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85-462: Christy Campbell (born March 29, 1981), known by the stage name Admiral T , is a French singer, rapper, songwriter, DJ, and actor. He is one of the most popular and successful Guadeloupean singers. He is also a designer and the creator of the clothing trademark WOK LINE. Born in 1981 on the French island of Guadeloupe , he was one of ten children. He also has roots in the nearby island of Dominica. At

170-812: A Skyrock Music Award in December 2007 and a Virgin music Award in February 2008. He launched his own clothing line WOK LINE and made a new tour in Africa during 2008. The following year, Admiral T performed in Germany at Summerjam , Europe 's biggest reggae festival and at Dominica's World Creole Music Festival . On 19 April 2010, he released his 3rd album : Instinct Admiral , comprising featurings of Machel Montano , Busy Signal , La Fouine , Médine , Young Chang MC, Lieutenant, Patrick Saint-Éloi , Fanny J and Awa Imani. Besides his solo career, Admiral T

255-623: A combined 1999 census population of 12,488 inhabitants. The island is more commonly known as la grande galette (‘the Big Biscuit’) due to its round shape and almost flat surface; its highest peak, the Morne Constant Hill , rises to 204 m. Formerly having over 106 sugar mills, it is also called "the Island of a Hundred Windmills" ( French : lîle aux cent moulins ). The island is undulating substrate calcareous, cooled by

340-533: A deep mark on the memory of the local inhabitants. In 1995, three hurricanes (Iris, Luis and Marilyn ) hit the archipelago in less than three weeks. Other notable hurricanes include Okeechobee in 1928, Betsy in 1965, Cleo in 1964, Inez in 1966, and Irma and Maria in 2017. With fertile volcanic soils, heavy rainfall and a warm climate, vegetation on Basse-Terre is lush. Most of the island's forests are on Basse-Terre, containing such species as mahogany , ironwood and chestnut trees . Mangrove swamps line

425-529: A half months following the eruption. K–Ar dating indicates that the three northern massifs on Basse-Terre Island are 2.79 million years old. Sections of volcanoes collapsed and eroded within the last 650,000 years, after which the Sans Toucher volcano grew in the collapsed area. Volcanoes in the north of Basse-Terre Island mainly produced andesite and basaltic andesite . There are several beaches of dark or "black" sand. La Désirade , east of

510-544: A high cliff, while the highest point, the Morne Constant (204 m altitude), is located to the east, in the territory of the municipality of Capesterre-de-Marie-Galante. The island has one main islet: Two rivers flow there after crossing the island's plateau from the heart of the island: Marie-Galante, like the rest of the Guadeloupe archipelago, enjoys a tropical climate tempered by the maritime influences and

595-783: A hit throughout the West Indies , France and Europe . In 2005, Admiral T starred in Guadeloupean director Jean-Claude Barny 's film Nèg Maron . The following year, he released his second album, Toucher L'Horizon , which also gained popular and commercial success and got awarded a Césaire of Music Award in October 2006. Admiral T spent much of 2007 in France, London and the Caribbean on his "Fòs A Péyi La" Tour (from his title song duet with Kassav' ). Admiral T also won

680-589: A large volcano located on the island of Basse-Terre in the Guadeloupe archipelago. The Caribbean islands are often in the path of tropical hurricanes . Located in a very exposed region, Marie-Galante has to face many cyclones. The island is subject to the passage of hurricanes from May to November. They form locally in the West Indies or off Cape Verde , in Africa , and drift in the easterly trade winds. The deadliest hurricane to hit Guadeloupe and its islands

765-544: A magnitude of 6.3 on the Richter scale and caused the death of one person, as well as extensive material damage. The population of Guadeloupe was estimated to be 378,561 on 1 January 2024. The population is mainly Afro-Caribbean . European, Indian (Tamil, Telugu, and other South Indians) , Lebanese , Syrians , and Chinese are all minorities. There is also a substantial population of Haitians in Guadeloupe who work mainly in construction and as street vendors. Basse-Terre

850-612: A peace treaty was signed in which the Caribs authorized the French and British to settle on the islands of Dominica and Saint Vincent . With the island now at peace, the availability of mill technology was developing into a plantation-based economy by using enslaved Africans . In 1664, Madame de Boisseret gave up her rights to Marie-Galante to the Company of the West Indies, and the island then had its first four ox-powered mills. In 1665, her son Monsieur de Boisseret de Temericourt became

