Pointe-à-Pitre
Encyclopedia
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
.
Although Pointe-à-Pitre is not Guadeloupe's administrative capital (that distinction goes to Basse-Terre
), it is nonetheless the region's largest city and economic capital, with a population of 171,773 inhabitants in its urban area
as of 1999, of whom 17,541 live in the city (commune
) of Pointe-à-Pitre proper. The inhabitants are called "Pointois".
Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport
, Guadeloupe's main international airport, is located 3 km (1.9 mi) north of downtown Pointe-à-Pitre in the commune of Les Abymes
.
Jacques Bangou
is the current mayor
of Pointe-à-Pitre.
The name Pointe-à-Pitre, literally the "headland
of Pitre", is often said to derive from a Dutch or Jewish sailor/fisherman named Peter who settled in the 17th century on a promontory facing the Îlet à Cochon ("Hogs Islet"), just to the south of today's downtown Pointe-à-Pitre. The promontory came to be called "Pointe-à-Peter" (the "headland of Peter") and later "Pointe-à-Pitre".
This explanation, however, is nowadays contested. A map from 1667 by Engineer François Blondel shows near today's downtown Pointe-à-Pitre a morne de Pitre ("Pitre hill") and a marigot de pitre ("Pitre swamp"). Other maps from the end of the 17th century show a îlet à Pitre ("Pitre islet") and a rivière à Pitre ("Pitre river") in the same area. It is unlikely that a Dutch or Jew called Peter would have settled at the same time on a promontory, on a hill, on an islet, near a swamp and along a river.
It seems more likely that the name "Pitre" comes from Spanish
pitera meaning "agave
" or "sisal
", whose very resistant fibers were used to make ropes. Agave or sisal are also known as pita in Spanish, and the word was borrowed in French creole
where it is known as pite (particularly in Haiti
). It is thus possible that pitera grew on the islets, the headlands and around the swamps, and that it gave its name to the area. The headland named after the pitera plant then later gave its name to the city of Pointe-à-Pitre.
and Grande Terre
), French colonial authorities had long thought about establishing a city on the current location of Pointe-à-Pitre, but several attempts around 1713-1730 failed due to the insalubrious swampy ground.
It is only during the British occupation of Guadeloupe (1759–1763) that a settlement appeared on a hill overlooking the swamps. After the return of Guadeloupe to France in 1763, the city of Pointe-à-Pitre was officially founded under governor Gabriel de Clieu in 1764 by a royal edict, and the swamps where downtown Pointe-à-Pitre stands today were drained in the following years, thus allowing the urban development of the city.
The development of the city was important and relatively rapid, partly thanks to the corsair
s. Unfortunately, in 1780, a great fire entirely destroyed the city. Sixty three years later, in 1843, it was again destroyed by an earthquake. The history of Pointe-à-Pitre is marked by many disasters: the fires of 1850, 1871, and 1931, the earthquakes of 1851 and 1897, and the hurricanes of 1865 and 1928. The city also experienced several epidemics of cholera. Its ideal location and large sheltered port have nonetheless allowed Pointe-à-Pitre to become Guadeloupe's largest city and economic capital.
, facing the Caribbean Sea and is an ideal place in the center of Guadeloupe and is near the Rivière Salée ("Salt River"), which separates Grande-Terre from Basse-Terre Island
. The town of Pointe-à-Pitre is surrounded by the communes of Les Abymes
, Baie-Mahault
and Le Gosier
. Pointe-à-Pitre is on a limestone plateau, which was a factor for the construction of the city. The bay, Petit Cul-de-Sac Marin, offers a sheltered port.
The trade wind
s blow from the northeast and often temper the climate.
(municipality) of Pointe-à-Pitre is the center of a larger urban area covering seven communes. This urban area, with 171,773 inhabitants at the 1999 census, that represent 40% of the population, is the largest in Guadeloupe and one in the French Overseas
Here are the seven communes making up the urban area of Pointe-à-Pitre, with their population at the 1999 census:
(municipality) of Baie-Mahault
. It has one of the biggest container terminals in the Eastern Caribbean with a quay 600m long. The main exports are food crops (bananas, cocoa, coffee and sugar), animal products (beef, milk, yogurt) and manufactured goods (refined petroleum, textiles and medicines). The extensive Zoning Industriel de Jarry, directly west of Pointe-à-Pitre is a major centre of commercial and light industrial activity, notably for warehousing and distribution. Agricultural production continues in the east of the area where cattle rearing, banana and sugarcane growing continues. The nearby suburb of Le Gosier
is Guadeloupe's main seaside resort.
