Basse Terre Island

Basse-Terre

Map of places of interest in Basse-Terre, the western part of Guadeloupe, a French Antilles island.
Geography
Location	Caribbean Sea
Coordinates	16°08′58″N 61°40′41″W / 16.14944°N 61.67806°W / 16.14944; -61.67806Coordinates: 16°08′58″N 61°40′41″W / 16.14944°N 61.67806°W / 16.14944; -61.67806
Archipelago	Leeward Islands
Area	847.8 km2 (327.3 sq mi)
Highest elevation	1,467 m (4,813 ft)
Highest point	Soufrière
Administration
France
Overseas department	Guadeloupe
Largest settlement	Baie-Mahault (pop. 28,893 as 2007)
Demographics
Population	186,661 (2006)
Pop. density	220 /km2 (570 /sq mi)
Ethnic groups	Black / Mulatto 76%, White 4%, from Tamil Nadu and other parts of India 18%, Lebanese / Syrians 1%, Chinese / others 1%

For the largest city on the island of Basse-Terre and capital of Guadeloupe, see Basse-Terre. For the capital of Saint Kitts and Nevis see Basseterre.

Basse-Terre Island (French: île de Basse-Terre or île de la Basse-Terre) is the name of the western-half of Guadeloupe proper, in the Lesser Antilles. To the South lies Les Saintes and Dominica. In the North-East, it is separated from the other half of Guadeloupe proper, Grande-Terre, by a narrow sea channel called the Rivière Salée (in English Salt River).

Basse-Terre Island has a land area of 847.8 km² (327.3 sq mi). At the 2006 census the population of Basse-Terre Island was 186,661 inhabitants living in 16 communes (municipalities). The population density was 220 inhabitants per square kilometre (570/sq mi). The largest city on Basse-Terre Island is the city of Basse-Terre which had 37,455 inhabitants in its urban area at the 2006 census. The city of Basse-Terre is the prefecture (capital) of Guadeloupe.

Despite its name, Basse-Terre Island (literally "Low Land" Island, "Down Land" Island) is the highest island of Guadeloupe, rising to 1,467 metres (4,813 feet) above sea level at the Soufrière volcano. The name of the island is the result of French terminology used in the Caribbean in the 17th century. In the Caribbean, the prevailing winds blow from the northeast (see trade wind), thus the western side of the Caribbean islands, the leeward side (in French, côte sous le vent), protected from the trade winds, was called the Basse-Terre ("Down Land") in 17th-century French because it is situated downwind compared to the eastern side of the Caribbean islands, the windward side (in French, côte au vent), which is exposed to the trade winds and was called the Cabesterre.