935-550: A simultaneous spate of mass desertions that lasted at least two years until the French compelled indigenous peoples to stop assisting them. Ownership of the island passed to the French West India Company before it was annexed to France in 1674 under the tutelage of their Martinique colony. Institutionalised slavery, enforced by the Code Noir from 1685, led to a booming sugar plantation economy. During

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1020-508: A single-department overseas region since 1982. Within Marie-Galante the three communes are Capesterre-de-Marie-Galante , Grand-Bourg and Saint-Louis . Together, these were designated as an intercommunal entity on January 8, 1994, the first to be created in an overseas department. In 2007, Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy each became an overseas collectivity , making them politically separate from Guadeloupe. Steven Callahan , who

1105-403: A union leader ( Jacques Bino ) was shot and killed. The strike lasted 44 days and had also inspired similar actions on nearby Martinique . President Nicolas Sarkozy later visited the island, promising reform. Tourism suffered greatly during this time and affected the 2010 tourist season as well. Guadeloupe is an archipelago of more than 12 islands, as well as islets and rocks situated where

1190-466: Is 28 °C. Finally, the island is subject to hurricanes from May to November. These hurricanes form locally in the Antilles or off Cape Verde, in Africa, and drift in the trade winds from the east. In the north of the island the landscape is characterized by the presence of a limestone cliff. To the east and south, the plateau becomes "mornes" to slope towards a coastal plain. The latter borders

1275-459: Is also the producer of the newcomer reggae - dancehall singer Wyckyd J. In 2014, he sang On n'oublie pas (written by Serge Bilé) with several artists and personalities including Alpha Blondy , Jocelyne Béroard and Harry Roselmack . This song is a tribute to the 152 victims Martinique of the crash of 16 August 2005 , to remember this event and to help the AVCA, the association of the victims of

1360-415: Is an overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean . It consists of six inhabited islands— Basse-Terre , Grande-Terre , Marie-Galante , La Désirade , and two Îles des Saintes —as well as many uninhabited islands and outcroppings. It is south of Antigua and Barbuda and Montserrat and north of Dominica . The capital city is Basse-Terre , on the southern west coast of Basse-Terre Island;

1445-536: Is crossed by numerous geological faults such as those of la Barre or la Cadoue, while in depth, in front of Moule and La Désirade begins the Désirade Fault, and between the north of Maria-Galante and the south of Grande-Terre begins the Maria Galante Fault. And it is because of these geological characteristics, the islands of the department of Guadeloupe are classified in zone III according to

1530-559: Is located in Pointe-à-Pitre and is responsible for researching environmental hygiene, vaccinations, and the spread of tuberculosis and other mycobacteria . The relative wealth of Guadeloupe contrasts with the extreme poverty of several islands in the Caribbean region, which makes the community an attractive place for the populations of some of these territories. In addition, other factors, such as political instability and natural disasters, explain this immigration. As early as

1615-466: Is not part of the Schengen Area . It included Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin until 2007, when they were detached from Guadeloupe following a 2003 referendum . Christopher Columbus visited Guadeloupe in 1493 and gave the island its name. The official language is French; Antillean Creole is also spoken. The archipelago was called Karukera (or "The Island of Beautiful Waters") by

1700-556: Is similar to that of Basse-Terre, with volcanic hills and irregular shoreline with deep bays. There are numerous other smaller islands. Basse-Terre is a volcanic island . The Lesser Antilles are at the outer edge of the Caribbean Plate , and Guadeloupe is part of the outer arc of the Lesser Antilles Volcanic Arc . Many of the islands were formed as a result of the subduction of oceanic crust of

1785-529: Is subject to many natural hazards, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and tropical cyclones. It has been the subject of a specific risk prevention plan. On November 21, 2004, Marie-Galante, Guadeloupe and, in particular, the Saintes archipelago were hit by a violent earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale , which caused the death of one person and extensive material damage. On November 29, 2007, an earthquake measuring between 6.8 and 7.3 on

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1870-421: Is the political capital; however, the largest city and economic hub is Pointe-à-Pitre . The population of Guadeloupe has been decreasing by 0.8% per year since 2013. In 2017 the average population density in Guadeloupe was 240 inhabitants per square kilometre (620/sq mi), which is very high in comparison to metropolitan France's average of 119 inhabitants per square kilometre (310/sq mi). One third of

