Îles des Saintes
Encyclopedia
The Îles des Saintes also called simply Les Saintes lesɛ̃t, 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
. It is a dependency of Guadeloupe
, which in turn is an overseas department
and Region of France.
and Terre-de-Bas Island, with seven other uninhabited îlets:
The total surface is 12.8 km² (4.9 sq mi). The archipelago has approximately 22 km (13.7 mi) of coast and its highest hill, le Chameau (literally, "the Camel"), reaches about 309 metres (1,014 ft).
divided into two municipalities: Terre-de-Haut
and Terre-de-Bas
.
It is included in the arrondissement
of Basse-Terre
and also in Guadeloupe's 4th constituency
.
Thus, it benefits from the French overseas department status and is integrated in the French territory according to the 73rd article of the French constitution.
Administratively a part of Guadeloupe
, les Saintes are also part of the ultra peripheral regions of the European Union
.
Two Mairies (city halls), are on the inhabited islands, as well as two offices of P.T.T
(mail service Bank).
Les Saintes have six primary and secondary schools which welcome the pupils of both municipalities:
High school and higher education requires the children to go to Guadeloupe, Martinique or France.
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) sɛtwa (French gentilic of the inhabitants of les Saintes).
In 2007 the population of les Saintes is established like this:
Terre-de-Haut: 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.
Terre-de-Bas: 1,030 inhabitants was the average between 1999 and 2006, with a density of population of 151 inhabitants / km2. The number of households is 377.
The life expectancy is 75-year-old for men and to 82-year-old for women. The average number of children per woman is 2.32.
and Normandy
, and inhabitants of Poitou
, Saintonge
and Anjou
who are mostly from the first French families that lived on Saint Christopher and Nevis when it was a French colony. The population has the peculiarity of having a big majority of European origin and speaks a variety of popular American French
, hwith some terms of Old French
.
The French of France is the official language and that one taught in schools.
Among the language of the archipelago, the Creole or patois (dialect) of les Saintes, stemming from the interbreeding of the Europeans and from the Creole influence of the slaves brought into the archipelago, is the most practised by far.
Les Saintes' creole is a French-based creole language, and includes the category of the agglutinative languages
. It differs from those of the neighbouring islands (Guadeloupe, Marie Galante and Dominique) by its very gallicised pronunciation. It is close to the Creole spoken on the eastern side of the island of Saint-Barthélemy. Certain phonemes
of the French language ([œ], [œ̃], [ø], and [y]) disappeared from the modern creole
of Guadeloupe, Dominica and Martinique
are found in this dialect.
Contrary to other French Antilles Creole which go away from it, it tends to get closer to the French language, in particular by a hypercorrection of the pronunciation of [r], in a sign to speak well. Probably an inheritance of the first colonists who considered, by phenomenon of diglossia
, the dialect as a secondary language lower than French and tried hard to avoid pronouncing [r] in the Guadeloupean way [w].
There is a second variant of this dialect, caused by the isolated evolution of the group on two different islands. Terre-de-Haut Island
's dialect can therefore be distinguished from Terre-de-Bas's.
The variant of Terre-de-Bas is the same, with a different accent, and certain expressions which are typical.
Even if the correct French language remains the educational parental priority, there is no generational problem in learning and speaking Creole. However, it is necessary to avoid talking in Creole for people exercising public authority, the elders and unknown people.
There are many other peculiarities of this dialect. Les Saintes' creole is still practised and Saintois are proud of its difference with the other Creoles. They transmit it in a vernacular way to their children.
and Central America
. Caaroucaëra (the Arawak name of Îles des Saintes), although uninhabited due to the lack of spring water, were regularly visited by Arawak peoples then Kalinagos living on the neighbourhood islands of Guadeloupe and Dominica around the 9th century. They went there to practise hunting and fishing. The archaeological remains of war axes and pottery dug up on the site of Anse Rodrigue's Beach and stored at "Fort Napoléon" museum
testify the visits of these populations.
discoveed the small archipelago, on 4 November 1493. He named them "Los Santos", in reference to All Saints' Day which had just been celebrated. Around 1523, along with its neighbours, these islands, which were devoid of precious metals, were abandoned by the Spanish who favoured the Greater Antilles and the South American continent.
