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GUADELOUPE

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Originally appearing in Volume V12, Page 645 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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GUADELOUPE , a See also:

French See also:colony in the See also:West Indies, lying between the See also:British islands of See also:Montserrat on the N., and See also:Dominica on the S., between 15° 59' and 16° 20' N. and 61° 31' and 61° 50' W. It consists of two entirely distinct islands, separated by a narrow See also:arm of the See also:sea, See also:Riviere Salee (See also:Salt See also:river), varying from too ft. to 400 ft. in width and navigable for small vessels. The western See also:island, a rugged See also:mass of ridges, peaks and lofty uplands, is called Basse-Terre, while the eastern and smaller island, the real See also:low-See also:land, is known as Grande-Terre. A sinuous See also:ridge runs through Basse-Terre from N. to S. In the See also:north-west rises the See also:peak of See also:Grosse Montagne (2370 ft.), from which See also:sharp spurs radiate in all directions; near the See also:middle of the west See also:coast are the twin heights of See also:Les Mamelles (2536 ft. and 2368 ft.). Farther See also:south the highest See also:elevation is attained in La Soufriere (4900 ft.). In 1797 this See also:volcano was active, and in 1843 its See also:convulsions laid several towns in ruins; but a few thermal springs and solfataras emitting vapour are now its only signs of activity. The range terminates in the extreme south in the jagged peak of Caraibe (2300 ft.). Basse-Terre is supremely beautiful, its See also:cloud-capped mountains being clothed with a See also:mantle of luxuriant vegetation. On Grande-Terre the highest elevation is only 450 ft., and this island is the seat of extensive See also:sugar plantations. It consists of a See also:plain composed mainly of See also:limestone and a See also:conglomerate of See also:sand and broken shells known as maconne de bon dieu, much used for See also:building. The See also:bay between the two sections of Guadeloupe on the north is called See also:Grand Cul-de-See also:Sac Marin, that on the south being See also:Petit Cul-de-Sac Marin.

Basse-Terre (364 sq. m.) is 28 m. See also:

long by 12 M. to 15 m." wide; Grande-Terre (255 sq. m.) is 22 M. long from N. to S., of irregular shape, with a long See also:peninsula, Chateaux Point, stretching from the south-eastern extremity. Basse-Terre is watered by a considerable number of streams, most of which in the See also:rainy See also:season are liable to sudden floods (locally called gallons), but Grande-Terre is practically destitute of springs, and the See also:water-See also:supply is derived almost entirely from ponds and cisterns. The west See also:half of the island consists of a See also:foundation of old eruptive rocks upon which See also:rest the See also:recent accumulations of the See also:great volcanic cones, together with See also:mechanical deposits derived from the denudation of the older rocks. Grande-Terre on the other See also:hand, consists chiefly of nearly See also:horizontal limestones lying conformably upon a See also:series of See also:fine tuffs and ashes, the whole belonging to the See also:early See also:part of the See also:Tertiary See also:system (probably See also:Eocene and Oligocene). Occasional deposits of See also:marl and limestone of See also:late See also:Pliocene See also:age rest unconformably upon these older beds; and near the coast there are raised See also:coral reefs of See also:modern date. The mean See also:annual temperature is 78° F., and the minimum 61° F., and the maximum toe F. From See also:July to See also:November heavy rains fall, the annual See also:average on the coast being 86 in., while in the interior it is much greater. Guadeloupe is subject to terrible storms. In 1825 a See also:hurricane destroyed the See also:town of Basse-Terre, and Grand Bourg in See also:Marie Galante suffered a like See also:fate in 1865. The See also:soil is See also:rich and fruitful, sugar having long been its See also:staple product. The other crops include cereals, See also:cocoa, See also:cotton, manioc, yams and See also:rubber; See also:tobacco, See also:vanilla, See also:coffee and bananas are grown, but in smaller quantities. Over 30% of the See also:total See also:area is under cultivation, and of this more than 5o% is under sugar.