1955-405: Is the third-largest island, followed by La Désirade , a north-east slanted limestone plateau, the highest point of which is 275 metres (902 ft). To the south lie the Îles de Petite-Terre , which are two islands (Terre de Haut and Terre de Bas) totalling 2 km . Les Saintes is an archipelago of eight islands of which two, Terre-de-Bas and Terre-de-Haut are inhabited. The landscape

2040-554: The Atlantic Plate under the Caribbean Plate in the Lesser Antilles subduction zone . This process is ongoing and is responsible for volcanic and earthquake activity in the region. Guadeloupe was formed from multiple volcanoes, of which only La Grande Soufrière is not extinct. Its last eruption was in 1976, and led to the evacuation of the southern part of Basse-Terre. 73,600 people were displaced throughout three and

2125-583: The Battle of Matouba on 28 May 1802. Realising they had no chance of success, Delgrès and his followers committed mass suicide by deliberately exploding their gunpowder stores. In 1810, the British captured the island again , handing it over to Sweden under the 1813 Treaty of Stockholm . In the 1814 Treaty of Paris , Sweden ceded Guadeloupe to France, giving rise to the Guadeloupe Fund . In 1815,

2210-500: The Compagnies républicaines de sécurité , resulting in four deaths. In May 1967 racial tensions exploded into rioting following a racist attack on a black Guadeloupean, Raphael Balzinc, resulting in eight deaths. An independence movement grew in the 1970s, prompting France to declare Guadeloupe a French region in 1974. The Union populaire pour la libération de la Guadeloupe (UPLG) campaigned for complete independence, and by

2295-538: The Guadeloupe woodpecker . The waters of the islands support a rich variety of marine life. However, by studying 43,000 bone remains from six islands in the archipelago , it was found that 50 to 70% of snakes and lizards on the Guadeloupe Islands became extinct after European colonists arrived; they had brought with them mammals such as cats, mongooses, rats, and raccoons, which might have preyed upon

2380-577: The Liyannaj Kont Pwofitasyon went on strike for more pay. Strikers were angry with low wages, the high cost of living, high levels of poverty relative to mainland France and levels of unemployment that are amongst the worst in the European Union. The situation quickly escalated, exacerbated by what was seen as an ineffectual response by the French government, turning violent and prompting the deployment of extra police after

2465-521: The Seven Years' War , the British captured and occupied the islands until the 1763 Treaty of Paris . During that time, Pointe-à-Pitre became a major harbour, and markets in Britain's North American colonies were opened to Guadeloupean sugar, which was traded for foodstuffs and timber. The economy expanded quickly, creating vast wealth for the French colonists. So prosperous was Guadeloupe at

2550-628: The Treaty of Vienna acknowledged French control of Guadeloupe. Slavery was abolished in the French Empire in 1848. After 1854, indentured labourers from the French colony of Pondicherry in India were brought in. Emancipated slaves had the vote from 1849, but French nationality and the vote were not granted to Indian citizens until 1923, when a long campaign, led by Henry Sidambarom , finally achieved success. In 1936, Félix Éboué became

2635-651: The biosphere reserve of the Guadeloupe archipelago. Guadeloupe, thanks in part to its islands, has become the overseas department with the most protected areas, including a national park . A 1,780 ha, 14 km long, stretch of Marie-Galante's northern coastline, encompassing the 120 m high cliffs, their inshore waters and the flat islet of Vieux Fort, has been recognised as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports seabird breeding colonies of red-billed tropicbirds , brown noddies and bridled terns . The presence of Audubon's shearwaters has also been reported. Maria Galante

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2720-473: The forest , the accelerated urbanization of recent years and the development of crops, especially sugar cane, all of which have reduced the importance of the forest and even caused it to disappear in some places. The cultivation of sugar cane has left its mark on the non-mountainous landscapes . The agriculture (mainly exporting) of sugar cane, alcohol (rum) continues to be strongly encouraged, to make it more "sustainable" and to stop its recession by Europe ,

