Guadeloupe
Encyclopedia
Guadeloupe is an archipelago
located in the Leeward Islands
, in the Lesser Antilles
, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres (629 sq. mi) 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 is also an integral part of the Republic. Besides the eponymous main island of Guadeloupe, other smaller islands in the archipelago include Marie-Galante
, La Désirade
and the les Saintes archipelago
.
As part of France, Guadeloupe is part of the European Union
; hence, as for most EU countries, its currency is the euro
. However, Guadeloupe is not part of the Schengen Area
. The prefecture and the capital of Guadeloupe is Basse-Terre
. Christopher Columbus
named the island Santa María de Guadalupe in 1493 after the Virgin Mary, venerated in the Spanish town of Guadalupe, in Extremadura
.
became the first European to land on Guadeloupe. He called it Santa María de Guadalupe de Extremadura, after the image of the Virgin Mary venerated at the Spanish monastery of Villuercas, in Guadalupe, Extremadura
. The expedition set ashore just south of Capesterre and did not leave any settlers ashore.
Christopher Columbus is credited with discovering the pineapple
on the island of Guadeloupe in 1493, although the fruit had long been grown in South America. He called it piña de Indias, meaning "pine of Indies."
After successful settlement on the island of St Christophe (St Kitts), the French Company of the American Islands
delegated Charles Lienard and Jean Duplessis, Lord of Ossonville to colonize one or any of the region’s islands, Guadeloupe, Martinique
or Dominica
. Due to Martinique’s inhospitable nature, the duo resolved to settle in Guadeloupe in 1635, took possession of the island, and wiped out many of the Carib Amerindians. It was annexed to the kingdom of France in 1674.
Over the next century, the island was seized several times by the British. The economy benefited from the lucrative sugar trade
introduced during the closing decades of the seventeenth century. One indication of Guadeloupe's prosperity at this time is that in the Treaty of Paris (1763)
, France, defeated in war
, again, agreed to abandon its territorial claims in Canada if the British returned Guadeloupe, which was captured in 1759.
In 1790, following the outbreak of the French Revolution
, the upper classes of Guadeloupe refused to obey the new laws of equal rights for the free colored
. They attempted to declare independence, causing a fire to break out in Pointe-à-Pitre
that devastated a third of the town. A struggle between the monarchists (who wanted independence) and the republicans (who were faithful to revolutionary France) ensued. It ended with a victory by the monarchists, who declared independence in 1791. The monarchists refused to receive the new governor appointed by Paris in 1792. In 1793, a slave rebellion started, which made the upper classes turn to the British and ask them to occupy the island.
In an effort to take advantage of the chaos ensuing from the French Revolution
, Britain attempted to seize Guadeloupe in 1794 and held it from 21 April until December 1794, when Victor Hugues
obliged the English general to surrender. Hugues succeeded in freeing the slave
s. They revolted and turned on the slave owners who controlled the sugar plantations. In 1802, Napoleon Bonaparte issued the Law of 20 May 1802. It restored slavery to all of the colonies captured by the British during the French Revolutionary Wars, but this did not apply to certain French overseas possessions such as Guadeloupe, Guyane, and Saint-Domingue. Napoleon sent an expeditionary force to recapture the island from the rebellious Mulattos.Louis Delgrès
and a group of revolutionary soldiers killed themselves on the slopes of the Matouba volcano when it became obvious that the invading troops would take control of the island. The occupation force killed approximately 10,000 Guadeloupeans.
On 4 February 1810 the British once again seized the island and continued to occupy it until 1816. By the Anglo-Swedish alliance of 3 March 1813, it was ceded to Sweden
for a brief period of 15 months. The British administration continued in place and British governors continued to govern the Island.
By the Treaty of Paris of 1814 Sweden ceded Guadeloupe once more to France. An ensuing settlement between Sweden and the British gave rise to the Guadeloupe Fund
. French control of Guadeloupe was definitively acknowledged in the Treaty of Vienna in 1815. Slavery was abolished on the island on 28 May 1848 at the initiative of Victor Schoelcher
. Guadeloupe lost 12,000 of its 150,000 residents in the cholera
epidemic of 1865–66. In 1946 the colony of Guadeloupe became an overseas department of France, and in 1974 it became an administrative center. Its deputies sit in the French National Assembly in Paris.
Today the population of Guadeloupe is mainly of African or mixed descent and largely Roman Catholic. French and a Creole patois with an important European and Indian active population. There are also Lebanese
, Syrians
, Chinese and others, for example Carib Amerindians.
On 15 July 2007 the island communes
of Saint-Martin
and Saint-Barthélemy were officially detached from Guadeloupe and became two separate French overseas collectivities with their own local administration. Their combined population was 35,930 and their combined land area was 74.2 km² (29 sq mi) at the 1999 census. Guadeloupe thereby lost 8.5 percent of its population and 4.4 percent of its land area.
On 20 January 2009, an umbrella group of approximately fifty labour union and other associations known in the local Antillean Creole
as the Liyannaj Kont Pwofitasyon
(LKP) led by Élie Domota
called for a €200 ($260 USD) monthly pay increase for the island's low income workers. The protesters have proposed that authorities "lower business taxes as a top up to company finances" to pay for the €200 pay raises. Employers and business leaders in Guadeloupe have said that they cannot afford the salary increase. The strike lasted for 44 days, until an accord was reached on March 5, 2009. Tourism suffered greatly during this time and has affected the 2010 tourist season as well.
Located as the southernmost of the Leeward Islands
in the eastern Caribbean Sea
, Guadeloupe comprises two main islands: Basse-Terre Island
, Grande-Terre
(separated from Basse-Terre by a narrow sea channel called Salt River). The adjacent French islands of La Désirade
, Les Saintes and Marie-Galante
come under jurisdiction of Guadeloupe.
Western Basse-Terre has a rough volcanic relief while eastern Grande-Terre features rolling hills and flat plains.
Further to the north, Saint-Barthélemy and the northern French part of Saint Martin
once came under the jurisdiction of Guadeloupe but on 7 December 2003, both of these areas voted to become an overseas territorial collectivity, a decision which took effect on 22 February 2007.
Population:
(July 2006 estimates from the CIA World Factbook; note that these estimates disagree with official INSEE
estimates and that they also include Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy)
, cantons
and communes
:
, the pseudonym used by Alexis Léger. Perse won the 1960 Nobel Prize in Literature
"for the soaring flight and the evocative images of his poetry, which, in a visionary fashion, reflects the conditions of our time.
Guadeloupe has always had a rich literary production prolonged today by many living writers, poets, novelists, essayists and journalists, among them Mesdames Maryse Condé
and Simone Schwartz-Bart, M. Ernest Pépin.
