Where is Guadeloupe: location, time zone, attractions. Climate conditions of Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe – amazing country, comfortably located in the Lesser Antilles among Atlantic Ocean And Caribbean Sea. The largest island This archipelago is the island of Guadeloupe, with a total area of 1434 square kilometers.

If you look at it from a bird's eye view, its outline resembles an amazing butterfly sleeping peacefully in the waters of the Caribbean Sea. The wings of this butterfly are two parts of the island - Grande-Terre and Basse-Terre, and they are connected by a narrow isthmus, which during high tides turns into a fairly wide strait. Grande Terre has an abundance of sandy beaches, along the shores of which there are many comfortable hotels. Here is the kingdom of limestone, low hills and sugar cane.

Basse-Terre, despite its name - Low Earth, covered with a mountainous landscape interspersed with amazingly beautiful lush vegetation. Basse-Terre is rich in rivers and is rightfully considered the most beautiful corner of this region. This is where the highest point of Malye is located. Antilles- the active volcano Soufier, at the foot of which is the city of Basse-Terre - the capital of Guadeloupe. This is an old small town built in the French colonial style. It is on Basse-Terre that is located National Park, in whose territory it nests great amount rare birds, and its forests are home to a raccoon - an animal that has become a symbol of Guadeloupe. The main decoration of the park can be considered the most high waterfall Carib.

Since ancient times, the territory of this region was inhabited by Indians, but today Guadeloupe belongs to the overseas possessions of France, and this has left a certain imprint not only on the architecture of local cities, but also on service in shops and hotels. National language here it is French, the local currency is the euro.

The prevailing climate in this area, moderated by trade winds, is a tropical climate with a relative humidity of 77%. The temperature in summer reaches 32 degrees, and in winter it does not fall below 23 degrees. The water temperature fluctuates between 25-28 degrees. The month of September in this region is rich in hurricanes. And the greatest influx of tourists occurs from February to June - the driest season in Guadeloupe.

Guadeloupe today is a region that surprisingly combines all the delights of tourist infrastructure and the centuries-old unchanged way of life of the indigenous population. It is famous not only for its magnificent beaches, where many tourists from different parts of the world seek to relax, but also for the beauty of its pristine nature. Here you can find both pebble and beaches with snow-white and black sand, sometimes located in close proximity to the lush greenery of the virgin tropical jungle.

The poshness and wealth of resorts with luxury hotels, wonderful restaurants, huge retail space, automobile agencies, tennis courts, swimming pools, golf courses, solariums and yachts coexist with the patriarchal foundations of local fishing villages and small towns.

However, when you visit this country, you will get a lot of pleasure, because everything has been done here for a complete and eventful vacation for visiting tourists. Particularly popular resort area Gosier, located 7 km from Pointe-à-Pitre. Tourists are welcome here colorful beaches, boiling sulfur springs, waterfalls and banana groves.

The largest city of Guadeloupe, Pointe-à-Pite, is famous for its ethnographic museum, the amazingly beautiful Victoria Square and craft market, where you can buy a variety of interesting souvenirs and other small things.

On a hired sailing ship You can admire the enchanting beauty of the nearby islands of Marie-Galante, Désirade, Saint Martin and Le Seine.

Small rum factories, scattered throughout the country, are considered a special pride of Guadeloupe. Outwardly completely unsightly, they attract tourists with their taverns, where you can enjoy this delicious drink to your heart's content. Rum is one of the riches of Guadeloupe. Its export brings a significant share of income to the country's economy. Once every four years, the popular regatta “The Path to Rum” is held in this area.

To enter Guadeloupe, a Schengen visa is required, which can be obtained from the French embassy. Usually its registration does not take more than 10-20 days.

Holidays in this country will not be hindered even by the lag of local time from Moscow by seven hours in winter and 8 hours in summer. You will bring with you a lot of impressions about this amazing and warm region, and they will warm you for a long time even on cold and lonely winter evenings. Below you will see where Guadeloupe is located on the world map and photos of these interesting places.

Guadeloupe on the world map

Guadeloupe is a French island in the Caribbean. A long time ago they lived here, as in most local islands the Arawaks, then, as elsewhere in these waters, the Caribs came and the Arawaks were expelled and slaughtered. The Caribs liked the island, as indicated by the Indian name Karukera, meaning Island of Beautiful Waters. However, the idyll was spoiled by Christopher Columbus, the first European to set foot on the shores of Karukera. According to the then habit of Europeans, they did not delve into local names and languages, and Columbus named the island in a way that left his descendants wondering for a long time: Santa Maria of Guadalupe of Extremadura.

