Dependence of Guadeloupe
Encyclopedia
The dependences of Guadeloupe are the French islands connected with the overseas department of Guadeloupe
. They are nearby island entities in the South and east of Guadeloupe island. Previously completed by the islands of Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin for its French side, become autonomous, they are now composed by three territories:
By opposition of the former dependences of the North (Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin), they take the naming of "Southern islands of Guadeloupe". Recently the amalgam between the department of Guadeloupe (french institutional entity including Guadeloupe island and the dependences) and the island of Guadeloupe itself provokes the appearance of unofficial expressions of: archipelago of Guadeloupe or islands of Guadeloupe which remain only an administrative reality.
.
According to the constitution
of the French Fifth Republic
revised and the guidance law for overseas or Paul's law (march 18th, 2000) establishing the congress, every dependence has the possibility to upgrade in Overseas collectivity into the 74th article of the french constitution form and to free itself from the Guadeloupean administration if their elected representatives make the request. Institutional case that the former dependences that was Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin used.
These islands are divised in cantons
and subdivised in communes
including the two arrondissements
and three of the four constituencies (circonscription in french)
of Guadeloupe
which is a department of France.
On december 7th, 2003, the dependences, included into the department of Guadeloupe, participated in the referendum on the institutional evolution of that french Overseas Department and rejected it by a majority of "NO" .
During the 2009 French Caribbean general strikes
, the supply of stores was very perturbed like other places in Guadeloupe, but these strikes were mostly concerning Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) (weakly presented on these islands) and the maritime transport companies tried hard to find some Gasoil to assure most of the connections..
Nicolas Sarkozy
, declared, at the end of the conflict, the opening of États-Généraux de l'Outre-mer (literally, "Estates general of french overseas"). Several study groups was created among which one of the local governance, brought to conceive an institutional modification project or a new status of Guadeloupe with or without emancipation of its last dependences. The conferences of the " southern islands" (Marie Galante, les Saintes and la Désirade) were opened in parallel. Problems common to these islands are exposed in six study groups: the equality of opportunity, the territorial continuity, the local governance, the local economic development, the insertion by the activity and tourism.
On May 12th, 2009, the french overseas Minister, Yves Jégo
, at the end of these conferences, came for an official visit to les Saintes for the seminary of the dependences of Guadeloupe. He took into account the identical reality and the political hopes of these islands, to improve the territorial continuity, to reduce the effects of the double-insularity, the abolition of the dependence to Guadeloupe, national representation, the development of the attractiveness of the labor pool in the zone, the fight against the depopulation, the tax system and the expensive life. For the moment he announced the signature of a contract baptized "COLIBRI" (literally, "hummingbird") (Contract for the Employment and the Local Initiatives in the Regional Pond of the Southern Islands of Guadeloupe), a convention of Grouping of Public Interest for Arrangement and Development ( G.I.P.A.D) and a proposition of statutory evolution in final, as exposed him the study group of governance, the collective of the southern islands of Guadeloupe and the elected representatives, on the basis of 74th article of the french constitution.
Les Saintes, like Marie Galante, aspires to the creation of an Overseas collectivity for each entity of the Southern islands or combining the three dependences, on the same plan as the old northern islands of Guadeloupe (Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin). Marie-Luce Penchard
, Born inhabitant of Guadeloupe, become french minister for overseas territories, on November 6th, 2009, seems wildly opposite to the initial project of her predecessor and delays applying it.
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...
. They are nearby island entities in the South and east of Guadeloupe island. Previously completed by the islands of Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin for its French side, become autonomous, they are now composed by three territories:
- Îles des SaintesÎles des SaintesThe Îles des Saintes , also called simply Les Saintes , is a small archipelago of French Antilles located in the South of Basse-Terre Island, on the West of Marie-Galante and in the North of Dominica in the arc of Lesser Antilles...
- Marie-GalanteMarie-GalanteMarie-Galante is an island of the Caribbean Sea located at the south of Guadeloupe and at north of Dominica. Marie-Galante is a dependence of Guadeloupe which is a french overseas department....
- la DésiradeLa DésiradeLa Désirade is a French West Indies island located at the eastern of Guadeloupe, in the Lesser Antilles.It has a land area of 20.64 km² and a population of 1,595 in 2006 , with a population density of 77 inh. per km² in 2006...
By opposition of the former dependences of the North (Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin), they take the naming of "Southern islands of Guadeloupe". Recently the amalgam between the department of Guadeloupe (french institutional entity including Guadeloupe island and the dependences) and the island of Guadeloupe itself provokes the appearance of unofficial expressions of: archipelago of Guadeloupe or islands of Guadeloupe which remain only an administrative reality.
Status and Administration
From their incorporation into Guadeloupe, the dependences benefit of the departmental status and are integrated into the policy of assimilation into the French territory according to the 73th article of the french constitution. They are also integrated in ultra peripherals regions of European UnionEuropean Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
.
According to the constitution
Constitution of France
The current Constitution of France was adopted on 4 October 1958. It is typically called the Constitution of the Fifth Republic, and replaced that of the Fourth Republic dating from 1946. Charles de Gaulle was the main driving force in introducing the new constitution and inaugurating the Fifth...
of the French Fifth Republic
French Fifth Republic
The Fifth Republic is the fifth and current republican constitution of France, introduced on 4 October 1958. The Fifth Republic emerged from the collapse of the French Fourth Republic, replacing the prior parliamentary government with a semi-presidential system...
revised and the guidance law for overseas or Paul's law (march 18th, 2000) establishing the congress, every dependence has the possibility to upgrade in Overseas collectivity into the 74th article of the french constitution form and to free itself from the Guadeloupean administration if their elected representatives make the request. Institutional case that the former dependences that was Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin used.
