| Full name: | Department of Guadeloupe |
| Capital City: | Basse-Terre |
| Language: | French (official) |
| Currency: | Euro (€) |
| Religion: | Roman Catholic, Hindu & pantheistic African |
| National Anthem: | La Marseillaise |
| Newspaper: | Le Journal De St. Barth, Journal de St Barths, St. Barth Weekly. |
| Places to Visit: | Parc National de la Guadeloupe, Pointe-a-Pitre, Chutes du Carbet, Musée Du Rhum, Musée St-John Perse and much more. |
| Transport: | France is suitably connected with Guadeloupe, with flights flying between Paris and Point-à-Pitre. One can avail flights like Air France, Air Canada, Air Martinique, Air Guadeloupe. One may even avail rental car or taxis from the Guadeloupe Pole Caraïbes Airport. Boat may also be a suitable option for travelling where banana boats operate from the French West Indies and mainland France to this destination. |
| Shopping: | Perfume, liqueurs, Lalique crystal, fine-flavored rum, straw goods, handmade lace, bamboo hats, voodoo dolls, and aromatic Vetevier root goods. |
Introduction
Guadeloupe is one among the twenty-six regions of the French nation, which is an important part of the European Union.
Get the true spirits of the historical significance of the French bygone years or capture the feeling of the splendid architectural beauty of the Creole culture that the place has in store while jaunting to this location.
Catch up with the red roofed whitewashed houses to the picturesque fishing villages. Explore the vast expanses of Guadeloupe while perspiring on the rain forest trails and finally settling beneath a scenic waterfall, or ascend up the high peaks where volcano reeks in with steaming fumes.
Take the snapshot of wild orchids or experience sailing or snorkeling along the coral region where beauty is at its best.
Location Of Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is nestled in Caribbean island, which is lying in the midst of the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, towards the southeast of Puerto Rico.
Physical Map Of Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is constituted with five major islands like:
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The other islands that are part of this place are: Iles de la Petite Terre, Saint Barthélemy, and Saint Martin. Basse-Terre is known for its volcanic relief whereas Grande-Terre is composed of undulating hills and even landed plains.
Towards the north, Saint-Barthélemy and Saint Martin belong to the authoritative power of Guadeloupe. The lowest point of the place is the Caribbean Sea whereas the highest being the Soufriere.
Flag Of Guadeloupe
The regional flag of Guadeloupe is designed with a logo comprising of a tilted yellow colored stylized sun along with a bird that is set on a green and blue colored square against a white background. The word REGION GUADELOUPE is inscribed in the color yellow just beneath the logo.
Climate Of Guadeloupe
Witness an average climatic condition with unwavering monthly temperature in the land of Guadeloupe. This temperature is subjected to the breezy stimulating trade winds from the northeast part of the place.
- The months of December to May are considered as the Dry Season
- The months of June to November are Humid in nature.
One can notice down pouring accompanied with severe rainstorms frequently occurring round the year. The average temperature in the coastal region can ascend from 22-degree Celsius to 30 degree Celsius whereas the inland are subjected to 19 degree centigrade to 27 degree centigrade.
Summer is probably the best time to jaunt in this area when hotel rates are minimum and roads are less crowded. Winter may also be a probable alternative for touring to this destination especially during the Christmas and the New Year time. But don't forget to book in advance or you may land yourself nowhere without any accommodation. It is comparatively cooler in the rain forests and in the high-elevated areas.
Guadeloupe is prone to Hurricanes that hit the area during June to November, especially during the month of September.
Flora And Fauna Of Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is covered with innumerable species of flora and fauna that are distinct in its nature. One can sight a rare species of sweatwater sea lion known as Lamentin in this region, after which the village of the same name Lamentin originated.
From the black woodpecker of the rain forest to the moorhens within the Mangrove, one can come across several native birds of the region like colibris, sugar birds having yellow bellies, cow herons, blackbirds, wild ducks, sea pelicans, frigate birds, brown gannets and seagulls.
The Islands of Petite Terre and the Saintes is a cozy habitat to several species of colorful butterflies, racoon or "Ti-racoon", iguanas with lot more assortments.
From the Mangrove wooded areas to the swampy coastal trees the place is vibrant with several rain forest tress including the poisonous tree of Manchioneel. Basse-Terre boasts of kapok trees, huge rubber trees, hardwood trees of mahogany and chestnut, ferns, creepers, philodendra and several orchids. The savana region is coveral with high crippled trees of wild pineapples, moss and lichen.
