Trip Around the World Series: Caribbean - Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe, an overseas department of France, is located at the southern end of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles. To the northwest, it faces Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Kitts and Nevis across the Guadeloupe Strait, while to the south, it looks across the Dominica Strait toward Dominica. Guadeloupe consists of the main island of Guadeloupe, along with Marie-Galante, La Désirade, and the Îles des Saintes, covering an area of approximately 1,628 square kilometers.
The main island of Guadeloupe spans about 1,435 square kilometers, making it the second-largest island in the Lesser Antilles after Trinidad. Shaped like a butterfly, the island is divided into eastern and western parts. The eastern Grande-Terre Island, covering around 587 square kilometers, features flat terrain primarily composed of limestone. The western Basse-Terre Island, spanning 848 square kilometers, is a rugged volcanic island, home to La Soufrière volcano, which rises 1,467 meters and is the highest peak in the Lesser Antilles.
Guadeloupe has a population of about 380,000 (2023), with Black and mixed-race individuals comprising around 90%, White residents about 5%, and the remainder including Indians, Lebanese, and Chinese. French and Creole are widely spoken, with French as the official language. The capital is Basse-Terre.
Image 1: Monument commemorating the 531st anniversary of Columbus's landing (built in 1916)
Image 2: Visiting a rum distillery
Images 3-4: Hindu temple
Images 5-6: Exploring Basse-Terre
Image 7: Guadeloupe Parliament
Image 8: Guadeloupe Courthouse
Images 9-13: Streets of Basse-Terre
Images 19-20: La Soufrière volcano at the southern tip of Guadeloupe, featuring a hike through lush tropical rainforests to the 110-meter-high Carbet Falls.