On 18 October 1648, a French expedition led by Sir du Mé, annexed les Saintes, already under English influence, at the request of the governor of Guadeloupe, Charles Houël. From 1649, the islands became a colony exploited by the French West India Company
which tried to establish agriculture. However, the inhospitable ground and the aridity of "Terre-de-Haut" halted this activity, though it persisted for a while on Terre-de-Bas, which was wetter and more fertile, under the orders of Sir Hazier du Buisson from 1652.
In 1653, Sir Comte de l'Etoile forced out the Caribs, who tried to invest les Saintes in reprisal for the French attacks against the tribes of Dominica, decided by Sir du Mé in answer to the massacres of the French troops in Marie Galante. The Caribs was definitively chased away in 1658. In the name of the King of France, les Saintes were acquired in the royal domain by Jean-Baptiste Colbert
on dissolution of the French West India Company
in 1664.
On 4 August 1666, while the English were attacking the archipelago, their fleet was routed by the passage of a cyclone
and some British who besieged this "Gibraltar of the Antilles" were quickly expelled by the troops of Sir du Lion and Sir Desmeuriers, helped by the Caribs. The English surrendered on 15 August 1666, the day of the Assumption of Mary
, and a Te Deum
was intoned at the request of Sir du Lion who founded an annual remembrance in honour to this victory - this is celebrated ardently on the island of Terre-de-Haut to this day. Our-Lady-of-Assumption became the Patron saint of the parish.
To protect the French colonies of the area, the English were repelled to Barbados
by the governor of Santo Domingo
, Jean-Baptiste Ducasse in 1691.
From 1759 to 1763, the English took possession of les Saintes and a part of Guadeloupe.
Les Saintes were restored to the kingdom of France only after the signature of the Treaty of Paris
on 10 February 1763, by which France gave up Île Royale, Isle Saint-Jean
, Acadia
and Canada
, the Great Lakes
region and the left bank of the Mississippi
to the British.
To prevent further English ambitions, King Louis XVI ordered the construction of fortifications on les Saintes. Thus began the construction of "Fort Louis" on the Mire Hill, "Fort de la Reine" on Petite Martinique island, the watchtowers of "Modele tower" on Chameau Hill (the top of the archipelago, 309 m), the artillery batteries
of Morel Hill and Mouillage Hill, in 1777..
On 12 April 1782, after the military campaign of January in Basseterre
on the island of Saint Christopher, the French fleet of Comte de Grasse
, which aimed to annexe English Jamaica
, left Martinique
and headed towards the archipelago of les Saintes, where it arrived in the evening. Caught in the Dominica Passage by the English and inferior in number, it was crushed by the vessels of the vices-admirals of England, Baron George Brydges Rodney
aboard Formidable and Viscount Samuel Hood
aboard Barfleur. According to legend, after he had fired the last of the ammunition of his carronade
s, de Grasse fired his silverware. In a little more than five hours, 2,000 French were killed, and 5,000 men and 5 boats captured. The defeat put les Saintes under British control almost permanently for twenty years, but dealt a fatal blow to the Royal Navy
after the Battle of the Chesapeake
(Virginia
) in 1781, which could not strengthen the colonial troops against the American freedom fighters. So, the Battle of the Saintes
finished the war for independence
of the United States of America.
In 1794, France's National Convention
, represented by Victor Hugues, tried to reconquer the British Îles des Saintes, but succeeded in occupying it only temporarily, pushed away by the powerful English vessel Queen Charlotte
.