Guadeloupe on the world map

About a century and a half later, the French sailed to the island and, without further ado, shot the Caribs, taking possession of the Guadalupe Santa Maria, without even looking at the fact that she was from Extremaduran.

Guadeloupe Map

Romantically minded people will say that main island from the air it looks like a butterfly, but if you know the history, it looks more like a humpbacked vulture waiting for the next portion of carrion. The body is mountainous, with a small active volcano Soufriere, and the head with a crooked beak is flat. Where descendants of slaves still grow sugar cane. The British often tried to intercept the island, but the French constantly recaptured it. It was so important to the economy that they gave up part of their North American possessions.
_________________________________________________________________________
The gloominess of the island is given by the fate of the Commissioner of the Convention, Victor South, who fought off another English claim to the island with the help of local slaves. To do this, he abolished slavery and expelled the planters. Work stopped. For several years, Guadeloupe was a small republic, so the finance blog took a break. Then, upset by the cessation of making money, Napoleon sent troops and restored slavery. Victor Yug committed suicide. Because, just as he could not fight against his homeland, for which he had conquered the island, he could not betray his fellow blacks who were fighting alongside him. The troops killed about 10 thousand freedom-loving locals and the economy started working again, the island community began to bring in finances.

Guadeloupe is a French island in the Caribbean. A long time ago, the Arawaks lived here, as on most local islands, then, like everywhere else in these waters, the Caribs came and the Arawaks were expelled and slaughtered. The Caribs liked the island, as indicated by the Indian name Karukera, meaning beautiful waters. However, the idyll was spoiled by Christopher Columbus, the first European to set foot on the shores of Karukera. According to the then habit of Europeans, they did not delve into local names and languages, and Columbus named the island in a way that left his descendants wondering for a long time: Santa Maria of Guadalupe of Extremadura.

Romantically minded people will say that the main island from the air looks like a butterfly, but if you know the history, it looks more like a humpbacked vulture waiting for the next portion of carrion. The body is mountainous, with a small active volcano Soufriere, and the head with a crooked beak is flat. Where descendants of slaves still grow sugar cane. The British often tried to intercept the island, but the French constantly recaptured it. It was so important to the economy that they gave up part of their North American possessions.
_________________________________________________________________________
The gloominess of the island is given by the fate of the Commissioner of the Convention, Victor South, who fought off another English claim to the island with the help of local slaves. To do this, he abolished slavery and expelled the planters. Work stopped. For several years, Guadeloupe was a small republic, so the finance blog took a break. Then, upset by the cessation of making money, Napoleon sent troops and restored slavery. Victor Yug committed suicide. Because, just as he could not fight against his homeland, for which he had conquered the island, he could not betray his fellow blacks who were fighting alongside him. The troops killed about 10 thousand freedom-loving locals and the economy started working again, the island community began to bring in finances.

Map of the islands within the French overseas department of Guadeloupe.

Guadeloupe (French version - Guadeloupe) is an overseas department of France (département d'outre-mer), located in the Caribbean Sea on several island groups from the Windward Islands of the Lesser Atil archipelago north of and south of the islands and. The name of this overseas department comes from the name of the largest island group in its composition. At the time of its discovery, Columbus considered it one island, to which he gave the name Santa Maria de Guadalupe d'Extremadura. Thus, Columbus fulfilled his promise to the monks of the monastery of Santa Maria de Guadalupe to name the land in the New World in honor of their patroness, Saint Mary of Guadalupe. Over the years, on maps the name of the island was shortened to one word - Guadeloupe. In the pre-Columbian era, local Indians called the island Karukéra or Kaluakaera, which translated means “Island of Beautiful Waters.”

The French overseas department of Guadeloupe includes: the island group of Guadeloupe, consisting of two large islands Grande-Terre and Basse-Terre, as well as many small islets and rocks, the islands of Les Saintes, consisting of two main islands, Terre-de-Haut and Terre-de-Basse, as well as 7 uninhabited small islets, the Petite Islands Ter, consisting of two small islands Terre-de-Basse and Terre-de-Haut, Marie-Galante Island and La Désirade Island. In the east the islands are washed by the waters of the open Atlantic, in the west by the Caribbean Sea, in the north by the Strait of Guadeloupe, which separates them from the islands and, and in the south by the Strait of Dominica, which separates the islands of Le Sainte and Marie-Galante from the island of the same name.

total area of all the islands and rocks of the French overseas department of Guadeloupe exceeds 1,600 square kilometers.