Music and dance are also very popular, and the widely accepted interaction of African, French and Indian cultures has given birth to some original new forms specific to the archipelago. Islanders enjoy many local dance styles including zouk
, zouk-love
, kompa, as well as the modern international dances such as hip hop, ect. Traditional Guadeloupean music includes la biguine
, Kadans
, Cadence-lypso
and gwo ka
. Popular music artists and bands such as Experience 7
, Francky Vincent
, Kassav'
, Admiral T
or Patrick St-Eloi embody the traditional music style of the island and the new generation of music, while some other music artist such as Tom Frager
- who grew up there in Guadeloupe, performs colorful reggae music that defines the Guadeloupe island as paradise-like. Many international festivals take place in Guadeloupe, like the Creole Blues Festival hosted in Marie-Galante
. It goes without saying that all the Euro-French forms of art are also ubiquitous.
The melting pot is emphasized by other communities (Brazil
, Dominican Republic
, Haiti
, India
, Lebanon
, Syria
) who live on the island and share their cultures.
Whilst not in the Guadeloupean style Catherine Quinol, aka Katrin, is known worldwide as the lip synching icon of the piano-house trio Black Box
, who burst on to the Music Scene in the late 80s with songs such as Ride On Time
. Katrin is, however, a trained singer and she went on to release her own work.
Another element of the Guadeloupean culture is its dress. A few women (the elder ones for the majority) have a unique style of traditional dresses, with many layers of colourful fabrics, now only worn on special occasions. On festive occasions they also wore a madras (originally the 'kerchief' from South India) head scarf tied in many different symbolic forms. The headdress could be done in many styles with names like the "bat" style, or the "firefighter" style, as well as the "Guadeloupean woman." Jewelry, mainly of gold, is also important in the Guadeloupean lady's dress, a product of European, African and Indian inspiration.
In 2006 the GDP per capita of Guadeloupe at market exchange rates, not at PPP
, was €17,338 (US$21,780).
The economy of Guadeloupe depends on tourism, agriculture, light industry
and services. But it especially depends on France for large subsidies and imports.
Tourism is a key industry, with 83.3% of tourists visiting from metropolitan France
, 10.8% coming from the rest of Europe, 3.4% coming from the United States, 1.5% coming from Canada, 0.4% coming from South America and 0.6% coming from the rest of the world. An increasingly large number of cruise ships visit the islands.
The traditional sugar cane crop is slowly being replaced by other crops, such as bananas (which now supply about 50% of export earnings), eggplant, guinnep
, noni
, sapotilla, paroka, pikinga, giraumon squash, yam
, gourd
, plantain
, christophine, monbin, prunecafé, cocoa, jackfruit
, pomegranate
, and many varieties of flowers. Other vegetables and root crops are cultivated for local consumption, although Guadeloupe is still dependent on imported food, mainly from France.
Light industry features sugar and rum
, solar energy, and many industrial productions. Most manufactured goods and fuel are imported. Unemployment is especially high among the youth. Hurricanes periodically devastate the economy.
The country code top-level domain
(ccTLD) for Guadeloupe is ".gp
".
Football (soccer) is popular in Guadeloupe. Thierry Henry
, a star of the French National Team and MLS club New York Red Bulls, often visits as his father Antoine was originally from the island. William Gallas
, whose parentage is Guadeloupean, visits the island when not playing for Tottenham or the French National team. Lilian Thuram
, a former star football defender for France and FC Barcelona
, was born in Guadeloupe. Dimitri Ouvre, professional surfer. The French national team and Everton F.C.
striker Louis Saha
is also of Guadeloupean descent, as is Kettering Town F.C.
goalkeeper Willy Gueret
. Pascal Chimbonda
of Doncaster Rovers was also born in Guadeloupe. Inter Milan star Jonathan Biabiany
is also of Guadeloupean descent. Stéphane Auvray
is a Guadeloupean footballer who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer
. Ronald Zubar
, who plays for Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Barclays Premier League is born in Guadeloupe, as is his younger brother Stephane Zubar
, who plays for npower League One side AFC Bournemouth. The national football team
experienced recent success, advancing all the way to the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup
semi-finals, where they were defeated just 1-0 by CONCACAF
powerhouse Mexico. Many fine track and field athletes, such as Marie-José Pérec
, Patricia Girard-Léno
, and Christine Arron are also Guadeloupe natives. The NBA
players Mickaël Piétrus
, and Rodrigue Beaubois
were born in this island.
Triple Olympic champion Marie-José Pérec
, fourth-fastest 100m runner Christine Arron and fencing
champion Laura Flessel all were born and raised in Guadeloupe.
Even though Guadeloupe is part of France, it has its own sports teams. There is also a rugby union
, a small but rapidly growing sport in Guadeloupe. France international & Stade Français centre Mathieu Bastareaud
(a cousin of French international & former Arsenal centre-back William Gallas) was born in Guadeloupe.
This island is also internationally best known for hosting the Karujet Race – Jet Ski World Championship since 1998. This amazing 9-stage, 4-day event unites competitors from all around the world (mostly Caribbeans, Americans and Europeans). The one-of-a-kind Karujet, generally made up of 7 races all around the island, has an established reputation as one of the most difficult championships in which to compete. All challengers, both amateurs and professionals, who attend the Karujet are astonished by the diverse, incredible and unique waterbodies the "butterfly island" provides.
The Route du Rhum
is one of the most prominent event nautical French sport that occur every 4 years.
World-famous bodybuilder Serge Nubret
was born in Anse-Bertrand
, Grande-Terre
, representing the French state in various bodybuilding competitions throughout the 1960s and 1970s, taking 2nd place in both the 1973 and 1975 IFBB Mr. Olympia
contests. On the female side, Marie-Laure Mahabir
also hails from Guadeloupe.
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
located in the Leeward Islands
Leeward Islands
The Leeward Islands are a group of islands in the West Indies. They are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain. As a group they start east of Puerto Rico and reach southward to Dominica. They are situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean...
, 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...
, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres (629 sq. mi) and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France
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...
, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe is also an integral part of the Republic. Besides the eponymous main island of Guadeloupe, other smaller islands in the archipelago include Marie-Galante
Marie-Galante
Marie-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....
, La Désirade
La Désirade
La Désirade is a French West Indies island located at the eastern of Guadeloupe, in the Lesser Antilles.It has a land area of 20.64 km² and a population of 1,595 in 2006 , with a population density of 77 inh. per km² in 2006...
and the les Saintes archipelago
Îles des Saintes
The Îles des Saintes , also called simply Les Saintes , is a small archipelago of French Antilles located in the South of Basse-Terre Island, on the West of Marie-Galante and in the North of Dominica in the arc of Lesser Antilles...
.
As part of France, Guadeloupe is part of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
; hence, as for most EU countries, its currency is the euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
. However, Guadeloupe is not part of the Schengen Area
Schengen Area
The Schengen Area comprises the territories of twenty-five European countries that have implemented the Schengen Agreement signed in the town of Schengen, Luxembourg, in 1985...