2805-535: The overseas regions of France . The Huecoids are the oldest known civilizations to have occupied Marie-Galante, followed by Arawaks , and then by the Island Caribs circa 850. The island was called Aichi by the Caribs and Touloukaera by the Arawaks. Marie-Galante was the second island encountered by Christopher Columbus during his second voyage , after Dominica . On 3 November 1493, he anchored at

2890-580: The trade winds and subject to cyclones and earthquakes . The northern coast is characterized by a high cliff. A fault line called the "Bar" separates the northern quarter from the remainder of the island. To the west, beaches and mangroves extend along the Caribbean Sea . The rivers of Saint-Louis and the Vieux-Fort run through the plateau that sits at the centre of Marie-Galante. In the East and

2975-595: The 1970s, the first illegal immigrants of Haitian origin arrived in Guadeloupe to meet a need for labour in the agricultural sector; alongside this Haitian immigration , which is more visible because it is more numerous, Guadeloupe has also seen the arrival and settlement of populations from the island of Dominica and the Dominican Republic. In 2005, the prefecture, which represents the State in Guadeloupe, reported figures of between 50,000 and 60,000 foreigners in

3060-469: The 1980s the situation had turned violent with the actions of groups such as Groupe de libération armée  [ es ; fr ] (GLA) and Alliance révolutionnaire caraïbe (ARC). Greater autonomy was granted to Guadeloupe in 2000. Through a referendum in 2003 , Saint-Martin and Saint Barthélemy voted to separate from the administrative jurisdiction of Guadeloupe, this being fully enacted by 2007. In January 2009, labour unions and others known as

3145-567: The Americas , possibly as far back as 3000 BC. The Arawak people are the first identifiable group, but they were later displaced c.  1400 by Kalina -Carib peoples. Christopher Columbus was the first European to see Guadeloupe, landing in November 1493 and giving it its current name. Several attempts at colonisation by the Spanish in the 16th century failed due to attacks from

3230-626: The Atlantic Ocean, from which it is protected by a barrier reef , the cays. To the west of the island, opposite Basse-Terre, beaches and mangroves extend along the Caribbean Sea and a natural coastal wetland extends into the part corresponding to the Folle-Anse Bay. Marie-Galante is a biodiversity hotspot. Like the other Lesser Antilles , it emerged from the ocean less than five million years ago. This isolation has favored

3315-523: The French State and the local authorities (Region and Department). On the island of Marie-Galante you can find reptiles such as the red-footed tortoise or molokoï, a species of gecko locally called mabouia and small lizards called anolis. Some sea turtles also come to lay their eggs. A variety of crab locally called touloulou is quite common. To the west of the island there is a coral bank at about 20 meters depth. And seagrass beds populate

3400-463: The Richter scale, with its epicenter southeast of Roseau, the capital of Dominica , shook the Antilles. The earthquake was felt strongly in Marie-Galante, but did not cause significant damage. The earthquake of February 8, 1843 is, to this day, the most violent earthquake known. It caused the death of more than a thousand people, as well as very significant damage in Pointe-à-Pitre. La Soufrière ,

3485-484: The Salée River. Much of the forest on Grande-Terre has been cleared, with only a few small patches remaining. Between 300 and 1,000 metres (980 and 3,280 ft) of altitude, the rainforest that covers a large part of the island of Basse-Terre develops. Vegetation there includes the white gum tree, the acomat-boucan or chestnut tree, the marbri or bois-bandé or the oleander; shrubs and herbaceous plants such as

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3570-723: The South, the plateau descends sharply to a coastal plain skirting the Atlantic Ocean from which it is protected by a barrier coral reef . Marie-Galante is located in the northern hemisphere, it belongs to the Caribbean (or Antilles ) archipelago, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Earth's equator . It is located at 15°56' north latitude and 61°16' west longitude. The island is about 6,200 km from mainland France, about 2,200 km southeast of Florida , about 580 km from

3655-421: The active volcano La Grande Soufrière , the highest mountain peak in the Lesser Antilles with an elevation of 1,467 metres (4,813 ft). In contrast Grande-Terre is mostly flat, with rocky coasts to the north, irregular hills at the centre, mangrove at the southwest, and white sand beaches sheltered by coral reefs along the southern shore. This is where the main tourist resorts are found. Marie-Galante