The centres of this See also:

industry are St See also:Anne, Pointe-a-Pitre and Le Moule, where there are well-equipped usines, and there is also a large usine at Basse-Terre. The' forests, confined to the island of Basse-Terre, are extensive and rich in valuable See also:woods, but, being difficult of See also:access, are not worked. Salt and See also:sulphur are the only See also:mineral's extracted, and in addition to the sugar usines, there are factories for the making of See also:rum, See also:liqueurs, See also:chocolate, besides See also:fruit-See also:canning See also:works and tanneries. See also:France takes most of the exports; and next to France, the See also:United States, Great See also:Britain and See also:India are the countries most interested in the import See also:trade. The inhabitants of Guadeloupe consist of a few See also:white officials and planters, a few See also:East See also:Indian immigrants from the French possessions in India, and the rest negroes and mulattoes. These mulattoes are famous for their See also:grace and beauty of both See also:form and feature. The See also:women greatly outnumber the men, and there is a very large percentage of illegitimate births. Pop. (1900) 182,112. The See also:governor is assisted by a privy See also:council, a director of the interior, a See also:procurator-See also:general and a paymaster, and there is also an elected legislative council of 30 members. The colony forms a See also:department of France and is represented in the French See also:parliament by a senator and two deputies. See also:Political elections are very eagerly contested, the See also:mulatto See also:element always striving to gain the preponderance of See also:power.

The seat of See also:

government, of the Apostolic See also:administration and of the See also:court of See also:appeal is at Basse-Terre (7762), which is situated on the south-west coast of the island of that name. It is a picturesque, healthy town See also:standing on an open roadstead. Pointe-a-Pitre (17,242), the largest town, lies in Grande-Terre near the mouth of the Riviere Salee. Its excellent See also:harbour has made it the See also:chief See also:port and commercial See also:capital of the colony. Le Moule (10,378) on the east coast of Grande-Terre does a considerable export trade in sugar, despite its poor harbour. Of the other towns, St Anne (9497), Morne a l'Eau (8442), Petit See also:Canal (6748), St See also:Francois (5265), Petit Bourg (5110) and Trois Rivieres (5(316), are the most important. See also:Round Guadeloupe are grouped its dependencies, namely, La Desirade, 6 m. E., a narrow rugged island 10 sq. m. in area; Marie Galante 16 m. S.E. Les See also:Saintes, a See also:group of seven small islands, 7 M. S., one of the strategic points of the See also:Antilles, with a magnificent and strongly fortified See also:naval harbour; St See also:Martin, 142 M. N.N.W.; and St See also:Bartholomew, 130 M.

N.N.W. See also:

History.—Guadeloupe was discovered by See also:Columbus in 1493, and received its name in See also:honour of the monastery of S. Maria de Guadalupe at See also:Estremadura in See also:Spain. In 1635 l'See also:Olive and Duplessis took See also:possession of it in the name of the French See also:Company of the Islands of See also:America, and 1'O1ive exterminated the Caribs with great See also:cruelty. Four chartered companies were ruined in their attempts to colonize the island, and in 1674 it passed into the possession of the French See also:crown and long remained a dependency of See also:Martinique. After unsuccessful attempts in 1666, 1691 and 17o3, the British captured the island in 1759, and held it for four years. Guadeloupe was finally separated from Martinique in 1775, but it remained under the governor of the French Windward Islands. In 1782 See also:Rodney defeated the French See also:fleet near the island, and the British again obtained possession in See also:April 1794, but in the following summer they were driven out by See also:Victor See also:Hugues with the assistance of the slaves whom he had liberated for the purpose. In 1802 See also:Bonaparte, then first See also:consul, sent an expedition to the island in See also:order to re-establish See also:slavery, but, after a heroic See also:defence, many of the negroes preferred See also:suicide to submission. During the See also:Hundred Days in 181o, the British once more occupied the island, but, in spite of its cession to See also:Sweden by the treaty of 1813 and a French invasion in 1814, they did not withdraw till 1816. Between 1816 and 1825 the See also:code of See also:laws See also:peculiar to the island was introduced. Municipal institutions were established in 1837; and slavery was finally abolished in 1848.

End of Article: GUADELOUPE

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