In 1802, the Bonapartists succeeded in obtaining the archipelago from the British, under the pressure of their military assaults. On 14 April 1809, the English armada reconquered the archipelago. Three young people from les Saintes, Mr. Jean Calo, Mr. Cointre and Mr. Solitaire, succeeded in guiding three French vessels which were caught unawares inside the bay and helped them to escape through the North Passage called "La baleine". These heroes were decorated with the Legion of Honour. On 30 May 1814, the United Kingdom ceded Guadeloupe, Martinique and La Réunion to France; however, the French came back to les Saintes only in December. Les Saintes was annexed again by the crown of England on 6 July 1815. It was definitely French only the year after.
It was in 1822 that the Chevalier de Fréminville legend was born. Christophe-Paulin de la Poix named Chevalier de Fréminville, a sailor and naturalist in a military campaign to les Saintes aboard the vessel La Néréïde shared a dramatic love story with a Saintoise named Caroline, (known as "Princess Caroline" in reference to her legendary beauty). She commited suicide down from the artillery battery
of Morel Hill which wears her name today, thinking her beloved man dead at Saint-Christopher, not seeing him come back from campaign. This condemned the knight to madness; taken by sorrow, he took Caroline's clothes and returned to Brest
, where he stayed until the end of his days. Engravings and narratives are kept at Fort Napoléon museum
.
In 1844, during Louis Philippe I's reign, the construction of a fort began on the ruins of the old Fort Louis. The fortification was built to the technique of Vauban
to protect the archipelago against a possible English reconquest.
In 1851, a penitentiary was built on Petite Martinique island, which became îlet à Cabrit; in 1856 a prison reserved for women replaced it. It was destroyed in 1865 by a hurricane. The fort, begun during Louis-Philippe's reign, was finished in 1867 in the reign of Napoleon III who baptised it Fort Napoléon in honour of his uncle, Napoleon I
. Fort de la Reine was renamed Fort Joséphine
at the same time. A lazaretto
was opened in 1871 instead of the penitentiary.
On 9 August 1882, under Jules Grévy
's mandate, at the request of the municipal councillors and with the church's support claiming the creation of the parish of Saint-Nicholas
, the municipality of Terre-de-Bas was created, separating from Terre-de-Haut which also became a municipality. This marked the end of the municipality of les Saintes. The patron saint's day was then established on 6 December, St Nicholas' Day.
In 1903, the military and disciplinary garrisons were definitively given up. It was the end of the "Gibraltar of the Antilles", but in honour of its military past, the ships of the navy made a traditional stopover. In 1906, the famous cruiser Duguay-Trouin
stopped over at les Saintes. In September 1928, les Saintes, like its neighbouringislands of Guadeloupe, were violently struck by a strong cyclone which destroyed an important part of the municipal archives. From 1934 the first inns were built, which marked the beginning of visits to the island by the outside world..
Dissidence
In June, 1940, answering massively to the appeal of General de Gaulle, French Antilles entered in Dissidence
period, a mouvement of resistance against Vichy Government and Nazi
collaboration. The governor, appointed by Marshal Pétain, Constant Sorin, is in charge of administrating Guadeloupe and its dependences. Les Saintes became the Mecca of dissidence, the mayor of Terre-de-Haut, Théodore Samson, is discharged and replaced by a Béké
of Martinique appointed by Vichy Government, Mr. de Meynard. Fort Napoléon became a political jail where the dissidents are locked. The Saintois embarked massively aboard their traditional boats called saintoise to join the Guadeloupean coast to stow away the volunteers to leave for France's freedom. Since, they sailed to Dominica, by avoiding the patrol boats of Admiral Robert. Taken in by the soldiers allied in Dominique, they leaved in the United States to have a military formation by the marines
before joining the West Indian battalion of Free French Forces
on the Fronts in North Africa. Many of them participated in Operation Dragoon
beside the Allies
.
In 1943, the mayor of Terre-de-Haut Théodore Samson found his offices since the liberation of Guadeloupe by Free French Forces.