3740-511: The age of 6, he joined the dancehall group Karukera Sound System; he left the group in 1992 to start a solo career; releasing his first album Mozaïk Kréyòl . During the sneak preview of Sean Paul at Bercy Stadium in 2004, Admiral T outperformed himself and drew much attention. Universal Music Group 's delegates who attended this concert decided to sign Admiral T and re-released his album on Universal Records , featuring artists like Wyclef Jean or French rapper Rohff . Admiral T's album became

3825-582: The air disaster, to raise funds. Campbell has been married to wife and manager Jessica since 2005. They have 3 children: twins Dylan and Lewis and daughter Chelsy. They met at age 20 and wed 4 years later. They have launched a streetwear clothing line. In the 2005 film, Admiral T plays one of two Guadeloupean residents of an urban slum who survive off of illicit activities. Guadeloupe Guadeloupe ( / ˌ ɡ w ɑː d ə ˈ l uː p / ; French: [ɡwad(ə)lup] ; Guadeloupean Creole French : Gwadloup , IPA: [ɡwadlup] )

3910-737: The bloody violence of protesters which had risen up out of the black majority in response to ballot-rigging orchestrated by wealthy white plantation owners. Many black people were killed during these uprisings which led to the dumping of rum and sugar from the Pirogue plantation into a nearby pond. Today this pond is known as la mare au punch (‘the Punch Pond’) in memory of these tragic events. Guadeloupe ( Grande-Terre and Basse-Terre ), along with its dependencies (Marie-Galante, Saint Martin , Saint Barthélemy , Îles des Saintes and la Désirade), have been an overseas department since 1946 and

3995-538: The chaotic political situation, Britain invaded Guadeloupe in 1794. The French responded by sending an expeditionary force led by Victor Hugues , who retook the islands and abolished slavery. More than 1,000 French colonists were killed in the aftermath. In 1802, the French Consulate government reinstated the pre-revolutionary government and slavery, prompting a slave rebellion led by Louis Delgrès . The French authorities responded quickly, culminating in

4080-469: The coast of South America ( Venezuela ) and, more specifically, with Guadeloupe, in the heart of the Lesser Antilles . The island of Marie-Galante is an elevated atoll resting on a rugged limestone substrate, located on the outer arc of the Caribbean plate. A fault called "la Barre" separates the northern quarter from the rest of the island. The north coast, facing Grande-Terre, is characterized by

4165-431: The coastal sandy bottoms, discontinuously. In Marie-Galante, the mangroves have almost disappeared, but there is one located in Vieux-Fort, Saint-Louis. Part of the terrestrial animal and plant heritage has been degraded as a result of human activities, except in the west, northwest, towards Saint-Louis, where the poorly developed fringing reefs still harbor many marine species. Since 1992, Marie-Galante has been part of

4250-404: The department. Marie-Galante Marie-Galante ( French pronunciation: [maʁi ɡalɑ̃t] , Antillean Creole : Mawigalant or Marigalant ) is one of the dependencies of Guadeloupe , an overseas department of France . Marie-Galante has a land area of 158.1 km (61.0 square miles). It had 11,528 inhabitants at the start of 2013, but by the start of 2018 the total

4335-423: The dry season called "Lent" from January to June, and the wet season called "winter", from July to December. Located in a very exposed region, Guadeloupe and its dependencies have to face many cyclones . The deadliest hurricane to hit Guadeloupe was the Pointe-à-Pitre hurricane of 1776, which killed at least 6,000 people. In 1989, Hurricane Hugo caused severe damage to the islands of the archipelago and left

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4420-400: The emergence of a high rate of endemism. The archipelago was completely covered by forests before the arrival of Europeans in the 16th century. This arrival was accompanied by biological invasions and land clearing that had a serious impact on biodiversity . Many species have disappeared from the island , and the natural environments of Marie-Galante are suffering somewhat from the retreat of

4505-487: The few remaining colonists who had not surrendered to the harsh living conditions. Sugarcane , which probably originated in India , had been imported to the West Indies by Christopher Columbus. As sugar became a commodity, it was cultivated in Guadeloupe from 1654 by deported Brazilian colonists who created the first sugar plantations equipped with small ox-powered mills to crush the cane. In 1660, at Basse-Terre Chateau,

