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Guadeloupe beach
© 123rf.com
Guadeloupe Travel Guide
Key Facts
Area:
Total: 1,596 sq km (628 sq miles). Basse-Terre: 839 sq km (324 sq miles). Grand-Terre: 564 sq km (218 sq miles). Marie-Galante: 150 sq km (58 sq miles). La Désirade: 29.7 sq km (11.5 sq miles). Les Saintes: 13.9 sq km (5.4 sq miles). St-Barthélemy: 13 sq km (8 sq miles). St-Martin (which shares the island with St Maarten, part of the Netherlands Antilles): 86 sq km (33 sq miles) (the French side: 52 sq km/20 sq miles; the Dutch side: 34 sq km/13 sq miles).
Population:
452,776 (official estimate 2006).
Population density:
283.7 per sq km.
Capital:
Basse-Terre (administrative). Population: 44,864 (1999 census). Pointe-Ã -Pitre, on Grande-Terre (commercial centre). Population: 20,000 (UN estimate 2003).
Government:
Guadeloupe is an Overseas Department of France and as such is an integral part of the French Republic.
Head of state:
President Nicolas Sarkozy since 2007, represented locally by Prefect Paul Girot de Langlade since 2004.
Head of government:
President of the General Council Jacques Gillot since 2001.
Electricity:
230 volts AC, 50Hz. Standard French two-pin plus are used.
Guadeloupe comprises the butterfly-shaped islands of Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre and the nearby smaller islands of La Desirade, Marie-Galante and Les Saintes.The islands were discovered by Columbus in 1493, became a French colony in 1635 and, in 1946, were given the status of a French Overseas Department. As a result they retain their strong French influence, from the local flavours and ingredients to the currency.
The islands have lovely white sand beaches but also a wildlife-infested rainforest and the highest waterfall in the Caribbean. Basse-Terre has a rough volcanic terrain; Grande-Terre has rolling hills and flat plains. There are also lush mountainous areas with stunning and unspoiled tropical scenery.The islands are a divers' paradise, described by Jacques Cousteau as among the top 10 dive sites in the world.
Guadeloupe boasts plenty of restaurants, bars and discos, with displays of local dancing and music. The famous dance of the island is called the biguine, where colourful and ornate Creole costumes are still worn. Don't forget to try the famous rum punch cocktails - rum with lime, bitter and syrup.
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