
Mountains run from north to south
through the middle of the island. Many
streams flow down into deep valleys. In
the southwest is the volcano Qualibou,
which lets off steam and gases. Saint
Lucia’s climate is hot and humid.
Plants and Animals
Rain forests grow on the highest land.
Flowering vines, wild orchids, and ferns
grow in the valleys. The country’s colorful
birds include parrots, black finches,
and orioles.
People
Most Saint Lucians are descended from
black Africans. Many people have mixed
African and European roots. The island
also has small groups of East Indians and
whites. Most people speak English or a
local version of French. Christianity is
the main religion.
Economy
The economy is based mainly on tourism
and agriculture. Farmers grow
bananas, mangoes, coconuts, yams, citrus
fruits, and some cacao. Saint Lucia
also produces clothing and electronics.
History
Carib Indians lived on the island when
Europeans arrived in about 1500. France
and Great Britain fought for control of
the island until 1814, when Britain
won. The Europeans brought Africans
with them to work as slaves on cotton
and sugar plantations. Saint Lucia
gained independence in 1979.
..More to explore
Castries •West Indies
The town of Soufriere, Saint Lucia, occupies
a valley near two huge mounds of rock. A
volcano formed the mounds long ago.
Facts About
SAINT LUCIA
Population
(2008 estimate)
171,000
Area
238 sq mi (617
sq km)
Capital
Castries
Form of
government
Constitutional
monarchy
Major towns
Castries, Vieux
Fort, Micoud,
Soufriere
14 Saint Lucia BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Saint Patrick’s
Day
Saint Patrick’s Day is a popular holiday
celebrated on March 17. The holiday
honors Saint Patrick, the man who
brought Christianity to Ireland. Saint
Patrick’s Day is a national holiday in
Ireland. Yet people in other countries
enjoy the holiday, too.
How Saint Patrick’s Day Is
Celebrated
Many people celebrate Saint Patrick’s
Day by wearing green clothing or shamrocks
(three-leafed clovers). Green and
shamrocks are symbols of Ireland.
Many U.S. cities with large Irish populations
have huge public celebrations. Boston
held its first Saint Patrick’s Day
celebration in 1737. In the 1760s New
York City began the tradition of holding
a parade for the occasion. Chicago dyes
its river green for the day.
History
Saint Patrick was born in Britain in the
late 300s or early 400s. Pirates captured
him when he was 16. They sold him as a
slave in Ireland, where he worked as a
shepherd for six years. He then escaped
and returned home.
After years of religious training, Patrick
went back to Ireland. There he converted
many people to Christianity. The
year of his death is unknown.
There are several legends about Saint
Patrick. One legend says that he drove
away all the snakes in Ireland. Another
legend says that he used the three parts
of a shamrock leaf to explain the idea of
the Trinity. The Trinity refers to the
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the
Christian religion.
..More to explore
Ireland • Shamrock
Saint Paul
Population
(2000 census),
city, 287,151;
(2007 estimate)
277,251
Saint Paul is the capital of the U.S. state
of Minnesota. It lies along a deep bend
of the Mississippi River. The city of