Seventy percent of residents of Pointe-à-Pitre reside in subsidized public housing
as of 2009.
Most visitors just drop in to Pointe-à-Pitre for shopping. It's best to visit the town in the morning (you can easily cover it in half a day), taking in the waterfront and outdoor market (the latter is livelier in the early hours).
Shopping is a main attraction where you can buy perfumes and other luxury made-in-France products. Rosebleu and A La Pensee on Rue Frebault are among the most popular places to shop. Rues de Nozieres and Schoelcher also have shops carrying French imports as well as madras cottons, watches, silver and china. Centre Saint-John Perse, on the harbor front, showcases many specialty shops, a hotel and several restaurants.
Place de la Victoire at the town's center is a park shaded by palm trees and poincianas. Here you'll see some old sandbox trees said to have been planted by Victor Hugues, the mulatto who organized a revolutionary army of both whites and blacks to establish a dictatorship. In this square he kept a guillotine busy, and the death-dealing instrument stood here until modern times.
Musée Saint-John Perse is a museum on 9 Nozières Street and it occupies an attractive 19th-century colonial building with ornate wrought-iron balconies. The museum is dedicated to the renowned poet and Nobel laureate Alexis Léger
(1887–1975), better known as St John Perse, who grew up just down the street at No 54. The house offers both a glimpse of a period Creole home and displays on Perse's life and work.
Musée Victor Schoelcher is a museum that dedicates to the life of Victor Schoelcher
, who was the chief organizer against slavery in Guadeloupe. The visitor will find exhibits and artifacts of the slave trade housed in a pink and white colonial period building.
The Basilica of St Peter and St Paul (La Cathédrale Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul) on place Gourbeyre features arches constructed of riveted iron girders, reflecting the influence of past hurricanes and earthquakes.
In Bas du Fort district, between the city and Gosier, is the powerful 18th century hilltop fortress of Fort Fleur D`Épée built in solid Vauban style. In the same area the Guadeloupe Aquarium allows visitors to contemplate a lot of fish.
La Fete des Cuisinieres or the Festival of the Women Cooks occurs in early August. To honor their patron Saint Lawrence, brightly clothed women carry baskets of food in processions to the cathedral. Banquets and dancing occur in the evening.
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...
, an overseas région and département 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...
located 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...
, of which it is a sous-préfecture, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Pointe-à-Pitre
Arrondissement of Pointe-à-Pitre
The arrondissement of Pointe-à-Pitre is an arrondissement of France, located in the Guadeloupe département, in the Guadeloupe région. It has 23 cantons and 14 communes.-Cantons:The cantons of the arrondissement of Pointe-à-Pitre are:...
.
Although Pointe-à-Pitre is not Guadeloupe's administrative capital (that distinction goes to Basse-Terre
Basse-Terre
Basse-Terre is the prefecture of Guadeloupe, an overseas region and department of France located in the Lesser Antilles...
), it is nonetheless the region's largest city and economic capital, with a population of 171,773 inhabitants in its urban area
Urban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
as of 1999, of whom 17,541 live in the city (commune
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 Pointe-à-Pitre proper. The inhabitants are called "Pointois".
Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport
Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport
Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport or Pointe-à-Pitre Le Raizet Airport is an airport serving Pointe-à-Pitre on the island of Grande-Terre in Guadeloupe. The airport is located in Abymes, north-northeast of Pointe-à-Pitre. It is the main hub for Air Caraïbes and Air Antilles Express. It is the...
, Guadeloupe's main international airport, is located 3 km (1.9 mi) north of downtown Pointe-à-Pitre in the commune of Les Abymes
Les Abymes
Les Abymes is the most populated commune in the French overseas region and department of Guadeloupe, in the Lesser Antilles. It is located on the west side of the island of Grande-Terre, and is part of the metropolitan area of Pointe-à-Pitre, the largest urban area in Guadeloupe.Pointe-à-Pitre...
.
Jacques Bangou
Jacques Bangou
Jacques Bangou is a Guadeloupean politician. He is the current incumbent mayor of Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe's main city....
is the current mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Pointe-à-Pitre.
Name
- Source for this section: L’origine toponyme de Pointe-à-Pitre in Guide de Pointe-à-Pitre (édition 2006-2007).
