The Caribbean island of St. Lucia, part of the Windward Islands group of the Lesser Antilles, is 43 km (27 mi) N – S by 23 km (14 mi) E – W and has a total area of 616 sq km (238 sq mi). Comparatively, the area occupied by St. Lucia is slightly less than3.5 times the size of Washington, D.C. Situated between Martinique to the N and St. Vincent to the SW , St. Lucia has a total coastline of 158 km (98 mi). The capital city, Castries, is located on St. Lucia's northwest coast.