4590-583: The first black governor of Guadeloupe. During World War II , Guadeloupe initially came under the control of the Vichy government , later joining Free France in 1943. In 1946, the colony of Guadeloupe became an overseas department of France. Tensions arose in the post-war era over the social structure of Guadeloupe and its relationship with mainland France. The 'Massacre of St Valentine' occurred in 1952, when striking factory workers in Le Moule were shot at by

4675-703: The island from 1759 to 1763, during the Seven Years’ War . Windmills were first seen in 1780. By 1830, 105 mills were put in place, half of which were still ox-drawn. Today, 72 mill towers are still standing. From November 1792 to 1794, Marie-Galante, which was Republican , separated itself from the royalist government of Guadeloupe. European enslavement of Africans was first abolished in 1794. The British captured Guadeloupe, and with it Marie-Galante, la Désirade , and all Guadeloupe's dependencies, in April 1794. The Treaty of Amiens in 1802 restored them to France. With

4760-407: The island's governor. The map of the island he established carries his coat of arms. During the second half of the 17th century, the first enslaved people were brought from Africa to Marie-Galante to cultivate plantations. In 1671, 57% of the inhabitants were black. Jewish Dutch exiles from Brazil also settled, bringing new methods for the cultivation of cane sugar. In 1676, a Dutch fleet abducted

4845-470: The island, and by some troops from the 1st West India Regiment , defeated and captured the French. The British returned the island to France in 1815. Enslavement of Africans finally came to an end in 1848, thanks to the combined efforts of abolitionists, such as Victor Schœlcher , and repeated revolts of enslaved Africans. The legislative elections of June 24 and June 25, 1849, the first time former enslaved Africans were permitted to vote, were disrupted by

4930-469: The islet now called Anse Ballet in Grand-Bourg , and named the island in honor of the flagship Marigalante (‘gallant Mary’) of the second voyage. During his second voyage to the West Indies, he designated the first island he found as La Deseada, both islands were registered under Spanish sovereignty in the respective acts. According to L. Martinez de Isasti, a century after the encounter,

5015-843: The land is devoted to agriculture and all mountains are uninhabitable; this lack of space and shelter makes the population density even higher. The most populous urban unit (agglomeration) is Pointe-à-Pitre - Les Abymes , which covers 11 communes and 65% of the population of the department. The three largest urban units are: In 2011, life expectancy at birth was recorded at 77.0 years for males and 83.5 for females. Medical centres in Guadeloupe include: University Hospital Centre (CHU) in Pointe-à-Pitre, Regional Hospital Centre (CHR) in Basse-Terre, and four hospitals located in Capesterre-Belle-Eau, Pointe-Noire, Bouillante and Saint-Claude. The Institut Pasteur de la Guadeloupe ,

5100-463: The land. This led to the death of many indigenous people by disease and violence. By 1640, however, the Compagnie des Îles de l'Amérique had gone bankrupt, and they thus sold Guadeloupe to Charles Houël du Petit Pré who began plantation agriculture, with the first African slaves arriving in 1650. Slave resistance was immediately widespread, with an open uprising in 1656 lasting several weeks and

5185-694: The large islands; mangroves and mantids have almost disappeared in Marie-Galante , Les Saintes and La Désirade; the salinity of the fresh water table has increased due to "the intensity of use of the layer"; and pollution of agricultural origin (pesticides and nitrogenous compounds). In addition, the ChlEauTerre study, unveiled in March 2018, concludes that 37 different anthropogenic molecules (more than half of which come from residues of now-banned pesticides, such as chlordecone) were found in "79% of

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5270-517: The leeward coast of Basse-Terre. The coastal forest is more difficult to develop because of the nature of the soil (sandy, rocky), salinity , sunshine and wind and is the environment where the sea grape, the mancenilla (a very toxic tree whose trunk is marked with a red line), the icaquier or the Coconut tree grow. On the cliffs and in the Arid zones are found cacti such as the cactus-cigar (Cereus),

5355-617: The main islands, has a basement from the Mesozoic , overlaid with thick limestones from the Pliocene to Quaternary periods. Grande-Terre and Marie-Galante have basements probably composed of volcanic units of Eocene to Oligocene , but there are no visible outcrops. On Grande-Terre, the overlying carbonate platform is 120 metres thick. The islands are part of the Leeward Islands , so called because they are downwind of