These islands are divised in cantons
Cantons of France
The cantons of France are territorial subdivisions of the French Republic's 342 arrondissements and 101 departments.Apart from their role as organizational units in certain aspects of the administration of public services and justice, the chief purpose of the cantons today is to serve as...
and subdivised in communes
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
including the two arrondissements
Arrondissements of France
The 101 French departments are divided into 342 arrondissements, which may be translated into English as districts.The capital of an arrondissement/district is called a subprefecture...
and three of the four constituencies (circonscription in french)
Constituency (France)
France is divided into 577 constituencies for the legislative elections . Members of Parliament to the National Assembly are elected in a two round system to a term fixed to a maximum of five years...
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...
which is a department of France.
Economic situation analysis
In spite of an enormous tourist potential, the economy of the dependences is very weakened. The major part of sites benefits more to Guadeloupe which values them by favoring the one-day hike visit instead of full stay. Only les Saintes, welcoming cruise and yacht tourism can have its own tourism, besides the visitors of Guadeloupe. The economy of these islands is mainly based on fishing, craft and tourism in different degrees on every dependence. Only Marie-Galante possesses an agricultural economy, by cultivating sugar cane and producing rum. This sector is particularly in crisis. The departmental system freezes and makes the economic dynamism of the dependences to run out of steam. The double insularity provoked by the incorporation into Guadeloupe, slows down the development of these islands which remain enclosed, in spite of a shy enforcement of the french law of territorial continuity. The absence of establishment of training, all centralized in Guadeloupe island, the low rate of new business start-up, the expensive life, and a heavy tax system increase the number of unemployed persons which are obliged to exodus towards Guadeloupe or France to find a job, provoking a fast depopulation of these islands.Politics request
Even if it was not in the past, the current politic of the dependences is strongly includes into the Guadeloupean politic. However, for a long time forgotten by the Guadeloupean administrative authorities, the last dependences of Guadeloupe aspire for some of them to get back their sovereignties as Saint-Barthelemy and Saint-Martin made it, to revitalize their economy and value their cultural identities.On december 7th, 2003, the dependences, included into the department of Guadeloupe, participated in the referendum on the institutional evolution of that french Overseas Department and rejected it by a majority of "NO" .
During the 2009 French Caribbean general strikes
2009 French Caribbean general strikes
The 2009 French Caribbean general strikes began in the French overseas region of Guadeloupe on 20 January 2009, and spread to neighbouring Martinique on 5 February 2009. Both islands are located in the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean...
, the supply of stores was very perturbed like other places in Guadeloupe, but these strikes were mostly concerning Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) (weakly presented on these islands) and the maritime transport companies tried hard to find some Gasoil to assure most of the connections..
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
, declared, at the end of the conflict, the opening of États-Généraux de l'Outre-mer (literally, "Estates general of french overseas"). Several study groups was created among which one of the local governance, brought to conceive an institutional modification project or a new status of Guadeloupe with or without emancipation of its last dependences. The conferences of the " southern islands" (Marie Galante, les Saintes and la Désirade) were opened in parallel. Problems common to these islands are exposed in six study groups: the equality of opportunity, the territorial continuity, the local governance, the local economic development, the insertion by the activity and tourism.
On May 12th, 2009, the french overseas Minister, Yves Jégo
Yves Jégo
Yves Jégo is a French politician who was appointed Secretary of State for Overseas in the government of François Fillon on March 18, 2008. He was replaced by Marie-Luce Penchard on June 23, 2009 and was not given another portfolio...
, at the end of these conferences, came for an official visit to les Saintes for the seminary of the dependences of Guadeloupe. He took into account the identical reality and the political hopes of these islands, to improve the territorial continuity, to reduce the effects of the double-insularity, the abolition of the dependence to Guadeloupe, national representation, the development of the attractiveness of the labor pool in the zone, the fight against the depopulation, the tax system and the expensive life. For the moment he announced the signature of a contract baptized "COLIBRI" (literally, "hummingbird") (Contract for the Employment and the Local Initiatives in the Regional Pond of the Southern Islands of Guadeloupe), a convention of Grouping of Public Interest for Arrangement and Development ( G.I.P.A.D) and a proposition of statutory evolution in final, as exposed him the study group of governance, the collective of the southern islands of Guadeloupe and the elected representatives, on the basis of 74th article of the french constitution.
Marie-Luce Penchard
Marie-Luce Penchard is a French politician from Guadeloupe and member of the UMP. She is the daughter of Lucette Michaux-Chevry, the historical leader of the right in Guadeloupe....
, Born inhabitant of Guadeloupe, become french minister for overseas territories, on November 6th, 2009, seems wildly opposite to the initial project of her predecessor and delays applying it.
See Also
- îles des SaintesÎles des SaintesThe Îles des Saintes , also called simply Les Saintes , is a small archipelago of French Antilles located in the South of Basse-Terre Island, on the West of Marie-Galante and in the North of Dominica in the arc of Lesser Antilles...
- Marie-GalanteMarie-GalanteMarie-Galante is an island of the Caribbean Sea located at the south of Guadeloupe and at north of Dominica. Marie-Galante is a dependence of Guadeloupe which is a french overseas department....
- la DésiradeLa DésiradeLa Désirade is a French West Indies island located at the eastern of Guadeloupe, in the Lesser Antilles.It has a land area of 20.64 km² and a population of 1,595 in 2006 , with a population density of 77 inh. per km² in 2006...
- GuadeloupeGuadeloupeGuadeloupe 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...
- French Antilles
- Overseas department