Capesterre
Encyclopedia
Capesterre is an old French seafaring term designating the side of the Caribbean
islands which first meets the trade wind
s, i.e. the eastern side of Caribbean islands. This term was opposed to the term "Basse-Terre" (literally "Down Land") which designated the side of the Caribbean islands located downwind, i.e. the western side.
Capesterre is part of the name of two communes in the French
overseas région and département of Guadeloupe
, in the Lesser Antilles
:
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
islands which first meets the trade wind
Trade wind
The trade winds are the prevailing pattern of easterly surface winds found in the tropics, within the lower portion of the Earth's atmosphere, in the lower section of the troposphere near the Earth's equator...
s, i.e. the eastern side of Caribbean islands. This term was opposed to the term "Basse-Terre" (literally "Down Land") which designated the side of the Caribbean islands located downwind, i.e. the western side.
Capesterre is part of the name of two communes in the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
overseas région and département of Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
, in the Lesser Antilles
Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...
:
- Capesterre-Belle-EauCapesterre-Belle-EauCapesterre-Belle-Eau is a commune in the French overseas region and department of Guadeloupe, in the Lesser Antilles. It is located in the south-east of Basse-Terre Island. Capesterre-Belle-Eau covers an area of 103.3 km² and the population as of 1999 is 19,568. The population density is 189...
on the eastern side of Basse-Terre IslandBasse-Terre IslandBasse-Terre Island is the name of the western-half of Guadeloupe proper, in the Lesser Antilles. It is separated from the other half of Guadeloupe proper, Grande-Terre, by a narrow sea channel called the Rivière Salée .... - Capesterre-de-Marie-GalanteCapesterre-de-Marie-GalanteCapesterre-de-Marie-Galante is a commune on the island of Marie-Galante, in the French overseas region and department of Guadeloupe, itself in the Lesser Antilles....
on the eastern side of the island of Marie-GalanteMarie-GalanteMarie-Galante is an island of the Caribbean Sea located at the south of Guadeloupe and at north of Dominica. Marie-Galante is a dependence of Guadeloupe which is a french overseas department....