| AREA |
Total:
1780 sq km (687.3 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:
95 sq km (37 sq miles). St Martin (which
shares the island with St Maarten, part
of the Netherlands Antilles): 88 sq km (34
sq miles). |
| POPULATION |
413,900 (1996). |
| POPULATION DENSITY |
232.5 per sq km. |
| CAPITAL |
Basse-Terre (administrative). |
| CAPITAL
POPULATION |
14,100 (1990). Pointe-à-Pitre,
on Grande Terre (commercial centre). Population:
26,069 (1990). |
| GEOGRAPHY |
Guadeloupe comprises
Guadeloupe proper (Basse-Terre), Grande-Terre
(separated from Basse-Terre by a narrow
sea channel) and five smaller islands. Basse-Terre
has a rough volcanic relief whilst Grande
Terre features rolling hills and flat plains.
All the islands have beautiful white- or
black-sand palm-fringed beaches. There are
also many lush mountainous areas with stunning
and unspoiled tropical scenery. |
| GOVERNMENT |
Guadeloupe is an Overseas
Department of France and as such is an integral
part of the French Republic. Head of State:
President Jacques Chirac since 1995, represented
locally by Prefect Jean Fedini since 1996.
Head of Government: Marcellin Lubeth, President
of the General Council since 1998. |
| LANGUAGE |
The official language
is French. The lingua franca is Creole. |
| RELIGION |
The majority are Roman
Catholic, with a minority of predominantly
Evangelical protestant groups. |
| STANDARD TIME |
GMT - 4. |
| ELECTRICITY |
220 volts AC, 50Hz. |
| COMMUNICATIONS |
|
|