. The prefecture and the capital of Guadeloupe is Basse-Terre
Basse-Terre
Basse-Terre is the prefecture of Guadeloupe, an overseas region and department of France located in the Lesser Antilles...
. Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
named the island Santa María de Guadalupe in 1493 after the Virgin Mary, venerated in the Spanish town of Guadalupe, in Extremadura
Extremadura
Extremadura is an autonomous community of western Spain whose capital city is Mérida. Its component provinces are Cáceres and Badajoz. It is bordered by Portugal to the west...
.
History
During his second trip to America, seeking fresh water in November 1493, Christopher ColumbusChristopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
became the first European to land on Guadeloupe. He called it Santa María de Guadalupe de Extremadura, after the image of the Virgin Mary venerated at the Spanish monastery of Villuercas, in Guadalupe, Extremadura
Santa María de Guadalupe
The Royal Monastery of Santa Maria de Guadalupe is a Roman Catholic monastic establishment in Guadalupe, Cáceres, a province of the Extremadura autonomous community of Spain It was one of the most important monasteries in the country for more than four centuries...
. The expedition set ashore just south of Capesterre and did not leave any settlers ashore.
Christopher Columbus is credited with discovering the pineapple
Pineapple
Pineapple is the common name for a tropical plant and its edible fruit, which is actually a multiple fruit consisting of coalesced berries. It was given the name pineapple due to its resemblance to a pine cone. The pineapple is by far the most economically important plant in the Bromeliaceae...
on the island of Guadeloupe in 1493, although the fruit had long been grown in South America. He called it piña de Indias, meaning "pine of Indies."
After successful settlement on the island of St Christophe (St Kitts), the French Company of the American Islands
Compagnie des Îles de l'Amérique
The Compagnie des Îles de l'Amérique, French for Company of the American Islands, was a French chartered company that in 1635 took over the administration of the French portion Saint-Christophe island from Compagnie de Saint-Christophe which was the only French settlement in the Caribbean at that...
delegated Charles Lienard and Jean Duplessis, Lord of Ossonville to colonize one or any of the region’s islands, Guadeloupe, Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
or Dominica
Dominica
Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
. Due to Martinique’s inhospitable nature, the duo resolved to settle in Guadeloupe in 1635, took possession of the island, and wiped out many of the Carib Amerindians. It was annexed to the kingdom of France in 1674.
Over the next century, the island was seized several times by the British. The economy benefited from the lucrative sugar trade
History of sugar
The long history of sugar is interwoven with that of trade, religion, colonialism, capitalism, industry and technology. The labor-intensive nature of sugar cultivation and processing has meant that much of the history of the sugar industry has had associations with large-scale slavery...
introduced during the closing decades of the seventeenth century. One indication of Guadeloupe's prosperity at this time is that in the Treaty of Paris (1763)
Treaty of Paris (1763)
The Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement. It ended the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War...
, France, defeated in war
France in the Seven Years War
France was one of the leading participants in the Seven Years' War which lasted between 1754 and 1763. France entered the war with hopes of achieving a lasting victory both in Europe against Prussia, Britain and their German Allies and across the globe against their major colonial rivals...
, again, agreed to abandon its territorial claims in Canada if the British returned Guadeloupe, which was captured in 1759.
In 1790, following the outbreak of the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, the upper classes of Guadeloupe refused to obey the new laws of equal rights for the free colored
Free people of color
A free person of color in the context of the history of slavery in the Americas, is a person of full or partial African descent who was not enslaved...
. They attempted to declare independence, causing a fire to break out in Pointe-à-Pitre
Pointe-à-Pitre
Pointe-à-Pitre is the largest city of Guadeloupe, an overseas région and département of France located in the Lesser Antilles, of which it is a sous-préfecture, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Pointe-à-Pitre....
that devastated a third of the town. A struggle between the monarchists (who wanted independence) and the republicans (who were faithful to revolutionary France) ensued. It ended with a victory by the monarchists, who declared independence in 1791. The monarchists refused to receive the new governor appointed by Paris in 1792. In 1793, a slave rebellion started, which made the upper classes turn to the British and ask them to occupy the island.
In an effort to take advantage of the chaos ensuing from the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, Britain attempted to seize Guadeloupe in 1794 and held it from 21 April until December 1794, when Victor Hugues
Victor Hugues
Victor Hugues was a French politician and colonial administrator during the French Revolution, who governed Guadeloupe from 1794 to 1798, emancipating the island's slaves under orders from the National Convention.-Early life and appointment:Hugues was born in Marseille's salesmen family and was a...
obliged the English general to surrender. Hugues succeeded in freeing the slave
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
s. They revolted and turned on the slave owners who controlled the sugar plantations. In 1802, Napoleon Bonaparte issued the Law of 20 May 1802. It restored slavery to all of the colonies captured by the British during the French Revolutionary Wars, but this did not apply to certain French overseas possessions such as Guadeloupe, Guyane, and Saint-Domingue. Napoleon sent an expeditionary force to recapture the island from the rebellious Mulattos.Louis Delgrès
Louis Delgrès
Louis Delgrès was a mulatto leader of the movement in Guadeloupe resisting reoccupation by Napoleonic France in 1802...
and a group of revolutionary soldiers killed themselves on the slopes of the Matouba volcano when it became obvious that the invading troops would take control of the island. The occupation force killed approximately 10,000 Guadeloupeans.
On 4 February 1810 the British once again seized the island and continued to occupy it until 1816. By the Anglo-Swedish alliance of 3 March 1813, it was ceded to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
for a brief period of 15 months. The British administration continued in place and British governors continued to govern the Island.
By the Treaty of Paris of 1814 Sweden ceded Guadeloupe once more to France. An ensuing settlement between Sweden and the British gave rise to the Guadeloupe Fund
Guadeloupe Fund
The Guadeloupe Fund was established by Sweden's Riksdag of the Estates in 1815 for the benefit of Crown Prince and Regent Charles XIV John of Sweden, also known as Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, and his heirs....
. French control of Guadeloupe was definitively acknowledged in the Treaty of Vienna in 1815. Slavery was abolished on the island on 28 May 1848 at the initiative of Victor Schoelcher
Victor Schoelcher
Victor Schoelcher was a French abolitionist writer in the 19th century and the main spokesman for a group from Paris who worked for the abolition of slavery, and formed an abolition society in 1834...
. Guadeloupe lost 12,000 of its 150,000 residents in the cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
epidemic of 1865–66. In 1946 the colony of Guadeloupe became an overseas department of France, and in 1974 it became an administrative center. Its deputies sit in the French National Assembly in Paris.
Today the population of Guadeloupe is mainly of African or mixed descent and largely Roman Catholic. French and a Creole patois with an important European and Indian active population. There are also Lebanese
Lebanese people
The Lebanese people are a nation and ethnic group of Levantine people originating in what is today the country of Lebanon, including those who had inhabited Mount Lebanon prior to the creation of the modern Lebanese state....