March 19th, 1946, the President of the Provisional Government of the French Republic
promulgates the law of departmentalization setting up the colonies of Guadeloupe, Martinique, La Réunion
and French Guyana, in Overseas Department. From then on, les Saintes, Marie-Galante
, La Désirade
, Saint-Barthélemy and french side of Saint-Martin are connected with Guadeloupe island into the new department of Guadeloupe
as municipalities. The colonial status known until then is replaced by a policy of assimilation to the rest of the metropolitan territory.
In 1957, in the countryside municipal elections, the mysterious death of the mayor of Terre-de-Haut, Théodore Samson, while he was in the office of the National Gendarmerie of the island to settle a dispute between his grandson and a local resident about a jar in terra-cotta, provoked an uprising of the population against the institution which was plundered by knocks of conches and stones. The revolt lasted two days before being shaded off by the military and police reinforcements coming from Guadeloupe whom dissipated the crowd, looked for and arrested the stemming insurgents mainly into the family "Pineau", Théodore Samson's political support. A frigate of the navy stayed a few weeks in the harbor of les Saintes to restaure the peace.
during its first transatlantic voyage, which wetted in the bay like a lot of Italian, Swedish, Norwegian and American cruise sailships which continue still today to frequent the small archipelago. The era of the luxury yacht begun.
In 1966, due to mayor Eugène Samson, les Saintes entered into the aeronautical era, the runway of aerodrome is built on the island of Terre-de-Haut.
The tourist vocation is born in 1969 when the first hotel of the island, "le bois joli" opened its doors at "Anse à Cointre" beach.
In 1972, les Saintes is equipped with a desalination plant of waters by reverse osmosis, to feed the population. Distribution costs being too much raised, the activity is abandoned for the benefit of a supply by submarine conduct from Capesterre-Belle-Eau
, Settled by IFREMER
in 1993. it's the same for electricity, even if an emergency power plant of fuel oil remained active on the island of Terre-de-Bas.
In 1974, the Fort Napoléon is restored by the Club of the Old manor house and a young active association, the Saintoise association of Protection of the Heritage (A.S.P.P), and accommodated the museum of the history and the heritage of les Saintes. It became then the most visited monument in the archipelago. In 1984, the Jardin Exotique de Monaco
and Jardin botanique du Montet
sponsored the birth of an exotic garden on the covered way of the Fort Napoléon.
Within the operation " The Road of flowers ", Terre-de-Haut is coupled with the city of Baccarat
, famous for its crystal glass-makings.
In 1990, the island of Terre-de-Haut is rewarded by the Oscar of the environment, for the conservation of its heritage and its natural housing environment.
On May 14th, 1991, the sites of the bay of Pompierre and Pain de Sucre
are classified protected spaces according to the law of May 2nd, 1930 .
In 1994, the tourism office of les Saintes is created, the island welcomes approximately 300 000 visitors a year and becomes a destination appreciated by the cruises and by the sailing.
May 20th, 1994, during his travel in the Antilles
, Prime Minister of France Édouard Balladur, made an official visit to Terre-de-Haut.
In May, 2001, les Saintes integrated the Club of the Most Beautiful Bays of the World
.
and in the North of Dominica are considerable on the most vulnerable buildings. In Trois-Rivières, a collapsed wall killed a sleeping girl and seriously hurted her sister. To les Saintes, even if it didn't had no dead man, or badly wounded person counted, many were traumatized and terrorized by the strong and numerous retorts. As all the Lesser Antilles, the zone around les Saintes contains an important number of faults, any sizes, which disrupt mutually and prolong several years the diminution in magnitude and in frequency of the retorts, easily felt because of the nearness of islands.
This earthquake reminded to West Indians the necessity of living with earthquakes as with cyclones and of getting ready for it at best to minimize the risks. He also allowed to throw the " Plan Earthquake " to the national level, a sector of which is specifically dedicated in the Antilles.
During the 2009 French Caribbean general strikes
, les Saintes did not get involved in the movement and are moderately concerned: 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, the Guadeloupean tourism was partially transferred to les Saintes.
