Guadeloupe

The Guadeloupe

The origin of the word Guadeloupe comes from the time of the conquest of Spain by the Arabs. Indeed, much of the place names were then taken from the Arab language. Their Spanish pronunciation transformed them gradually. Thus the words beginning by " agua " take their origin from Arab " oued " which means river. This comparison is enough to show that the word Guadeloupe is also of Arab origin. By analyzing it, it is easy to find the primitive form Gua Al upe, which has the same meaning as oued el oub. Precisely that can be translated in river of love. That is added to the charm of this island.

Guadeloupe is located at the heart of the Antillo caribean arc (7° south of the Tropic of Cancer), between Montserrat and Domenica. Martinique is approximately 200 km (125 Miles) far in the South of Guadeloupe. It is the largest island of the French West Indies. Rich by its cosmopolitan population, its history , its environment, its gastronomy and its many-faceted culture.

The island has the shape of a butterfly, separated by the middle:

Grande Terre extends on 590 Km², it is the lowest part on the Atlantic East coast. The North and the East are plains leading on cliffs which plunge in the Atlantic. The South and the West formed by the argillaceous plain of Abymes leads to the Basse Terre by a marshy zone covered with a tropical vegetation called " mangrove ". The southern littoral offers fine and white sand beaches. Coral reefs stretch in the sea. It is also the tourist part, since most of the tourist infrastructures are localised there. The principal city is Pointe à Pitre true economic place of Guadeloupe.

Basse Terre 32 km (19 Miles) long, has a surface of 842 Km² and has an oval form, with mountainous massifs. The Soufrière volcano is the climax of the island with 1467 m (4400 feet), it is the highest volcano of the West Indian arc. On this part, one will find a wet and compact tropical forest. It receives much more rain than the Grande Terre.

In Basse Terre, there is more dense tropical vegetation with precious essences, with tree ferns. With the last created of the French National parks one can discover the largest book on nature. More than 300 km (188 Miles) of traces allow to discover fauna, water falls, bubbling sources, sulfurous water, craters, banana plantations and  the most interesting vestiges of a bygone past.

The major tourist asset of Guadeloupe is undoubtedly the large variety of its landscapes, the contrasts are astonishing, the nature is generous and disproportionate. The pallette is enriched by a multitude small îlets on the sea, more or less deserted, and five islands depending on Guadeloupe, each one different from its neighbor. The close dependences profit from a particularly dry climate. There are three Islands : Les Saintes, Marie-Gallante and La Désirade.

 
.