Capesterre-Belle-Eau
Encyclopedia
Capesterre-Belle-Eau is a commune in the French
overseas region and department of Guadeloupe
, in the Lesser Antilles
. It is located in the south-east of Basse-Terre Island
. Capesterre-Belle-Eau covers an area of 103.3 km² (39.884 sq mi) and the population as of 1999 is 19,568. The population density is 189 persons per km2. The inhabitants are called Capesterriens. The mayor is Joël Beaugendre.
On 4 November 1493, Christopher Columbus
's second voyage unloaded here, where Columbus would have met Amerindians. In order to commemorate this event, a bust of the navigator was raised in 1916 at the entry of Sainte-Marie.
In the 18th century, Charles Houel gave land to Dutch colonists driven out of Brazil
, so that they could grow sugar cane there. After the abolition of chattel slavery in 1848, India
n indentured workers were hired to replace the now-freed slaves on the plantations. They built a temple to practice their religion in the Shangy district.
Its name comes from an expression of the navy of the 17th century: cab-be-ground, which indicates a ground exposed to the east wind. The abundance of the cascades, the rivers and the water levels led to the addition of the phrase Belle Eau, hence the name Capesterre-Belle-Eau.
Trade winds, called alizés, blow from the northeast and often temper the climate.
growing, thanks to the high quality of the soil. There are many banana plantations located around Capesterre-Belle-Eau. Also, farmers cultivate sugar cane, cocoa, vanilla
, coffee
, pineapple
s and vegetable
s of all kinds.
Temple in Chansy with its face ornamented by colorful statues.
The road, towards Capesterre-Belle-Eau is bordered for more than 1 km (0.621372736649807 mi) by two double lines of royal palm trees. The first lines (350 palm trees) were planted in 1850 by the writer Pinel Dumanoir to delimit his property.
Bois Debout estate was the holiday house for the poet, St-John Perse, where he spent his holidays in Guadeloupe.
Near the Bois Debout estate, on a small way leading to an underwood, a flagstone in the Cemetery of the Slaves, requires the visitors to “Honor and Respect” the memory of the slaves. Several tens of un-named tombs oriented “head towards Africa” are there.
Carbet Falls
comprises three cascades, and is a main attraction in Basse-Terre.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
overseas region and department of Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
, in the Lesser Antilles
Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...
. It is located in the south-east of Basse-Terre Island
Basse-Terre Island
Basse-Terre Island is the name of the western-half of Guadeloupe proper, in the Lesser Antilles. It is separated from the other half of Guadeloupe proper, Grande-Terre, by a narrow sea channel called the Rivière Salée ....
. Capesterre-Belle-Eau covers an area of 103.3 km² (39.884 sq mi) and the population as of 1999 is 19,568. The population density is 189 persons per km2. The inhabitants are called Capesterriens. The mayor is Joël Beaugendre.
History
Petroglyphs discovered in the rivers of Peru and Bananier show the presence of American Indians.On 4 November 1493, Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
's second voyage unloaded here, where Columbus would have met Amerindians. In order to commemorate this event, a bust of the navigator was raised in 1916 at the entry of Sainte-Marie.
In the 18th century, Charles Houel gave land to Dutch colonists driven out of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, so that they could grow sugar cane there. After the abolition of chattel slavery in 1848, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n indentured workers were hired to replace the now-freed slaves on the plantations. They built a temple to practice their religion in the Shangy district.
Geography
The town is located at the south-east of the Basse-Terre and is located south of the Capesterre River. Basse-Terre, the capital is 26 km (16.2 mi) south-west and Pointe-à-Pitre is 35 km (21.7 mi) north-north-east.Its name comes from an expression of the navy of the 17th century: cab-be-ground, which indicates a ground exposed to the east wind. The abundance of the cascades, the rivers and the water levels led to the addition of the phrase Belle Eau, hence the name Capesterre-Belle-Eau.
Climate
Like any other Eastern Caribbean city, Capesterre-Belle-Eau experiences quite evenly spread rainfall during the year, with a wetter season between July and November which coincides with hurricane season. The city receives 2000–2500 mm of rainfall. Tropical heat brings constant highs of around 32°C (89°F) that drop to 20°C (68°F) at night.Trade winds, called alizés, blow from the northeast and often temper the climate.
Economy
Capesterre-Belle-Eau economy is geared towards agricultural production, particularly bananaBanana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
growing, thanks to the high quality of the soil. There are many banana plantations located around Capesterre-Belle-Eau. Also, farmers cultivate sugar cane, cocoa, vanilla
Vanilla
Vanilla is a flavoring derived from orchids of the genus Vanilla, primarily from the Mexican species, Flat-leaved Vanilla . The word vanilla derives from the Spanish word "", little pod...
, coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
, pineapple
Pineapple
Pineapple is the common name for a tropical plant and its edible fruit, which is actually a multiple fruit consisting of coalesced berries. It was given the name pineapple due to its resemblance to a pine cone. The pineapple is by far the most economically important plant in the Bromeliaceae...
s and vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
s of all kinds.
Sights
The HinduHindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
Temple in Chansy with its face ornamented by colorful statues.
The road, towards Capesterre-Belle-Eau is bordered for more than 1 km (0.621372736649807 mi) by two double lines of royal palm trees. The first lines (350 palm trees) were planted in 1850 by the writer Pinel Dumanoir to delimit his property.
Bois Debout estate was the holiday house for the poet, St-John Perse, where he spent his holidays in Guadeloupe.
Near the Bois Debout estate, on a small way leading to an underwood, a flagstone in the Cemetery of the Slaves, requires the visitors to “Honor and Respect” the memory of the slaves. Several tens of un-named tombs oriented “head towards Africa” are there.
Carbet Falls
Carbet Falls
Carbet Falls is a series of waterfalls on the Carbet River in Guadeloupe, an overseas department of France located in the Leeward Islands of the eastern Caribbean region. Its three cascades are set amid the tropical rainforests on the lower slopes of the volcano La Soufrière...
comprises three cascades, and is a main attraction in Basse-Terre.