, Syrians
Syrian people
The Syrian people are the inhabitants and citizens of Syria. Syrians are tied together by geography, linguistic heritage, religion, and similar Eastern Mediterranean ethnicities...
, Chinese and others, for example Carib Amerindians.
On 15 July 2007 the island communes
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of Saint-Martin
Saint Martin (France)
Saint Martin , officially the Collectivity of Saint Martin is an overseas collectivity of France located in the Caribbean. It came into being on 15 July 2007, encompassing the northern parts of Saint Martin island and neighbouring islets, the largest of which is Île Tintamarre...
and Saint-Barthélemy were officially detached from Guadeloupe and became two separate French overseas collectivities with their own local administration. Their combined population was 35,930 and their combined land area was 74.2 km² (29 sq mi) at the 1999 census. Guadeloupe thereby lost 8.5 percent of its population and 4.4 percent of its land area.
On 20 January 2009, an umbrella group of approximately fifty labour union and other associations known in the local Antillean Creole
Antillean Creole
Antillean Creole is a creole language with a vocabulary based on French. It is spoken primarily in the Lesser Antilles. Its grammar and vocabulary also include elements of Carib and African languages. Antillean Creole is related to Haitian Creole, but has a number of distinctive features; they are...
as the Liyannaj Kont Pwofitasyon
Liyannaj Kont Pwofitasyon
Liyannaj Kont Pwofitasyon, or LKP, is an umbrella group of approximately trade unions and social movements in Guadeloupe, which spearheaed the general strike beginning in January 2009.- Name :...
(LKP) led by Élie Domota
Élie Domota
Élie Domota is a trade union leader from Guadeloupe, spokesman of Liyannaj Kont Pwofitasyon or LKP and general secretary of the UGTG, the main trade union in Guadeloupe...
called for a €200 ($260 USD) monthly pay increase for the island's low income workers. The protesters have proposed that authorities "lower business taxes as a top up to company finances" to pay for the €200 pay raises. Employers and business leaders in Guadeloupe have said that they cannot afford the salary increase. The strike lasted for 44 days, until an accord was reached on March 5, 2009. Tourism suffered greatly during this time and has affected the 2010 tourist season as well.
Geography
Located as the southernmost of the Leeward Islands
Leeward Islands
The Leeward Islands are a group of islands in the West Indies. They are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain. As a group they start east of Puerto Rico and reach southward to Dominica. They are situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean...
in the eastern Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
, Guadeloupe comprises two main islands: Basse-Terre Island
Basse-Terre Island
Basse-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 ....
, Grande-Terre
Grande-Terre
Grande-Terre is an island in the Guadeloupe, separated by Basse-Terre Island by a salt river. Grande-Terre's northernmost point, Pointe de la Grande Vigie, is also the northernmost point in Guadeloupe....
(separated from Basse-Terre by a narrow sea channel called Salt River). The adjacent French islands of La Désirade
La Désirade
La Désirade is a French West Indies island located at the eastern of Guadeloupe, in the Lesser Antilles.It has a land area of 20.64 km² and a population of 1,595 in 2006 , with a population density of 77 inh. per km² in 2006...
, Les Saintes and Marie-Galante
Marie-Galante
Marie-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....
come under jurisdiction of Guadeloupe.
Western Basse-Terre has a rough volcanic relief while eastern Grande-Terre features rolling hills and flat plains.
Further to the north, Saint-Barthélemy and the northern French part of Saint Martin
Saint Martin (France)
Saint Martin , officially the Collectivity of Saint Martin is an overseas collectivity of France located in the Caribbean. It came into being on 15 July 2007, encompassing the northern parts of Saint Martin island and neighbouring islets, the largest of which is Île Tintamarre...
once came under the jurisdiction of Guadeloupe but on 7 December 2003, both of these areas voted to become an overseas territorial collectivity, a decision which took effect on 22 February 2007.
Hurricanes
The island was devastated by several hurricanes in modern times:- On 12 September 1928 Okeechobee hurricane1928 Okeechobee HurricaneThe Okeechobee hurricane, or San Felipe Segundo hurricane, was a deadly hurricane that struck the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and Florida in September of the 1928 Atlantic hurricane season...
caused extensive damage and killed thousands of people. - On 22 August 1964, Guadeloupe was ravaged by Hurricane CleoHurricane CleoHurricane Cleo was the third named storm, first hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 1964 Atlantic hurricane season. Cleo was one of the longest-lived storms of the season...
, which killed 14 people. - Two years later, on 27 September 1966, Category 3 Hurricane InezHurricane InezHurricane Inez was a deadly, destructive, powerful and very long-lived Cape Verde-type hurricane that carved an erratic path through the Lesser Antilles, Hispaniola, Cuba, the Bahamas, Florida, and Mexico in 1966...
caused very extensive damage mostly in Grande-TerreGrande-TerreGrande-Terre is an island in the Guadeloupe, separated by Basse-Terre Island by a salt river. Grande-Terre's northernmost point, Pointe de la Grande Vigie, is also the northernmost point in Guadeloupe....
and north Basse-Terre Island and killed 33 people. Charles De GaulleCharles de GaulleCharles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
visited the island after the hurricanes and declared it a disaster areaDisaster areaA disaster area is a region or a locale heavily damaged by either natural hazards, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, earthquakes, technological hazards including nuclear and radiation accidents, or sociological hazards like riots, terrorism or war. The population living there often...
. - On 17 September 1989, Category 4 Hurricane HugoHurricane HugoHurricane Hugo was a classical, destructive and rare Cape Verde-type hurricane which struck the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe, Montserrat, St. Croix, Puerto Rico and the USA mainland in South Carolina as a Category 4 hurricane during September of the 1989 Atlantic hurricane season...
caused very extensive damage, left more than 35,000 homeless, destroyed 10,000 homes, 100 percent of the banana crops, and 60 percent of the sugar cane crops. - From late August to mid September 1995, the island was in the path of three successive cyclones: Tropical Storm IrisHurricane Iris (1995)Hurricane Iris was the ninth named tropical cyclone and fifth hurricane of an active 1995 Atlantic hurricane season. Iris was one of four storms to form nearly simultaneously in the Atlantic during the 1995 season. Forming on August 22, Iris slowly drifted across the Leeward Islands as a tropical...
on 28 August—caused minor damages; Hurricane LuisHurricane LuisHurricane Luis was one of the deadliest and most destructive hurricanes of the 1995 Atlantic hurricane season, with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph . The storm was the twelfth tropical storm, sixth hurricane, and second major hurricane of the season...
on 5 September—caused moderate damages in north coast of Grande-Terre; Hurricane MarilynHurricane MarilynHurricane Marilyn was the fifteenth tropical depression and thirteenth named storm of the unusually busy 1995 Atlantic hurricane season, following closely on the heels of Hurricane Luis. Hurricane Marilyn was the most powerful storm to hit the Virgin Islands since Hurricane Hugo of 1989.Marilyn...
on 15 September—caused moderate damages in Basse-Terre. - On 21 September 1998, Hurricane GeorgesHurricane GeorgesHurricane Georges was a very destructive, powerful and long-lived Cape Verde-type Category 4 hurricane. Georges was the seventh tropical storm, fourth hurricane, and second major hurricane of the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season...
pounded the islands causing moderate damage and destroying 90% of the banana crop.
