Terre-de-Haut Island

Terre-de-Haut Island

Terre-de-Haut view from Chameau hill.
Geography
Location	Caribbean sea
Coordinates	15°52′N 61°34′W
Archipelago	Îles des Saintes
Total islands	9
Major islands	Terre-de-Bas Island
Area	5.2 km2 (2.01 sq mi)
Highest elevation	306 m (1,004 ft)
Highest point	Chameau hill
Country
France
Overseas department	Guadeloupe
Canton	les Saintes
commune	Terre-de-Haut
Largest city	Fond-du-Curé
Mayor	Louis Molinié
Demographics
Population	1838 (as of 2006 census)
Density	352 /km2 (912 /sq mi)

Terre-de-Haut Island (officially in french :Terre-de-Haut des Saintes (literally: highland of les Saintes)) is an island in the Îles des Saintes archipelago, in the Lesser Antilles. It belongs to the commune (municipality) of Terre-de-Haut into the french department of Guadeloupe. The bay of Terre-de-Haut is one of the most beautiful bay of the world including the club of the most beautiful bay of the world in 2001.

Geography

Description

Terre-de-Haut island is the most oriental island of the archipelago of les Saintes. Like its neighbour Terre-de-Bas, It holds its name from the maritime vocabulary which called the islands exposed to the wind hightland and those protected from the wind , lowlands. It is an island of 5.2 km² (2.0 sq mi) dominated in the North by Morne Mire hill (107 metres (351 ft)) and Morel hill (136 metres (446 ft)) and in the South by Chameau hill 306 metres (1,004 ft), the highest mount of the island and the entire archipelago. Terre-de-Haut is separate from Terre-de-Bas by a narrow channel of 890 m (0.55 mi). Besides Terre-de-Bas, several small islands surround Terre-de-Haut :

• les Roches Percées
• Îlet à Cabrit
• la Redonde
• Grand-Îlet
• la Coche
• les Augustins
• le Pâté

A remarkable peninsula called Pain de sucre (Sugar loaf) with the height of (53 metres (174 ft)) is linked to Terre-de-Haut by an isthmus.

Populated areas

Small villages are seen spread out in the rolling hills in the interior. Fond-du-Curé, the most important village of the island is located in a natural harbour. Yachts and cruise boats are a common sight in the harbour. The oldest settlement still remaining is the villages of Mouillage and Fond-du curé. The population is spread among 20 quartiers (district), more or less well delimited. They are grouped into two halves:

Au vent (Windward)		Sous le Vent (Leeward)
Nr	Quartier	Nr	Quartier
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10	Pompierre Marigot Vieille-Anse Fort Napoléon Maison blanche la Coulée Coquelet Anse-Mire Mouillage Grande-Anse	11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20	Fond-du-Curé la Savane Anse Rodrigue Anse Galet Prés Cassin la Convalescence Anse Figuier Pain de sucre Anse à Cointe Anse Crawen

The local vocabulary says: "to go up" to move towards the windward quartier (to Fort Napoléon) and "to go down" to move towards the leeward quartier (to Pain-de-sucre).

Marigot (Terre-de-Haut)

Demography

The inhospitable relief and the low precipitation do not allow the establishment of agriculture. Few slaves were brought onto these islands. The population is constituted historically by Bretons, Normans and by inhabitants of Poitou who settled down to fish. This explains the European type of the people from les Saintes (Saintois) French: [sɛtwa] ( listen) (French gentilic of the inhabitants of les Saintes).

In 2006 the population of Terre-de-Haut is established like this:

1,838 inhabitants was the average between 1999 and 2006, with a density of population of 306 inhabitants / km2. The number of households is 693.

Climate

Main article: Climate of les Saintes

Language

Main article: Language of les Saintes

History

Main article: History of les Saintes

Pain de sucre (Terre-de-Haut)

Culture

Main article: Culture of les Saintes

Economy

Main article: Economy of les Saintes

The island lives essentially on fishing and tourism. Its fishermen are recognized through the Caribbean islands as being among the best.

The island contains a UCPA center which account 60 bungalow, and approximately 120 trainees every week. it closes only two months in the year because of the weather conditions.

Environment

Main article: Environment of les Saintes

Transport

Main article: Transport in les Saintes

To see

• The bay of les Saintes (the second most beautiful bay of the world)
• The museum and the botanical garden of Napoleon fort
• The natural reserves of Chameau and "Morel" hill.
• "Caroline Artillery battery" (Morel hill) and "Modele Tower" (Chameau hill)
• The french navy cemetery of Terre-de-Haut
• The lighthouse of the Port of Terre-de-Haut.
• The "Bateau des îles" or the house in the shape of bow of ship
• The chapel of the Calvary
• The square of the Governor Lion or square of the port, with its colored houses.
• The organs pipes of basalt of Pain de sucre
• Notre Dame de l'Assomption's church
• The diving sites
• The multiple beaches (Anse Crawen, Pompierre, Anse Rodrigue, Anse Figuier, Marigot beach, Anse Mire, Grande-Anse, Vieille Anse , Anse à Cointre, Pain de Sucre Etc.)

See also

• Îles des Saintes
• Dependencies of Guadeloupe
• UCPA