5440-555: The most populous city is Les Abymes and the main centre of business is neighbouring Pointe-à-Pitre , both on Grande-Terre Island. It had a population of 395,726 in 2024. Like the other overseas departments, it is an integral part of France. As a constituent territory of the European Union and the Eurozone , the euro is its official currency and any European Union citizen is free to settle and work there indefinitely, but

5525-444: The mountain palm, the balisier or ferns; many epiphytes: bromeliads , philodendrons, orchids and lianas . Above 1,000 m (3,300 ft), the humid savannah develops, composed of mosses, lichens , sphagnum or more vigorous plants such as mountain mangrove , high altitude violet or mountain thyme. The dry forest occupies a large part of the islands of Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, Les Saintes, La Désirade and also develops on

5610-666: The name is due to Captain Vasco Martin Cotillos who chose the name of his wife for the island. On November 8, 1648, Governor Charles Houël du Petit Pré organized the first occupation: about fifty men lived near the site called Vieux Fort "Old Fort". Jacques de Boisseret bought the island back from the French Company of the Islands of America on September 4, 1649. In 1653, the Carib Indians slaughtered

5695-521: The native Arawak people. Christopher Columbus named the island Santa María de Guadalupe in 1493 after Our Lady of Guadalupe , a shrine to the Virgin Mary venerated in the Spanish town of Guadalupe , Extremadura. When the area became a French colony, the Spanish name was retained – though altered to French orthography and phonology . The islands are locally known as Gwada . The islands were first populated by indigenous peoples of

5780-454: The native peoples. In 1626, the French, under the trader and adventurer Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc , began to take an interest in Guadeloupe, expelling Spanish settlers. The Compagnie des Îles de l'Amérique settled in Guadeloupe in 1635, under the direction of the French colonial leaders Charles Liénard de L'Olive and Jean du Plessis d'Ossonville ; they formally took possession of the island for France and brought in French farmers to colonise

5865-416: The native reptiles. In recent decades, Guadeloupe's natural environments have been affected by hunting and fishing, forest retreat, urbanization and suburbanization. They also suffer from the development of intensive crops (banana and sugar cane , in particular), which reached their peak in the years 1955–75. This has led to the following situation: seagrass beds and reefs have degraded by up to 50% around

5950-517: The northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean. It is located in the Leeward Islands in the northern part of the Lesser Antilles , a partly volcanic island arc . To the north lie Antigua and Barbuda and the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat , with Dominica lying to the south. The two main islands are Basse-Terre (west) and Grande-Terre (east), which form a butterfly shape as viewed from above,

6035-579: The passage of Hurricane Maria on September 18 in the Lesser Antilles, particularly in Dominica, where the eye of the cyclone passed, the archipelago of Guadeloupe, including "mainland Guadeloupe" and Marie-Galante saw the arrival of a mass exodus from Dominica , Dominiquais coming to take refuge on neighboring islands of their own, destroyed and almost unlivable. The archipelago also suffered the same phenomenon, this time coming from St. Martin, after

6120-588: The population and plundered its facilities. After the repopulation of the island, its new inhabitants were attacked for the third time by the Dutch and by the British in 1690 and 1691. These raids, which resulted in the destruction of the mills, the refineries and the depopulation of the island, caused the Governor-General of Martinique to forbid the re-population of the island until 1696. The British retook

6205-553: The prevailing trade winds , which blow out of the northeast. This was significant in the days of sailing ships . Grande-Terre is so named because it is on the eastern, or windward side, exposed to the Atlantic winds. Basse-Terre is so named because it is on the leeward south-west side and sheltered from the winds. Guadeloupe has a tropical climate tempered by maritime influences and the Trade Winds . There are two seasons,

6290-419: The prickly pear, the chestnut cactus, the "Tête à l'anglais" cactus and the aloes. The Mangrove forest that borders some of Guadalupe's coasts is structured in three levels, from the closest to the sea to the farthest. On the first level are the red mangroves ; on the second, about 10 metres (33 ft) from the sea, the black mangroves form the shrubby mangrove; on the third level the white mangroves form

6375-476: The restoration, the enslavement of Africans too was reinstated in 1802. In March 1808 the Royal Navy took possession of Marie-Galante to stop French privateers using its port. In August a small French force attempted to recapture the island but the British garrison, consisting of Royal Marines , augmented by Sir Alexander Cochrane's first Colonial Marines , newly recruited from escaped enslaved Africans of