The name Pointe-à-Pitre, literally the "headland
Headlands and bays
Headlands and bays are two related features of the coastal environment.- Geology and geography :Headlands and bays are often found on the same coastline. A bay is surrounded by land on three sides, whereas a headland is surrounded by water on three sides. Headlands are characterized by high,...
of Pitre", is often said to derive from a Dutch or Jewish sailor/fisherman named Peter who settled in the 17th century on a promontory facing the Îlet à Cochon ("Hogs Islet"), just to the south of today's downtown Pointe-à-Pitre. The promontory came to be called "Pointe-à-Peter" (the "headland of Peter") and later "Pointe-à-Pitre".
This explanation, however, is nowadays contested. A map from 1667 by Engineer François Blondel shows near today's downtown Pointe-à-Pitre a morne de Pitre ("Pitre hill") and a marigot de pitre ("Pitre swamp"). Other maps from the end of the 17th century show a îlet à Pitre ("Pitre islet") and a rivière à Pitre ("Pitre river") in the same area. It is unlikely that a Dutch or Jew called Peter would have settled at the same time on a promontory, on a hill, on an islet, near a swamp and along a river.
It seems more likely that the name "Pitre" comes from Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
pitera meaning "agave
Agave
Agave is a genus of monocots. The plants are perennial, but each rosette flowers once and then dies ; they are commonly known as the century plant....
" or "sisal
Sisal
Sisal is an agave that yields a stiff fibre traditionally used in making twine, rope and also dartboards. The term may refer either to the plant or the fibre, depending on context...
", whose very resistant fibers were used to make ropes. Agave or sisal are also known as pita in Spanish, and the word was borrowed in French creole
French-based creole languages
A French Creole, or French-based Creole language, is a creole language based on the French language, more specifically on a 17th century koiné French extant in Paris, the French Atlantic harbors, and the nascent French colonies...
where it is known as pite (particularly in 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...
). It is thus possible that pitera grew on the islets, the headlands and around the swamps, and that it gave its name to the area. The headland named after the pitera plant then later gave its name to the city of Pointe-à-Pitre.
History
Ideally located at the junction of Guadeloupe's two main islands (Basse-Terre IslandBasse-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 ....
and Grande Terre
Grande Terre
Grande Terre is a French name typically given to the principal island of an archipelago. It may refer to the following:* The main island of New Caledonia.* The largest of the Kerguelen Islands....
), French colonial authorities had long thought about establishing a city on the current location of Pointe-à-Pitre, but several attempts around 1713-1730 failed due to the insalubrious swampy ground.
It is only during the British occupation of Guadeloupe (1759–1763) that a settlement appeared on a hill overlooking the swamps. After the return of Guadeloupe to France in 1763, the city of Pointe-à-Pitre was officially founded under governor Gabriel de Clieu in 1764 by a royal edict, and the swamps where downtown Pointe-à-Pitre stands today were drained in the following years, thus allowing the urban development of the city.
The development of the city was important and relatively rapid, partly thanks to the corsair
Corsair
Corsairs were privateers, authorized to conduct raids on shipping of a nation at war with France, on behalf of the French Crown. Seized vessels and cargo were sold at auction, with the corsair captain entitled to a portion of the proceeds...
s. Unfortunately, in 1780, a great fire entirely destroyed the city. Sixty three years later, in 1843, it was again destroyed by an earthquake. The history of Pointe-à-Pitre is marked by many disasters: the fires of 1850, 1871, and 1931, the earthquakes of 1851 and 1897, and the hurricanes of 1865 and 1928. The city also experienced several epidemics of cholera. Its ideal location and large sheltered port have nonetheless allowed Pointe-à-Pitre to become Guadeloupe's largest city and economic capital.
Geography
Pointe-à-Pitre is situated on the southwest portion of the island of Grande-TerreGrande-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....
, facing the Caribbean Sea and is an ideal place in the center of Guadeloupe and is near the Rivière Salée ("Salt River"), which separates Grande-Terre from 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 ....
. The town of Pointe-à-Pitre is surrounded by the communes of Les Abymes
Les Abymes
Les Abymes is the most populated commune in the French overseas region and department of Guadeloupe, in the Lesser Antilles. It is located on the west side of the island of Grande-Terre, and is part of the metropolitan area of Pointe-à-Pitre, the largest urban area in Guadeloupe.Pointe-à-Pitre...
, Baie-Mahault
Baie-Mahault
Baie-Mahault is the second most populated commune in the French overseas region and department of Guadeloupe after Abymes The extensive Zoning Industriel of Jarry, in Baie-Mahault is far the most industrialized communes in the islands and the largest industrial park in the Lesser Antilles.It is...
and Le Gosier
Le Gosier
Le Gosier is the third most populated commune in the French overseas region and department of Guadeloupe, in the Lesser Antilles. It is located on the south side of the island of Grande-Terre, and is part of the urban area of Pointe-à-Pitre, the largest conurbation in Guadeloupe.-External links:*...
. Pointe-à-Pitre is on a limestone plateau, which was a factor for the construction of the city. The bay, Petit Cul-de-Sac Marin, offers a sheltered port.
Climate
Like any other Eastern Caribbean city, Pointe-à-Pitre experiences quite evenly spread rainfall during the year, with a wetter season between July and November which coincides with hurricane season. The city receives 1500–2000 mm of rainfall. Tropical heat is the norm, bringing steady highs of around 32°C (89°F) that drop to 20°C (68°F) at night.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 blow from the northeast and often temper the climate.
Demographics
The tiny communeCommunes 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...
(municipality) of Pointe-à-Pitre is the center of a larger urban area covering seven communes. This urban area, with 171,773 inhabitants at the 1999 census, that represent 40% of the population, is the largest in Guadeloupe and one in the French Overseas
Here are the seven communes making up the urban area of Pointe-à-Pitre, with their population at the 1999 census:
- Les AbymesLes AbymesLes Abymes is the most populated commune in the French overseas region and department of Guadeloupe, in the Lesser Antilles. It is located on the west side of the island of Grande-Terre, and is part of the metropolitan area of Pointe-à-Pitre, the largest urban area in Guadeloupe.Pointe-à-Pitre...
: 63,054 (Les Abymes is the most populated commune in the urban area and indeed in Guadeloupe, and so the urban area of Pointe-à-Pitre is also often called the "Pointe-à-Pitre-Les Abymes" urban area) - Le GosierLe GosierLe Gosier is the third most populated commune in the French overseas region and department of Guadeloupe, in the Lesser Antilles. It is located on the south side of the island of Grande-Terre, and is part of the urban area of Pointe-à-Pitre, the largest conurbation in Guadeloupe.-External links:*...
: 25,360 - Baie-MahaultBaie-MahaultBaie-Mahault is the second most populated commune in the French overseas region and department of Guadeloupe after Abymes The extensive Zoning Industriel of Jarry, in Baie-Mahault is far the most industrialized communes in the islands and the largest industrial park in the Lesser Antilles.It is...
: 23,389 (the location of the urban area's main seaport and largest industrial park in the Lesser Antilles) - Pointe-à-Pitre: 20,948 (the historic, commercial and administrative heart of the urban area; facing competition from its suburbs, the congested commune of Pointe-à-Pitre has been losing businesses and inhabitants in the past years)
- Petit-BourgPetit-BourgPetit-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....
: 20,528 - LamentinLamentinSee Le Lamentin for the commune of MartiniqueLamentin is a French commune in the overseas department of Guadeloupe. It is part of the agglomeration of Pointe-à-Pitre, in the north part of Basse-Terre...
: 13,434 - GoyaveGoyaveGoyave is a commune in the French overseas region and department of Guadeloupe, in the Lesser Antilles. It is part of the urban area of Pointe-à-Pitre, the largest metropolitan area in Guadeloupe.-History:...
: 5,060
Economy
The city is the commercial capital of Guadeloupe, serving as the main port of call for cargo and passengers alike. The main seaport is the Port de Jarry located across the Bay of Cul-de-Sac Marin in the communeCommunes 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...
(municipality) of Baie-Mahault
Baie-Mahault
Baie-Mahault is the second most populated commune in the French overseas region and department of Guadeloupe after Abymes The extensive Zoning Industriel of Jarry, in Baie-Mahault is far the most industrialized communes in the islands and the largest industrial park in the Lesser Antilles.It is...
. It has one of the biggest container terminals in the Eastern Caribbean with a quay 600m long. The main exports are food crops (bananas, cocoa, coffee and sugar), animal products (beef, milk, yogurt) and manufactured goods (refined petroleum, textiles and medicines). The extensive Zoning Industriel de Jarry, directly west of Pointe-à-Pitre is a major centre of commercial and light industrial activity, notably for warehousing and distribution. Agricultural production continues in the east of the area where cattle rearing, banana and sugarcane growing continues. The nearby suburb of Le Gosier
Le Gosier
Le Gosier is the third most populated commune in the French overseas region and department of Guadeloupe, in the Lesser Antilles. It is located on the south side of the island of Grande-Terre, and is part of the urban area of Pointe-à-Pitre, the largest conurbation in Guadeloupe.-External links:*...
is Guadeloupe's main seaside resort.
Seventy percent of residents of Pointe-à-Pitre reside in subsidized public housing
Public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
as of 2009.
Sights
A few colonial and modern buildings complement each other: white bungalows with red roofs are separated by tree-lined parks and a large market square. However, 20th century apartment blocks and condominiums form a high-rise backdrop over jerry-built shacks and industrial suburbs. The rather narrow central streets are jammed during the day with a colorful crowd that creates a permanent traffic jam. However, after sunset the town's central streets become eerily deserted creating a seedy atmosphere around the waterfront, except for the comparatively lively central square, Place de la Victoire.Most visitors just drop in to Pointe-à-Pitre for shopping. It's best to visit the town in the morning (you can easily cover it in half a day), taking in the waterfront and outdoor market (the latter is livelier in the early hours).
Shopping is a main attraction where you can buy perfumes and other luxury made-in-France products. Rosebleu and A La Pensee on Rue Frebault are among the most popular places to shop. Rues de Nozieres and Schoelcher also have shops carrying French imports as well as madras cottons, watches, silver and china. Centre Saint-John Perse, on the harbor front, showcases many specialty shops, a hotel and several restaurants.
Place de la Victoire at the town's center is a park shaded by palm trees and poincianas. Here you'll see some old sandbox trees said to have been planted by Victor Hugues, the mulatto who organized a revolutionary army of both whites and blacks to establish a dictatorship. In this square he kept a guillotine busy, and the death-dealing instrument stood here until modern times.
Musée Saint-John Perse is a museum on 9 Nozières Street and it occupies an attractive 19th-century colonial building with ornate wrought-iron balconies. The museum is dedicated to the renowned poet and Nobel laureate Alexis Léger
Saint-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...
(1887–1975), better known as St John Perse, who grew up just down the street at No 54. The house offers both a glimpse of a period Creole home and displays on Perse's life and work.
Musée Victor Schoelcher is a museum that dedicates to the life 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...
, who was the chief organizer against slavery in Guadeloupe. The visitor will find exhibits and artifacts of the slave trade housed in a pink and white colonial period building.
The Basilica of St Peter and St Paul (La Cathédrale Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul) on place Gourbeyre features arches constructed of riveted iron girders, reflecting the influence of past hurricanes and earthquakes.
In Bas du Fort district, between the city and Gosier, is the powerful 18th century hilltop fortress of Fort Fleur D`Épée built in solid Vauban style. In the same area the Guadeloupe Aquarium allows visitors to contemplate a lot of fish.
La Fete des Cuisinieres or the Festival of the Women Cooks occurs in early August. To honor their patron Saint Lawrence, brightly clothed women carry baskets of food in processions to the cathedral. Banquets and dancing occur in the evening.
Famous Natives
- Francky VincentFrancky VincentFrancky Vincent is a singer, song-writer, producer, painter, manager and musician of at least 170 songs from Guadeloupe...
- Rodrigue BeauboisRodrigue BeauboisRodrigue 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...
- NBA Dallas MavericksDallas MavericksThe Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
player. - Roch-Ambroise Auguste BébianRoch-Ambroise Auguste BébianRoch-Ambroise Auguste Bébian was one of the first hearing educators in France to achieve native-level fluency in French Sign Language...
- Firmine RichardFirmine RichardFirmine Richard is a Guadeloupean actress based in mainland France. Her film credits include 8 Women and Hunting and Gathering....
- Jacques Schwarz-BartJacques Schwarz-BartJacques Schwarz-Bart is a New York based jazz saxophonist. His mother is the Guadeloupean novelist Simone Schwarz-Bart, author of The Bridge of Beyond. His father was French Jewish author André Schwarz-Bart. The two published a joint novel, Un plat de porc aux bananes vertes, in 1967...
- Lilian ThuramLilian ThuramLilian 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...
- Former Juventus and FC Barcelona player, and World Champion in 1998 with France.
External links
- City official website (in French)