=============================================================

@Guadeloupe

Introduction Guadeloupe

Background:
Guadeloupe has been a French possession since 1635. The island of
Saint Martin is shared with the Netherlands; its southern portion is
named Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles and its
northern portion is named Saint-Martin and is part of Guadeloupe

Geography Guadeloupe

Location:
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic
Ocean, southeast of Puerto Rico

Geographic coordinates:
16 15 N, 61 35 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 1,780 sq km
note: Guadeloupe is an archipelago of nine inhabited islands,
including Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Desirade,
Iles des Saintes (2), Saint-Barthelemy, Iles de la Petite Terre, and
Saint-Martin (French part of the island of Saint Martin)
water: 74 sq km
land: 1,706 sq km

Area - comparative:
10 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
total: 10.2 km
border countries: Netherlands Antilles (Sint Maarten) 10.2 km

Coastline:
306 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity

Terrain:
Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior mountains;
Grande-Terre is low limestone formation; most of the seven other
islands are volcanic in origin

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Soufriere 1,484 m

Natural resources:
cultivable land, beaches and climate that foster tourism

Land use:
arable land: 11.24%
permanent crops: 3.55%
other: 85.21% (2001)

Irrigated land:
20 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
hurricanes (June to October); Soufriere de Guadeloupe is an active
volcano

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
a narrow channel, the Riviere Salee, divides Guadeloupe proper into
two islands: the larger, western Basse-Terre and the smaller,
eastern Grande-Terre

People Guadeloupe

Population:
444,515 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 24.4% (male 55,386; female 52,977)
15-64 years: 66.6% (male 146,772; female 149,314)
65 years and over: 9% (male 16,730; female 23,336) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 31.4 years
male: 30.6 years
female: 32.3 years (2004 est.)

Population grow