Climate
Demographics
Population:
(July 2006 estimates from the CIA World Factbook; note that these estimates disagree with official INSEE
INSEE
INSEE is the French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies. It collects and publishes information on the French economy and society, carrying out the periodic national census. Located in Paris, it is the French branch of Eurostat, European Statistical System...
estimates and that they also include Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy)
| Population | 452,776 | ||||||||||
| Age structure | 0 to 14 years | 23.6% | male 54,725 female 52,348 |- | 15 to 64 years |
67.1% | male 150,934 female 153,094 |- | 65 years and older |
9.2% | male 17,353 female 24,322 |
||||
| Population growth rate | 0.88% | ||||||||||
| Birth rate Birth rate Crude birth rate is the nativity or childbirths per 1,000 people per year . Another word used interchangeably with "birth rate" is "natality". When the crude birth rate is subtracted from the crude death rate, it reveals the rate of natural increase... |
15.05 births | per 1,000 people | |||||||||
| Death rate | 6.09 deaths | ||||||||||
| Net migration rate Human migration Human migration is physical movement by humans from one area to another, sometimes over long distances or in large groups. Historically this movement was nomadic, often causing significant conflict with the indigenous population and their displacement or cultural assimilation. Only a few nomadic... |
−0.15 migrants | ||||||||||
| Sex ratio Human sex ratio In anthropology and demography, the human sex ratio is the sex ratio for Homo sapiens . Like most sexual species, the sex ratio is approximately 1:1. In humans the secondary sex ratio is commonly assumed to be 105 boys to 100 girls, an assumption that is a subject of debate in the scientific... |
at birth | 1.05 |- | under 15 years |- | 15 to 64 years |
0.99 |- | 65 years and older |
0.71 |- | Overall |
0.97 | ||||||
| Infant mortality Infant mortality Infant mortality is defined as the number of infant deaths per 1000 live births. Traditionally, the most common cause worldwide was dehydration from diarrhea. However, the spreading information about Oral Re-hydration Solution to mothers around the world has decreased the rate of children dying... rate |
8.41 deaths per 1,000 live births | ||||||||||
| Life expectancy Life expectancy Life expectancy is the expected number of years of life remaining at a given age. It is denoted by ex, which means the average number of subsequent years of life for someone now aged x, according to a particular mortality experience... at birth |
males | 75.91 years |- | females |
82.37 years |- | Overall |
79.14 years | |||||||
| Total fertility Fertility Fertility is the natural capability of producing offsprings. As a measure, "fertility rate" is the number of children born per couple, person or population. Fertility differs from fecundity, which is defined as the potential for reproduction... rate |
1.9 children born per woman | ||||||||||
| Demonym Demonym A demonym , also referred to as a gentilic, is a name for a resident of a locality. A demonym is usually – though not always – derived from the name of the locality; thus, the demonym for the people of England is English, and the demonym for the people of Italy is Italian, yet, in english, the one... |
Guadeloupean(s) (not Guadeloupians) | ||||||||||
| Adjectival Adjectival noun An adjectival noun or sometimes just adjectival is a noun that functions as an adjective by taking the particle 〜な -na... |
Guadeloupe, Guadeloupean | ||||||||||
| Ethnic group Ethnic group An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy... s |
Black African Black people The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a... / French-African-Indian Ancestry |
71% |- | from Tamil Nadu and other parts of India Indians in Guadeloupe Tamils in Guadeloupe are mostly descended from indentured workers who came from Tamil Nadu in the late 19th century. There are currently about 55,000 people of Indian origin living in Guadeloupe making it home to one of the largest Indian communities in Latin America.-History:Tamils in Guadeloupe... |
15% |- | White White people White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin... |
9% |- | Lebanese Lebanese people The Lebanese people are a nation and ethnic group of Levantine people originating in what is today the country of Lebanon, including those who had inhabited Mount Lebanon prior to the creation of the modern Lebanese state.... / Syrians Demographics of Syria Syrians today are an overall indigenous Levantine people. While modern-day Syrians are commonly described as Arabs by virtue of their modern-day language and bonds to Arab culture and history... |
2% |- | Chinese Han Chinese Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the... / others |
3% | |||||
| Religion | Roman Catholic | 86% |- | Protestant Protestantism Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the... |
5% |- | Hindu Hinduism Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions... / African |
4% |- | Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual... |
2% | ||||||
| Language Language Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication... |
French (official) 99%, Most locals also speak Creole Antillean Creole Antillean Creole is a creole language with a vocabulary based on French. It is spoken primarily in the Lesser Antilles. Its grammar and vocabulary also include elements of Carib and African languages. Antillean Creole is related to Haitian Creole, but has a number of distinctive features; they are... |
||||||||||
| Literacy Literacy Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print... |
males | 90% |- | females |- | Overall |
|||||||||
Arrondissements, cantons, and communes
Guadeloupe is divided into arrondissementsArrondissements of France
The 101 French departments are divided into 342 arrondissements, which may be translated into English as districts.The capital of an arrondissement/district is called a subprefecture...
, cantons
Cantons of France
The cantons of France are territorial subdivisions of the French Republic's 342 arrondissements and 101 departments.Apart from their role as organizational units in certain aspects of the administration of public services and justice, the chief purpose of the cantons today is to serve as...
