Guadeloupe is located in Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Puerto Rico.
Guadeloupe has borders with Netherlands Antilles for 10.2km.
Land in Guadeloupe is Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior mountains; Grande-Terre is low limestone formation; most of the seven other islands are volcanic in origin.
Guadeloupe land covers an area of 1780 square kilometers which is 10 times the size of Washington, DC
As for the Guadeloupe climate; subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity.
Guadeloupian(s) speak French (official) 99%, Creole patois.
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Guadeloupe (general) |
Guadeloupe has been a French possession since 1635. The island of Saint Martin is shared with the Netherlands; its southern portion is named Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles and its northern portion is named Saint-Martin and is part of Guadeloupe
This Caribbean economy depends on agriculture, tourism, light industry, and services. It also depends on France for large subsidies and imports. Tourism is a key industry, with most tourists from the US; an increasingly large number of cruise ships visit the islands. The traditional sugarcane crop is slowly being replaced by other crops, such as bananas (which now supply about 50% of export earnings), eggplant, and 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 production. Most manufactured goods and fuel are imported. Unemployment is especially high among the young. Hurricanes periodically devastate the economy.
Guadeloupe natural resources include cultivable land, beaches and climate that foster tourism
a narrow channel, the Riviere Salee, divides Guadeloupe proper into two islands: the larger, western Basse-Terre and the smaller, eastern Grande-Terre
Guadeloupe religion is Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 4%, Protestant 1%.
Natural hazards in Guadeloupe include hurricanes (June to October); Soufriere de Guadeloupe is an active volcano.