Are common geographical coordinates French overseas department of Guadeloupe: 16°15′00″ N. w. 61°35′00″ W. d.

Currently, administratively, the French department of Guadeloupe, being a territorial part of France, consists of 2 districts: Basse-Terre and Pointe-a-Pitre.

NASA satellite image of Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre islands from space.

Story.

Large islands that are this moment part of Guadeloupe, were inhabited by Arawakan Indian tribes starting in 300 BC. A little later, the Carib tribes came here and ousted the Arawaks to northern islands Lesser Antilles Archipelago.

The Guadeloupe island group, which Christopher Columbus initially considered to be a single island, was discovered by him on November 4, 1493, during his second expedition to the New World.

The Spaniards did not colonize Guadeloupe due to the lack of resources there, as well as because of the aggressiveness of the local population. For example, in 1528, the navigator Giovanni da Verrazzano was killed and eaten on the island by one of the Caribbean tribes.

The French took advantage of the lack of attention to the islands from Spain, who captured a number of islands in this region in 1635, after which they exterminated most of the Indians who resisted and did not want to accept Christian truths. French colonists founded sugar cane plantations here, and began to import black slaves from Africa to work on them.

In 1674, all the islands that are now part of the overseas department of Guadeloupe were officially declared the territorial property of France.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Guadeloupe Islands passed to Great Britain several times, however, they invariably returned to the jurisdiction of France. The last time the British established themselves here was on February 4, 1810 and lasted until March 3, 1813, after which they transferred possession to Sweden, which, in turn, returned it to France.

In 1946, the French overseas department of Guadeloupe was created.

Until February 22, 2007, the overseas department of Guadeloupe also included Northern part, however, after plebiscites, they became separate overseas communities within France, leaving the administrative subordination of Guadeloupe.

In January 2009, mass riots broke out in the Guadeloupe Islands, mainly among the black population, which later spread to.

Volcano Soufriere on the island of Basse-Terre.

Origin and geography of the islands.

Almost all of the islands in the French overseas department of Guadeloupe are volcanic in origin. The only exception is the Petite Terre island group, which is classified as a coral island. The formation of the Guadeloupe Islands, according to experts, could have occurred approximately 12-16 million years ago during the period of seismic and volcanic activity in this region.

Basse-Terre Island (translated as “low” or “lower land”) has geographical coordinates: 16°09′ N. w. 61°40′w. d. He is western island in the Guadeloupe island group and has a slightly elongated shape from north to south. The cutline meanders, forming along its entire length several bays and bays convenient for anchoring ships. In some places the shores of the island are rocky and steep, but in most places they are flat with beautiful sandy beaches. The island's topography is mountainous, the highest point of the island is the peak active volcano Soufriere, 1467 meters above sea level. It is worth noting that the Soufriere volcano is the highest point not only of the island, but also of the Lesser Antilles archipelago as a whole. Several small rivers flow on the island, which form beautiful waterfalls. The Corbet River is considered the deepest and longest on the island. The area of Basse-Terre Island is approximately 847 square kilometers.

Grande-Terre Island (translated as " big land") has geographical coordinates: 16°20′ N. w. 61°25′ W d. It is located east of Basse-Terre Island and is separated from it by the narrow Salt River Strait. The island has a rather complex geometric shape with a highly winding coastline. The shores of the island are flat in almost all places and represent sandy beaches. The relief of the island of Grande Terre is mainly represented by a plateau with an altitude of up to 120-130 meters above sea level, which is composed of limestone and volcanic tuff. Several small rivers flow on the island, which are now called streams. U east coast On the island there is a coral reef, which, although not particularly massive, still makes navigation in this area very difficult. The area of Grande Terre Island is approximately 586 square kilometers.

Mooring pier on the island of La Desirade.

Marie Galante Island (named by Columbus in honor of one of his caravels from the expedition) has geographical coordinates: 15°56′ N. w. 61°16′ W d. It is located south of the island of Grande-Terre and is separated from it and the island of Basse-Terre by the Marie-Galante Strait. In the south, the Strait of Dominica separates Marie-Galante from the same name. The island of Marie-Galante has almost round shape with a fairly straight coastline without large bays and bays. The shores are rocky in some places, however, for the most part they are flat and with big amount beaches. The relief of the island is hilly with an increase in altitude closer to the central part, where the highest point of the island, Mount Moulin, is located, 204 meters above sea level. The area of the island of Marie-Galante is about 158 square kilometers.