and communes
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
:
- Arrondissements of the Guadeloupe department
- Cantons of the Guadeloupe department
- Communes of the Guadeloupe department
Major urban areas
| Rank | Urban Area | Pop. (06) | Pop. (99) | Δ Pop | Island |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pointe-à-Pitre Pointe-à-Pitre Pointe-à-Pitre is the largest city of Guadeloupe, an overseas région and département of France located in the Lesser Antilles, of which it is a sous-préfecture, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Pointe-à-Pitre.... |
G-T Grande-Terre Grande-Terre is an island in the Guadeloupe, separated by Basse-Terre Island by a salt river. Grande-Terre's northernmost point, Pointe de la Grande Vigie, is also the northernmost point in Guadeloupe.... & B-T Basse-Terre Island Basse-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 .... |
|||
| 2 | Basse-Terre Basse-Terre Basse-Terre is the prefecture of Guadeloupe, an overseas region and department of France located in the Lesser Antilles... |
Basse-Terre Basse-Terre Island Basse-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 .... |
|||
| 3 | Sainte-Anne Sainte-Anne, Guadeloupe Sainte-Anne is a city in the southern part of Grande-Terre, considered by some to be one of the most touristic towns of Guadeloupe .... |
Grande-Terre Grande-Terre Grande-Terre is an island in the Guadeloupe, separated by Basse-Terre Island by a salt river. Grande-Terre's northernmost point, Pointe de la Grande Vigie, is also the northernmost point in Guadeloupe.... |
|||
| 4 | Petit-Bourg Petit-Bourg Petit-Bourg is the seventh-largest commune in the French overseas department of Guadeloupe. It is located on the east side of the island of Basse-Terre, and is part of the metropolitan area of Pointe-à-Pitre, the largest metropolitan area in Guadeloupe.... |
Basse-Terre Basse-Terre Island Basse-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 .... |
|||
| 5 | Le Moule Le Moule Le Moule is the sixth-largest commune in the French overseas department of Guadeloupe. It is located on the northeast side of the island of Grande-Terre.-History:... |
Grande-Terre Grande-Terre Grande-Terre is an island in the Guadeloupe, separated by Basse-Terre Island by a salt river. Grande-Terre's northernmost point, Pointe de la Grande Vigie, is also the northernmost point in Guadeloupe.... |
|||
Politics
Guadeloupe sends four deputies to the French National Assembly and three senators to the French Senate. One of the four National Assembly constituencies still includes Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy even though they seceded from Guadeloupe in 2007. This situation should last until 2012 when Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy will send their own deputies to the French National Assembly.Culture
Guadeloupe's culture is probably best known for the islanders' literary achievements, particularly the poetry of Saint-John PerseSaint-John Perse
Saint-John Perse was a French poet, awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1960 "for the soaring flight and evocative imagery of his poetry." He was also a major French diplomat from 1914 to 1940, after which he lived primarily in the USA until 1967.-Biography:Alexis Leger was...
, the pseudonym used by Alexis Léger. Perse won the 1960 Nobel Prize in Literature
Nobel Prize in Literature
Since 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded annually to an author from any country who has, in the words from the will of Alfred Nobel, produced "in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction"...
"for the soaring flight and the evocative images of his poetry, which, in a visionary fashion, reflects the conditions of our time.
Guadeloupe has always had a rich literary production prolonged today by many living writers, poets, novelists, essayists and journalists, among them Mesdames Maryse Condé
Maryse Condé
Maryse Condé is a Guadeloupean, French language author of historical fiction, best known for her novel Segu . Maryse Condé was born as Maryse Boucolon at Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, the youngest of eight children. In 1953, her parents sent her to study at Lycée Fénelon and Sorbonne in Paris,...
and Simone Schwartz-Bart, M. Ernest Pépin.
Music and dance are also very popular, and the widely accepted interaction of African, French and Indian cultures has given birth to some original new forms specific to the archipelago. Islanders enjoy many local dance styles including zouk
Zouk
Zouk is a style of rhythmic music originating from the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe & Martinique. Zouk means "party" or "festival" in the local Antillean Creole of French, although the word originally referred to, and is still used to refer to, a popular dance, based on the Polish dance, the...
, zouk-love
Zouk-love
Zouk-love is a genre of popular French West Indian music originating from the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe & Martinique. Zouk means "party" or "festival" in the local creole of French, although the word originally referred to, and is still used to refer to, a popular dance, based on the Polish...
, kompa, as well as the modern international dances such as hip hop, ect. Traditional Guadeloupean music includes la biguine
Biguine
Biguine is a style of music that originated in Guadeloupe and Martinique in the 19th century.-History:Two main types of French antillean biguine can be identified based on the instrumentation in contemporary musical practice, which is call the drum biguine and the orchestrated biguine . Each of...
, Kadans
Kadans
Kadans is a French Creole music genre, which started off in Haïti, and made popular in Dominica and the French Antilles of Martinique and Guadeloupe. Kadans is the French creole term for cadence.-History:...
, Cadence-lypso
Cadence-lypso
Cadence-lypso, popularized as simply Cadence is a cultural music of Dominica based in Guadeloupe in the early 1970s. Cadence-lypso is a fusion of Dominican and Caribbean/Latin rhythms and has totally revolutionized the music scence in its genre, and it has now become the main dance Music of...
and gwo ka
Gwo ka
Gwo ka is both a family of hand drums and the music created with them, which is a major part of Guadeloupean folk music. There are seven rhythms in gwo ka, which are embellished by the drummers...
. Popular music artists and bands such as Experience 7
Experience 7
Experience 7 was a Guadeloupean cadence band formed in the mid 1970s, led by Guy Houllier and Yves Honore. It was also one of the very first band to emphasized future Zouk pioneer band such as Kassav'...
, Francky Vincent
Francky Vincent
Francky Vincent is a singer, song-writer, producer, painter, manager and musician of at least 170 songs from Guadeloupe...
, Kassav'
Kassav'
Kassav' is a Francophone zouk band formed in Paris in 1979. The core members of the band are Jocelyne Béroard, Jacob Desvarieux, Jean-Philippe Marthély, Patrick St. Eloi, Jean-Claude Naimro, Claude Vamur and Georges Décimus...
, Admiral T
Admiral T
Admiral T, whose real name is Christy Campbell, is a French singer of reggae-dancehall music. Besides Francky Vincent, he is one of most popular and successful Guadeloupean singers.He is also a designer and the creator of WOK LINE.-Biography:...
or Patrick St-Eloi embody the traditional music style of the island and the new generation of music, while some other music artist such as Tom Frager
Tom Frager
Tom Frager is a French songwriter and performer in the group Gwayav' and is ten times a surfer winner in Guadeloupe. He is primarily known for his French hit "Lady Melody", which was number-one for four weeks.-Biography:...
- who grew up there in Guadeloupe, performs colorful reggae music that defines the Guadeloupe island as paradise-like. Many international festivals take place in Guadeloupe, like the Creole Blues Festival hosted in Marie-Galante
Marie-Galante
Marie-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....
. It goes without saying that all the Euro-French forms of art are also ubiquitous.
The melting pot is emphasized by other communities (Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
) who live on the island and share their cultures.
Whilst not in the Guadeloupean style Catherine Quinol, aka Katrin, is known worldwide as the lip synching icon of the piano-house trio Black Box
Black Box (band)
Black Box was an Italian house music group popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The members of the group included a trio made up of a club DJ , a classically trained clarinet teacher , and a keyboard and electronic music "wiz"...
, who burst on to the Music Scene in the late 80s with songs such as Ride On Time
Ride on Time
"Ride on Time" is a 1989 song recorded by band Black Box. It was later released on their debut LP Dreamland. The song was a chart success in many countries and a number-one hit in the UKand Ireland.-Music and lyrics:...
. Katrin is, however, a trained singer and she went on to release her own work.
