Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe, one of the Lesser Antilles in the West Indies, and the most important of those which belong to France, lies about 77 miles N. by W. of Martinique, and contains, including dependencies, 494 sq. m., with a pop. in 1895 of 168,000, mostly blacks and mulattoes. It is divided into Grande-Terre on the east, and Basse-Terre or Guadeloupe proper on the west, by a strait of from 40 to 150 yards in width, which bears the name of Salt River, and is navigable only for vessels of very light tonnage. The nomenclature of the two islands appears curiously perverse, for Basse-Terre is the loftier of the two, and Grande-Terre is the smaller; consequently the name Basse-Terre is now generally applied solely to the capital (pop. 7600), a town of officials mainly, in the south-west of the island. Grande-Terre, generally low, is of coral formation; Basse-Terre, on the contrary, is traversed by volcanic mountains, which culminate in La Soufrière (the 'Sulphur Mine') at a height of 5497 feet. Earthquakes are frequent, and in the towns the houses are now built of wood or iron. The chief product of the island is sugar; coffee also is exported. The annual commerce, including imports and exports (about equal) exceeds £2,000,000; more than half of this trade is with France. Point-à-Pitre (q.v.) is the principal town and port; Le Moule, on the eastern coast of Grande-Terre, has 8500 inhabitants, and Grand-Bourg, on Marie-Galante, 7300. The colony is administered by a governor, assisted by a general council; primary education is free and compulsory, and there is a good lycée at Point-à-Pitre. The dependencies of Guadeloupe are the neighbouring islets of Désirade, Marie-Galante, and Les Saintes, besides St-Barthélemy and part of St-Martin to the north-west. Guadeloupe was discovered by Columbus in 1493, but it was not till 1635 that it was colonised by the French; and after repeatedly falling into the hands of England, during her wars with France, it was at length permanently ceded to the latter power in 1816.