The island of La Désirade (translated as “the long-awaited”) has geographical coordinates: 16°19′00″ N. w. 61°03′00″ W. d. It is approximately 15 kilometers east of the island of Grande Terre towards the open Atlantic. The island has a strongly elongated shape from west to east with a length of 11 and a width of 2 kilometers. The coastline does not form bays and bays of significant area; the shores are rocky and steep. In general, the island's topography is mountainous; its highest point is Mount Grande Montagne, 286 meters above sea level. There are no natural sources of fresh water on the island. La Desirade is surrounded by a coral reef, which is not continuous and is interrupted in several places. The area of the island of La Desirade is just over 21 square kilometers.

The Islands of Les Saintes (Îles des Saintes) (translated as “Isles of All Saints”) have common geographical coordinates: 15°50′ N. w. 61°35′ W d. This island group is located south of the island of Basse-Terre and consists of the two largest islands, Terre-de-Haut and Terre-de-Basse, as well as 7 uninhabited small islets, among which Grand, Coche, Cabrit and Pato. The coast of almost all the islands of the group is replete with rocks and stones; the terrain is mountainous with increasing altitude closer to the central part of the islands. The highest points on the Terre-de-Basse and Terre-de-Haut islands are the peaks of the volcanic mountains Monet-Pacuety (209 meters above sea level) and Le Chafflot (308 meters), respectively. There are no natural sources of fresh water on the islands of the group. The total area of the Les Saintes Islands is just over 12 square kilometers.

Petite Terre Islands has geographical coordinates: 16°10′15″ N. w. 61°06′55″ W. d. This island group consists of two small islands - Terre-de-Basse and Terre-de-Haut and is located about 10 kilometers southeast of Grande-Terre Island. The relief of the islands is hilly, the shores are gentle, forming sandy beaches. Highest point of this island group are unnamed hills 8-10 meters high above sea level, located on the island of Terre-de-Basse. The total area of the Petite Terre islands is approximately 1.7 square kilometers.

Waterfall on the Corbet River.

Climate.

The climate on the Guadeloupe Islands is classified as tropical trade wind. The air temperature does not undergo significant fluctuations depending on the time of year and, as a rule, remains at around 24-27 °C. At the same time, the water temperature off the coast of the islands is also constant throughout the year and is approximately 22-24 °C. The islands experience increased humidity, which is slightly higher than the average for all islands of the Lesser Antilles archipelago. The average annual rainfall on the islands, mainly in the form of tropical heavy rainfall, is approximately 1700-2000 millimeters. The rainy season on the islands is considered to be from the beginning of July to the end of November. It happens that tropical hurricanes also hit the islands during this period, the power of which can be quite destructive.

A settlement on the island of Marie-Galante.

Population.

The population of the French overseas department of Guadeloupe, according to the 2011 census, is more than 404 thousand people who permanently reside on the islands of this territorial entity. In ethno-racial terms, the population of Guadeloupe is overwhelmingly black and mulatto, of whom more than 90% of the total population lives here. Immigrants from Europe, India, as well as Arabs, Indians and Chinese make up less than 10% in total. State language Guadeloupe is French, however, in everyday life you can hear the Creole language, formed on the basis of French.

The largest settlement in terms of population and at the same time the administrative center of the French overseas department of Guadeloupe is the port town of Basse-Terre, located on island of the same name and inhabited by about twelve thousand inhabitants. Among the others settlements Guadeloupe can be distinguished as Pointe-à-Pitre, Sainte-Rose, Pointe-Noire, Capsterre, Trois-Rivières, Saint-Louis, Le Mule, Anse Bertrand and others.

The main activities of the residents of the department of Guadeloupe are agriculture, fishing and processing industries, as well as services for incoming tourists.

The monetary unit currently in circulation in the French overseas department of Guadeloupe is the euro (EUR, code 978), consisting of 100 euro cents.

Le Chateau beach on Grande Terre island.

Flora and fauna.

Both the flora and fauna of the islands of Guadeloupe are not very rich, which is typical for the subjects of the Lesser Antilles archipelago.

The mountains on Basse Thera Island are covered with tropical rainforests. During the period of colonization, they were largely cut down, however, in some areas they still survived and largely form the ecosystem of the island. At the same time, on the island of Grande Terre rainforests have already been completely cut down.

The fauna is represented mainly by birds, reptiles and insects. Mammals are represented on the islands only by domestic species introduced by humans. In 1880, mongooses were introduced to some Guadeloupe islands to naturally combat rats, which caused significant damage to sugar cane plantings. Mongooses have taken root, and their population has become impressive. They first exterminated the rats, and then began to take care of local birds and animals.