Another element of the Guadeloupean culture is its dress. A few women (the elder ones for the majority) have a unique style of traditional dresses, with many layers of colourful fabrics, now only worn on special occasions. On festive occasions they also wore a madras (originally the 'kerchief' from South India) head scarf tied in many different symbolic forms. The headdress could be done in many styles with names like the "bat" style, or the "firefighter" style, as well as the "Guadeloupean woman." Jewelry, mainly of gold, is also important in the Guadeloupean lady's dress, a product of European, African and Indian inspiration.
Economy
Purchasing power parity
In economics, purchasing power parity is a condition between countries where an amount of money has the same purchasing power in different countries. The prices of the goods between the countries would only reflect the exchange rates...
, was €17,338 (US$21,780).
The economy of Guadeloupe depends on tourism, agriculture, light industry
Light industry
Light industry is usually less capital intensive than heavy industry, and is more consumer-oriented than business-oriented...
and services. But it especially depends on France for large subsidies and imports.
Tourism is a key industry, with 83.3% of tourists visiting from metropolitan France
Metropolitan France
Metropolitan France is the part of France located in Europe. It can also be described as mainland France or as the French mainland and the island of Corsica...
, 10.8% coming from the rest of Europe, 3.4% coming from the United States, 1.5% coming from Canada, 0.4% coming from South America and 0.6% coming from the rest of the world. An increasingly large number of cruise ships visit the islands.
The traditional sugar cane crop is slowly being replaced by other crops, such as bananas (which now supply about 50% of export earnings), eggplant, guinnep
Mamoncillo
Melicoccus bijugatus, commonly called Spanish lime, genip, guinep, genipe, quenepa, mamoncillo, or honeyberry, is a fruit-bearing tree in the soapberry family Sapindaceae, native or naturalised over a wide area of the tropics, including South and Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean, and parts...
, noni
Noni
Morinda citrifolia, commonly known as great morinda, Indian mulberry, nunaakai , dog dumpling , mengkudu , Kumudu , pace , beach mulberry, cheese fruit or noni is a tree in the coffee family, Rubiaceae...
, sapotilla, paroka, pikinga, giraumon squash, yam
Yam (vegetable)
Yam is the common name for some species in the genus Dioscorea . These are perennial herbaceous vines cultivated for the consumption of their starchy tubers in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Oceania...
, gourd
Gourd
A gourd is a plant of the family Cucurbitaceae. Gourd is occasionally used to describe crops like cucumbers, squash, luffas, and melons. The term 'gourd' however, can more specifically, refer to the plants of the two Cucurbitaceae genera Lagenaria and Cucurbita or also to their hollow dried out shell...
, plantain
Plantain
Plantain is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa. The fruit they produce is generally used for cooking, in contrast to the soft, sweet banana...
, christophine, monbin, prunecafé, cocoa, jackfruit
Jackfruit
The jackfruit is a species of tree in the Artocarpus genus of the mulberry family . It is native to parts of Southern and Southeast Asia. It is the national fruit of Bangladesh, . The jackfruit tree is believed to be indigenous to the southwestern rain forests of India...
, pomegranate
Pomegranate
The pomegranate , Punica granatum, is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree growing between five and eight meters tall.Native to the area of modern day Iran, the pomegranate has been cultivated in the Caucasus since ancient times. From there it spread to Asian areas such as the Caucasus as...
, and many varieties of flowers. Other vegetables and root crops are cultivated for local consumption, although Guadeloupe is still dependent on imported food, mainly from France.
Light industry features sugar and rum
Rum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
, solar energy, and many industrial productions. Most manufactured goods and fuel are imported. Unemployment is especially high among the youth. Hurricanes periodically devastate the economy.
The country code top-level domain
Country code top-level domain
A country code top-level domain is an Internet top-level domain generally used or reserved for a country, a sovereign state, or a dependent territory....
(ccTLD) for Guadeloupe is ".gp
.gp
.gp is the country code top-level domain for Guadeloupe and is still in use for Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin, two former parts of Guadeloupe. .gp domains can be registered at . Pricing differs for Guadeloupians and other Internet users. For a Guadeloupe individual the pricing is 30€ for one...
".
Sport
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
, a star of the French National Team and MLS club New York Red Bulls, often visits as his father Antoine was originally from the island. William Gallas
William Gallas
William Eric Gallas is a French footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur.Gallas began his career in France, before being signed by English club Chelsea in 2001. He transferred to rivals Arsenal as part of an exchange deal in 2006...
, whose parentage is Guadeloupean, visits the island when not playing for Tottenham or the French National team. Lilian Thuram
Lilian Thuram
Lilian Thuram is a retired professional football defender and is the most capped player in the history of the France national team, and one of the twenty most capped players of all time.He played at the top flight in France, Italy and Spain for over 15 seasons, including ten in the Serie A with both...
, a former star football defender for France and FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
, was born in Guadeloupe. Dimitri Ouvre, professional surfer. The French national team and Everton F.C.
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
striker Louis Saha
Louis Saha
Louis Laurent Saha is a French footballer of Guadelupian origin who currently plays as a forward for Everton FC in the Premier League and the France national team. A former scholar at the Clairefontaine football academy, he started his career at Metz before playing on loan at Newcastle United...
is also of Guadeloupean descent, as is Kettering Town F.C.
Kettering Town F.C.
Kettering Town Football Club are a football club originating in Kettering, Northamptonshire but currently based in the nearby village of Irthlingborough. The club play in the Conference National after winning the Conference North in 2007–08...
goalkeeper Willy Gueret
Willy Guéret
Willy July Guéret is a French professional footballer with Kettering Town. He is a goalkeeper.-Playing career:...
. Pascal Chimbonda
Pascal Chimbonda
Pascal Chimbonda is a French footballer who currently plays for Doncaster Rovers, having been released early from a short term deal by Queens Park Rangers...
of Doncaster Rovers was also born in Guadeloupe. Inter Milan star Jonathan Biabiany
Jonathan Biabiany
Jonathan Ludovic Biabiany is a French footballer who currently plays as a winger or striker for Serie A club Parma on loan from Sampdoria.-Youth career:...
is also of Guadeloupean descent. Stéphane Auvray
Stéphane Auvray
Stéphane Auvray is a Guadeloupean footballer who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.He plays as a midfielder and currently serves as captain of the Guadeloupe national team...
is a Guadeloupean footballer who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
. Ronald Zubar
Ronald Zubar
Ronald Zubar is a French footballer of Guadeloupean descent who plays as a defender for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers....
, who plays for Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Barclays Premier League is born in Guadeloupe, as is his younger brother Stephane Zubar
Stéphane Zubar
Stéphane Zubar is a French footballer who plays for Football League One club Bournemouth as a defender, having previously played for Caen, Pau, Brussels, Vaslui and Plymouth Argyle. He has been capped by Guadeloupe at international level....
, who plays for npower League One side AFC Bournemouth. The national football team
Guadeloupe national football team
The Guadeloupe regional football team represents the French overseas department and region of Guadeloupe in international football. The team is controlled by the Ligue Guadeloupéenne de Football , a local branch of French Football Federation ....
experienced recent success, advancing all the way to the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup
2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup
The 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the ninth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean , and was won by the United States over Mexico. It was contested in the United States from June 6 to June 24, 2007.This competition was the third...
semi-finals, where they were defeated just 1-0 by CONCACAF
CONCACAF
The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean...
powerhouse Mexico. Many fine track and field athletes, such as Marie-José Pérec
Marie-José Pérec
Marie-José Pérec is a French athlete, specialised in the 200 and 400 m, and a triple Olympic champion....
, Patricia Girard-Léno
Patricia Girard-Léno
Patricia Girard is a French athlete who competed mainly in the 100 metre Hurdles....
, and Christine Arron are also Guadeloupe natives. The NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
players Mickaël Piétrus
Mickaël Piétrus
Mickaël Piétrus is a Caribbean-French professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the NBA. He is listed at 6'6", 215 pounds and plays both the small forward and shooting guard positions...
, and Rodrigue Beaubois
Rodrigue Beaubois
Rodrigue Beaubois is a French professional basketball player who was drafted 25th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was immediately traded to the Dallas Mavericks after being drafted...
were born in this island.
Triple Olympic champion Marie-José Pérec
Marie-José Pérec
Marie-José Pérec is a French athlete, specialised in the 200 and 400 m, and a triple Olympic champion....
, fourth-fastest 100m runner Christine Arron and fencing
Fencing
Fencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...
champion Laura Flessel all were born and raised in Guadeloupe.
Even though Guadeloupe is part of France, it has its own sports teams. There is also a rugby union
Rugby union in Guadeloupe
-Governing body:The national body is not currently affiliated to the IRB, but is affiliated to NAWIRA. The Fédération Française de Rugby also carries out some administrative work here. The Comité Territorial de Rugby de Guadeloupe deals with the rest.-History:...
, a small but rapidly growing sport in Guadeloupe. France international & Stade Français centre Mathieu Bastareaud
Mathieu Bastareaud
Mathieu Bastareaud is a French rugby union centre who plays for Toulon.- Stade Francais :Bastareaud played for Creteil Rugby youth squads and then moved to Massy. He went through the junior academy there and played for the third division club SU Massy...
(a cousin of French international & former Arsenal centre-back William Gallas) was born in Guadeloupe.
This island is also internationally best known for hosting the Karujet Race – Jet Ski World Championship since 1998. This amazing 9-stage, 4-day event unites competitors from all around the world (mostly Caribbeans, Americans and Europeans). The one-of-a-kind Karujet, generally made up of 7 races all around the island, has an established reputation as one of the most difficult championships in which to compete. All challengers, both amateurs and professionals, who attend the Karujet are astonished by the diverse, incredible and unique waterbodies the "butterfly island" provides.
The Route du Rhum
Route du Rhum
The Route du Rhum is a transatlantic single-handed yacht race, which takes places every 4 years in November. The course is between Saint Malo, Brittany, France and Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, France...
is one of the most prominent event nautical French sport that occur every 4 years.
World-famous bodybuilder Serge Nubret
Serge Nubret
Serge Nubret was a French professional bodybuilder, bodybuilding federation leader, movie actor and author. Serge was awarded many bodybuilding titles, including Mr. Europe , Mr. Universe and WBBG Pro. Mr. World...
was born in Anse-Bertrand
Anse-Bertrand
Anse-Bertrand is a commune in Guadeloupe, an overseas region and department of France in the Lesser Antilles.The inhabitants in Anse-Bertrand are called Ansois.-Geography:...
, Grande-Terre
Grande-Terre
Grande-Terre is an island in the Guadeloupe, separated by Basse-Terre Island by a salt river. Grande-Terre's northernmost point, Pointe de la Grande Vigie, is also the northernmost point in Guadeloupe....
, representing the French state in various bodybuilding competitions throughout the 1960s and 1970s, taking 2nd place in both the 1973 and 1975 IFBB Mr. Olympia
Mr. Olympia
Mr. Olympia is the title awarded to the winner of the professional men's bodybuilding contest at Joe Weider's Olympia Weekend - an international bodybuilding competition that is held annually by the International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness . Joe Weider created the contest to enable the...
contests. On the female side, Marie-Laure Mahabir
Marie Mahabir
Marie Laure Mahabir is a retired professional bodybuilder and personal trainer of the French West Indies. As professional bodybuilder she became well known for development of the chest muscles, the biceps, and back muscles. Her highest achievement as a professional bodybuilder was reaching the...
also hails from Guadeloupe.
See also
- 2009 French Caribbean general strikes2009 French Caribbean general strikesThe 2009 French Caribbean general strikes began in the French overseas region of Guadeloupe on 20 January 2009, and spread to neighbouring Martinique on 5 February 2009. Both islands are located in the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean...
- Bibliography of GuadeloupeBibliography of GuadeloupeThis is a list of books in the English language which deal with Guadeloupe and its geography, history, inhabitants, culture, biota, etc.*Alexander, Robert J. – Political Parties of the Americas, Canada, Latin America, and the West Indies, 2 vols: Anguilla-Grenada and Guadeloupe – Virgin Islands of...
- Caribbean SeaCaribbean SeaThe Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
- Colonial and Departmental Heads of GuadeloupeColonial and Departmental Heads of Guadeloupe-List of Colonial and Departmental Heads of Guadeloupe:Note: currently, the prefect is not the true departmental head, which is the President of the General Council. The prefect is merely the representative of the national government.-See also:*Guadeloupe*Politics of Guadeloupe...
- Leeward IslandsLeeward IslandsThe Leeward Islands are a group of islands in the West Indies. They are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain. As a group they start east of Puerto Rico and reach southward to Dominica. They are situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean...
- List of Guadeloupe-related topics
- Overseas departments and territories of FranceOverseas departments and territories of FranceThe French Overseas Departments and Territories consist broadly of French-administered territories outside of the European continent. These territories have varying legal status and different levels of autonomy, although all have representation in the Parliament of France , and consequently the...
Government
- Préfecture de la région Guadeloupe—Official site of the prefecture of Guadeloupe (in French)
- Région Guadeloupe—Official site of the Regional Council of Guadeloupe
Travel
- Les Îles de Guadeloupe—Official site of the Guadeloupe Islands Tourism Board
- Travel Pages – Guadeloupe
- Office du Tourisme de Marie-Galante—Official site of the Tourist Board of Marie-Galante
- Office Municipal du Tourisme de Terre de Haut, Les Saintes—Official site of the Tourist Board of Les Saintes
- Office du Tourisme du Moule—Official site of the Tourist Board of Le Moule
- Guadeloupe Islands—site of the Guadeloupe Islands Tourism Board
- Bouillante—site of Bouillante Tourism Board
- Guadeloupe—Guadeloupe Islands Tourism Board
- Guadeloupe West Islands—Guadeloupe West Islands