Papaya and coconut from the Indian region, litchis from China sector, carambole from the area of Indonesia, goyava, avocado from Brazil, plums of Polynesia, bredfruit, filao and flamboyants from the Madagascar seem to have derieved here some million years ago.
The native flowers of the region are Bougainvillea, Alamanda, Hibiscus, Torch Ginger, Anthurium, Birds of Paradise, Alpinia and Lillies.
Tuna, Sailfish, Spearfish, Dolphins and Yellowfin can be frequently sighted within the area.
People Of Guadeloupe
A spell of the French language, culture, and cuisine can be experienced in the region of Guadeloupe where people are proud about their existence. The population is constituted with Creoles especially the mulatto, but the natives inhabited in the Saintes Island are white in nature. The minority groups prevailing here are the black and French-Amerindian groups. French being the official language of the region though creole dialect is widely accepted. The population is comprised of the Roman Catholic religion.
Arts, Culture And Music Of Guadeloupe
Arts: Philosophy, literature, poetry, theatre, painting, sculpture, architecture, and science and other relative fields gained a massive upsurge in the France. It was during the 18 th century; under the rule of Charlemagne the Carolingian churches were adorned with illustrative wall painting, mosaics, goldwork, and tapestries. But the Merovingian churches were based on the Roman basilica, festooned with stonewalls, timber adorned roofs, outstanding bell towers, and classical ornamentation.
Culture : One can purchase goodies from the Local trade Fairs that are held here or watch the game of two cocks fighting within the cockpit, or participate in the festival of the cookers, or gaze at the pulling oxen races that are occasionally celebrated within the region.
Music: The rhythmic tunes and sounds of Guadeloupe seemed to have originated from the French, English, Spanish and African influences that enriched the native music of the region.
The music expanded in the XVIIth Century, which maintained same principles like that of the Creole language.
The Gwo-ka style was constituted here within the sugarcane fields during the slavery period, which was formed by Guy Konket and their group " Ka ". The Gwo-ka style emerged as a rural music that was accompanied with a drum. Today, the Sainte Anne Festival celebrated in July carries on the traditional music of the Gwo-ka.
The New Orleans added rhythm to the jazz orchestra of the region that is well conceived within the dance, performed in a wonderful way with the help of balls.
Zouk emerged since 1980 as a popular music genre as far as West-Indian music is concerned. Zouk was previously a popular form of carnival celebration held in the countryside, which became famous, worldwide with the composition of bands like Zouk Machine, Malavoi and Kassav. Zouk's origins can be sighted in the folk music of Martinique and Guadeloupe, particularly in Martinican chouval bwa, Guadeloupan gwo ka, and the pan-Caribbean calypso
Carnival is a popular form of festival where Music is played where Gwo ka passes through each and every corner of the island, while performing the music of mizik vide. The carnival dances are termed as laghia, haut-taille, grage, calinda and bel-air in their native language.
The native music instruments used here are chacha, makyé, boula, tanbou chan and tanbou bas drums.
It is the independentist People's Union for the Liberation of Guadeloupe has anticipated a national flag for the region, which would be just similar to the Suriname.
The Flag of Suriname is designed with five parallel bands of green in the topside that too in double width, white, red which is of quadruple width, white, and green that is of double the width. A large yellow colored five-pointed star is situated in the midst of the red band.
Presently the official national flag of the region is the French tricolore, having three perpendicular bands that are colored in blue from the hoist side, white, and red.
ECONOMY OF GUADELOUPE
Guadeloupe reckons on the agricultural sector, tourism industry, light trade, and services. The huge amount of subsidies retained from the France earns a major portion of revenue for the country. The major source of income returns within the country come from the tourism industry as innumerable cruise ships bank on the island. Apart from the production of sugarcane, eggplant, and flowers, bananas individually share apparently 50 percent of the export earning within the country.
Guadeloupe is mainly dependant on the imported products from the France.
- The imported items within the region are: foodstuffs, fuels, vehicles, clothing and other consumer goods, construction materials.
- Exported commodities in the place are bananas, sugar and rum.
- The industries thriving in the region are construction, cement, rum, sugar and tourism