The coastal sea and ocean waters around the Guadeloupe Islands are rich in fish, including commercial fish, mollusks and crustaceans.

The French authorities are currently paying significant attention to nature conservation. Territory uninhabited islands Petite Terre was declared a nature reserve back in 1998. Among the rare animals that live on the islands, one can distinguish the Antillean iguana, which is endemic. In addition, the Petite Terre islands are one of the most important points in the migration of migratory birds in the region. Green sea turtles lay their eggs on the coast of the islands.

Sainte-Anne beach on Grande Terre island.

Tourism.

Tourism on the islands of Guadeloupe is perhaps the main source of income for the local budget.

How to get to the Guadeloupe Islands sea view transport and aviation. Basic sea ports The Guadeloupes are capable of receiving vessels of various drafts and classes, because oceanic cruise ships not uncommon here. Besides by sea, numerous tourists arrive in Guadeloupe and aviation view transport. On the island of Grande Terre there is a international Airport Pointe-a-Pitre Le Raizet Airport, accepting flights from 28 European countries and North America, its passenger turnover is about 45,000 people per year.

When traveling by air, there is always a need to purchase cheap flight tickets, and all this must be done quickly, in as soon as possible and with a sufficient degree of reliability. For example, you can purchase plane tickets from Moscow to Simferopol online, without leaving your home and without even getting up from your computer, using the services of the service Biletix. Here you can also easily purchase tickets for other flights both throughout Russia and to other parts of the world. Reliability of order execution is guaranteed by the good reputation of the service and many years of painstaking work in this market. Numerous reviews from regular customers of this online service are only further confirmation of this.

To accommodate tourists arriving on the Guadeloupe Islands, there are currently about 30 hotels with a high level of service. All of them are located in the coastal zone of the islands of Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre and can simultaneously accommodate about 18 thousand guests. As a rule, such hotels are part of beach hotel complexes and, in addition to residential apartments, also have adjacent beaches, golf clubs, restaurants and other recreation and entertainment facilities. Among such complexes it is worth noting Sofitel Auberge de La Vieille Tour Guadeloupe, La Toubana, Auberge de la Vieille Tour Guadeloupe, Karibea Salako Beach resort, Plantation Sainte Marthe, Novotel Bas-du-Fort Guadeloupe and others. In addition to such complexes, a large number of tourists also stay in local hotels of a lower class. They are, as a rule, located in the urban areas of the islands' settlements and the level of service is inferior to the most eminent and well-known of their counterparts.

Tourists come to the Guadeloupe Islands mainly for beach holiday. Here are the most beautiful snow-white beaches, which are washed by the emerald waters of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The beaches of Guadeloupe are equipped with everything necessary for relaxation; there is a well-developed tourism infrastructure, entertainment and transport facilities operate. Guadeloupe, among other things, has long been largest center diving in the region. There are about 30 dive clubs here that provide diving for visiting tourists in the area of coral reefs, as well as in places where dozens of sunken ships of various historical periods and eras rest on the seabed.

Guadeloupe seems like just Europe. The first thing an arriving traveler sees is a postal machine, which weighs the letter and prints a stamp of the required denomination.

The second thing a traveler sees is a mailbox on a leg (like in Mayotte or Algeria).

The third thing the traveler sees is a large mailbox (like in Reunion or French Guiana).

The third thing a traveler sees is a big mailbox (like in Reunion or French Guiana).

The fourth thing the traveler sees is the post office.

The fourth thing a traveler sees is a post office.

The fifth thing a traveler sees is subscription mailboxes(as in Martinique).

The fifth thing a traveler sees is individual recipients’ mailboxes (like in Martinique).

Guadeloupe is a possession of France. That's why all the details here are French. The road signs alone say it all.

Guadeloupe is a French possession. Consequently, all the details here are French. The directional signs alone say it all.

Ultra-fashionable pedestrian traffic light.

An ultra-fashionable pedestrian light.

Garbage bins.

Trash dumpsters.

Tanks for separate waste collection.

Recycling dumpsters.

The roads are lined with billboard ads.

For some reason, all the hydrants have their decorative flaps open. The result is an object that looks like a flying ladybug.

For some reason, the decorative cover panels on all the fire hydrants are open. The resulting object resembles a ladybug about to take flight.

Here we are in the capital.

And here we are in the capital.

The city is considered unsafe.

A modern wordless version with the same message. In the sign’s bottom right corner is a type of parking timer (compare to Saint Barthélemy).

Parking meter.

A parking meter.

Guadalupe women are large.

It might be useful to read: