Guadeloupe
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- Heads Of Government:
- Prefect (for France): Alexandre Rochatte; President of the Departmental Council (for Guadeloupe): Guy Losbar; President of the Regional Council (for Guadeloupe): Ary Chalus
- Capital:
- Basse-Terre
- Population:
- (2024 est.) 371,600
- Head Of State:
- President of France: Emmanuel Macron
- Official Language:
- French
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Guadeloupe, overseas département and overseas region of France consisting of a group of islands in the Lesser Antilles chain in the eastern Caribbean Sea. The nearest neighbours of the principal islands are the British overseas territory of Montserrat to the northwest and the republic of Dominica to the south. The island of Martinique, also a French overseas département, lies about 74 miles (120 km) to the south.
The main territory of Guadeloupe consists of the twin islands of Basse-Terre to the west and Grande-Terre to the east, the two being separated by a narrow channel, the Salée River. Other islands in the group are Marie-Galante to the southeast, La Désirade to the east, and the Saintes Islands (Terre-de-Haut and Terre-de-Bas) to the south. Two French overseas collectivities—Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin, the French-administered part of the island of Saint Martin (the southern third of which is administered by the Netherlands as Sint Maarten)—were part of Guadeloupe until 2007. They are situated about 150 miles (240 km) to the northwest, lying to the northwest of the outer arc of the Lesser Antilles. Basse-Terre, on the island of the same name, is the seat of government. The largest urban area, however, centres around Pointe-à-Pitre on Grande-Terre, the chief port and economic hub of Guadeloupe.
Land
Relief and drainage
Basse-Terre, which accounts for more than half of Guadeloupe’s land area, has a chain of mountains running north to south and culminating in Soufrière, a volcano rising to 4,813 feet (1,467 metres) above sea level; it erupted in 1797, 1837, and 1976–77 and is now a source of hot springs and sulfur springs. Other summits of note are Mount Sans Toucher, at 4,442 feet (1,354 metres), and Grande Découverte, at 4,143 feet (1,263 metres). The mountain chain forms a watershed from which rivers run down to the sea. The principal river on the island is the Goyaves; other streams are the Grande Plaine, the Petite Plaine, the Moustique, the Lézarde, and the Rose. Basse-Terre’s coastline is indented with bays and fringed with picturesque beaches. Grande-Terre has an area of 220 square miles (570 square km) and is generally low-lying; it has only a few bluffs higher than 490 feet (150 metres).
Climate
The tropical climate is tempered by the northeast trade winds. The temperature on the coast varies between 77 and 82 °F (25 and 28 °C), with extremes of 68 and 93 °F (20 and 34 °C). In the mountains above 1,900 feet (580 metres) the temperature may drop to 61 °F (16 °C), and at the summit of Soufrière it may drop to 39 °F (4 °C). There are two distinct seasons—the dry season (December to April), often called “Creole Lent” locally, and the rainy season (July to September–October). Precipitation varies with elevation and orientation. Grande-Terre receives approximately 40 inches (990 mm) of rain a year, while the mountainous parts of Basse-Terre receive more than 100 inches (2,540 mm). Hurricanes (tropical cyclones) occur occasionally, in most cases coming from the south. Among the most notable storms to strike the island were Hurricane Cleo (1964), Hurricane Hugo (1989), and Hurricane Maria (2017).
Plant and animal life
The heat, rainfall, and fertility of the volcanic soils produce a luxuriant vegetation diversified according to elevation. About two-fifths of the islands’ area, most of it on Basse-Terre, is covered by forests. Extensive mangrove swamps cover the banks of the Salée River. Dense forest grows in the mountainous regions of Basse-Terre, beginning almost at sea level on the windward slopes and at elevations of about 750 to 3,000 feet (230 to 900 metres) or more on the leeward side. There chestnut trees and bracken are found, as well as such hardwoods as mahogany and ironwood. On the highest peaks some flooded basins are covered with grasses and sedges. Grande-Terre, cleared of most of its original forests, has only a few patches of woodland. The smaller islands, such as La Désirade, have a different type of vegetation, consisting primarily of dry forest with groves of latania (a kind of fan palm) and cactus.
Guadeloupe’s fauna has changed since colonial times, in part as a result of hunting, which reduced the islands’ biodiversity. Raccoons are plentiful and are sought for their fur. Agoutis (short-haired, short-eared, rabbitlike rodents), mongooses, and native Guadeloupe woodpeckers inhabit the highlands of the island of Basse-Terre. Other bird species include Antillean nighthawks, pigeons, partridges, and monk parakeets. In some regions wild ducks, teal, and other waterfowl are found.
The warm waters around the islands support a rich variety of marine life, including lobsters, crabs, octopuses, tarpons, snooks (a basslike kind of fish), hogfishes, snappers, parrot fishes, and many species of rays.