6460-421: The seismic zoning of France and are subject to a specific risk prevention plan. The 1843 earthquake in the Lesser Antilles is, to this day, the most violent earthquake known. It caused the death of more than a thousand people, as well as major damage in Pointe-à-Pitre. On 21 November 2004, the islands of the department, in particular Les Saintes archipelago, were shaken by a violent earthquake that reached

6545-493: The tall mangrove. Behind the mangrove, where the tide and salt do not penetrate, a swamp forest sometimes develops, unique in Guadeloupe. The representative species of this environment is the Mangrove-medaille. Few terrestrial mammals, aside from bats and raccoons , are native to the islands. The introduced Javan mongoose is also present on Guadeloupe. Bird species include the endemic purple-throated carib and

6630-407: The time that, under the 1763 Treaty of Paris, France forfeited its Canadian colonies in exchange for the return of Guadeloupe. Coffee planting began in the late 1720s, also worked by slaves and, by 1775, cocoa had become a major export product as well. The French Revolution brought chaos to Guadeloupe. Under new revolutionary law, freedmen were entitled to equal rights. Taking advantage of

6715-559: The trade winds to which it is subjected. There are two seasons on Marie-Galante and the neighboring islands: a dry season locally called carême which runs from January to June, and a wet season locally called hivernage from July to December. As for the temperature , with an average of 27 °C, there is little difference between the hottest months (from 25 °C to 32 °C) and the coldest (from 23 °C to 29 °C). Marie-Galante and its limestone plateaus can regularly suffer from severe droughts. The average seawater temperature

6800-539: The two 'wings' of which are separated by the Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin  [ ceb ; fr ; nl ; sv ] , Rivière Salée  [ fr ] and Petit Cul-de-Sac Marin  [ ceb ; fr ] . More than half of Guadeloupe's land surface consists of the 847.8 km Basse-Terre. The island is mountainous, containing such peaks as Mount Sans Toucher (4,442 feet; 1,354 metres) and Grande Découverte (4,143 feet; 1,263 metres), culminating in

6885-694: The watersheds analyzed in Grande-Terre and 84% in Basse-Terre." A report by the Guadeloupe Water Office notes that in 2019 there is a "generalized degradation of water bodies." Despite everything, there is a will to preserve these environments whose vegetation and landscape are preserved in some parts of the islands and constitute a sensitive asset for tourism. These areas are partially protected and classified as ZNIEFF, sometimes with nature reserve status, and several caves are home to protected chiropterans. The Guadalupe National Park

6970-561: Was created on 20 February 1989. In 1992, under the auspices of UNESCO , the Biosphere Reserve of the Guadeloupe Archipelago ( Réserve de biosphère de l'archipel de la Guadeloupe ) was created. As a result, on 8 December 1993, the marine site of Grand Cul-de-sac was listed as a wetland of international importance. The island thus became the overseas department with the most protected areas . The archipelago

7055-405: Was lost at sea in a small (5-foot-6-inch (1.7 m) inside diameter) Avon life raft for 76 days, was found alive on April 21, 1982, off the coast of Marie-Galante by local fishermen Paulinus Williams, Jules Paquet and Jean-Louis Paquet, from neighbouring Guadeloupe. Marie-Galante comprises three communes of France : Grand-Bourg , Capesterre-de-Marie-Galante , and Saint-Louis, Guadeloupe , with

7140-457: Was officially estimated to be 10,655, with a population density of 62.5/km (162/sq mi). Marie-Galante is divided into three communes (with populations as of 1 January 2013): These three communes formed an intercommunal entity in 1994: the Community of Communes of Marie-Galante ( French : communauté de communes de Marie-Galante ). This is the oldest intercommunal structure of

7225-475: Was the Pointe-à-Pitre hurricane of 1776, which killed at least 6,000 people.12 On September 16, 1989, Hurricane Hugo caused severe damage to the islands of the archipelago. In 1995, three cyclones ( Iris , Luis and Marilyn ) hit the archipelago in less than three weeks. In September 2017, Marie-Galante faced Hurricane Maria , category 5, 4 deaths in Guadeloupe and sustained winds of up to 215 km/h, much higher gusts in Marie-Galante and Les Saintes . Since

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