GUADELOUPE

guadeloupe, a french colony in the west indies, lying between the british islands of montserrat on the n., and dominica on the s., between 15 deg. 59' and 16 deg. 20' n. and 61 deg. 31' and 61 deg. 50' w. it consists of two entirely distinct islands, separated by a narrow arm of the sea, riviere salee (salt river), varying from 100 ft. to 400 ft. in width and navigable for small vessels. the western island, a rugged mass of ridges, peaks and lofty uplands, is called basse-terre, while the eastern and smaller island, the real low-land, is known as grande-terre. a sinuous ridge runs through basse-terre from n. to s. in the north-west rises the peak of grosse montagne (2370 ft.), from which sharp spurs radiate in all directions; near the middle of the west coast are the twin heights of les mamelles (2536 ft. and 2368 ft.). farther south the highest elevation is attained in la soufriere (4900 ft.). in 1797 this volcano was active, and in 1843 its 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 cloud-capped mountains being clothed with a mantle of luxuriant vegetation. on grande-terre the highest elevation is only 450 ft., and this island is the seat of extensive sugar plantations. it consists of a plain composed mainly of limestone and a conglomerate of sand and broken shells known as _maconne de bon dieu_, much used for building. the bay between the two sections of guadeloupe on the north is called grand cul-de-sac marin, that on the south being petit cul-de-sac marin. basse-terre (364 sq. m.) is 28 m. 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 peninsula, chateaux point, stretching from the south-eastern extremity. basse-terre is watered by a considerable number of streams, most of which in the rainy season are liable to sudden floods (locally called _galions_), but grande-terre is practically destitute of springs, and the water-supply is derived almost entirely from ponds and cisterns. the west half of the island consists of a foundation of old eruptive rocks upon which rest the recent accumulations of the great volcanic cones, together with mechanical deposits derived from the denudation of the older rocks. grande-terre on the other hand, consists chiefly of nearly horizontal limestones lying conformably upon a series of fine tuffs and ashes, the whole belonging to the early part of the tertiary system (probably eocene and oligocene). occasional deposits of marl and limestone of late pliocene age rest unconformably upon these older beds; and near the coast there are raised coral reefs of modern date. the mean annual temperature is 78 deg. f., and the minimum 61 deg. f., and the maximum 101 deg. f. from july to november heavy rains fall, the annual average on the coast being 86 in., while in the interior it is much greater. guadeloupe is subject to terrible storms. in 1825 a hurricane destroyed the town of basse-terre, and grand bourg in marie galante suffered a like fate in 1865. the soil is rich and fruitful, sugar having long been its staple product. the other crops include cereals, cocoa, cotton, manioc, yams and rubber; tobacco, vanilla, coffee and bananas are grown, but in smaller quantities. over 30% of the total area is under cultivation, and of this more than 50% is under sugar. the centres of this industry are st 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 woods, but, being difficult of access, are not worked. salt and sulphur are the only minerals extracted, and in addition to the sugar _usines_, there are factories for the making of rum, liqueurs, chocolate, besides fruit-canning works and tanneries. france takes most of the exports; and next to france, the united states, great britain and india are the countries most interested in the import trade. the inhabitants of guadeloupe consist of a few white officials and planters, a few east indian immigrants from the french possessions in india, and the rest negroes and mulattoes. these mulattoes are famous for their grace and beauty of both form and feature. the women greatly outnumber the men, and there is a very large percentage of illegitimate births. pop. (1900) 182,112. the governor is assisted by a privy council, a director of the interior, a procurator-general and a paymaster, and there is also an elected legislative council of 30 members. the colony forms a department of france and is represented in the french parliament by a senator and two deputies. political elections are very eagerly contested, the mulatto element always striving to gain the preponderance of power. the seat of government, of the apostolic administration and of the court of 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 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 harbour has made it the chief port and commercial 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 canal (6748), st francois (5265), petit bourg (5110) and trois rivieres (5016), are the most important. round guadeloupe are grouped its dependencies, namely, la desirade, 6 m.