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" (name of the last dependences of Guadeloupe
) (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 southern islands 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 the article 74 of the 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, brought in governmental portfolio of overseas, on June 23rd, 2009 and appointed, Overseas Minister on November 6th, 2009, seems wildly opposite to the initial project of her predecessor and delays applying it.
Since around thirty years, les Saintes became a famous touristic place and this activity constitutes henceforth the moving plate of the local economy. Terre-de-Haut welcomes numerous boats which cast anchor in the bay of les Saintes, "one of the most beautiful bays of the world" according to the evaluation made by the club of the most beautiful bays of the world. The hotel business and the guest houses spread, without distorting this archipelago which knew how to remain wild. The bay attracts luxury yachts, pleasure boats, cruise ships and big sailboats which cross thru the Antilles. (84 stopovers of cruise for 2009) Terre-de-Haut receives annually more than 380,000 visitors who please businesses of the archipelago.
Agriculture was never really developed on these dry lands turned to the sea.
An economic approach of all the activities is realized by the National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) of Guadeloupe. The economic activity remains relatively low, marked by strong disparities between Terre-de-Haut and Terre-de-Bas. et Terre-de-Bas The unemployment rate is 12,6 % (2007). Working population consist of a great majority of employees and salaries worker's and a small percentage of storekeepers and handicraftsmen. The number of companies in the archipelago amounted in 2007 to 331.
Thought its localisation between Guadeloupe and Dominica, les Saintes climate is different, and is more dry than its neighbourgs. It tends to get closer to the climate of St. Barts
and the most little islands of Lesser Antilles. The archipelago covers an area of 12.8 km² (4.9 sq mi). Terre-de-Bas, the eastern side is wetter than Terre-de-Haut, the western. Though 330 days of sunshine, the rainfall could attend 900 millimetres (35 in) but varies very widely. Summer is from May to November which is also the rainy season. Winter from December to April is the dry season. Sunshine is very prominent almost all through the year and even during the rainy season. Humidity, however, is not very high because of the winds. It has an average temperature of 25 °C (77 °F) with day temperatures rising to 34 °C (93 °F). The average temperature in January is 28 °C (82 °F) while in July it is 31 °C (88 °F). The lowest night temperature could be 16 °C (61 °F). The Caribbean sea waters in the vicinity generally maintain a temperature of about 27 °C (81 °F). The archipelago faces frequent catastrophic threats of cyclonic storms.
(Alsophis antillensis), the Terre-De-Haut Racer (alsophis sanctonum) and lot of species of anolis. Thru the hill, we can discover agoutis
(Dasyprocta noblei), rodents of South America and the Caribbean pond, goats which populate wood and edges of beaches and, well hidden, some species of stick insects (praying mantises).
Birds are the most recurring species of the Antilles :
Ardeidaes being lazy in ponds salted (Snowy Egret
, Green Heron
and Western Cattle Egret, Yellow-crowned Night Heron
, Tricolored Heron
, etc.) and living with the aquatic turtles, the Common Moorhen
, the blue land crab
, the blackback land crab, the sand fiddler crab and more other species of crabs. The Common Kestrel
is easily visible and audible during the rides into the dry forest, like the Zenaida Dove
, endemic species of West Indies protected inside the archipelago.
The night-fauna beats the measure of its symphony. At nightfall, it is the balet of frogs, not less unimportant due to the rarity of the species, (Eleutherodactylus barlegnei, Eleutherodactylus pinchoni
, Hylole de Johnstone, Eleutherodactylus jonhsonei) fast perturbed by the minuet which play locusts.
Tree bats wait that we close our eyes to leave their caves or foliages to come to feed on papayas, sapotilles or on the other fruits and berries.
Moreover, Sec Pâté is particularly appreciated and renowned among the most beautiful of the Caribbean (compulsory level 2). Fishing of fishes and shells is regulated or forbidden for certain species. Even if saintoises waters are saved by the ciguatera
, a toxic microseaweed stemming from the destruction of the coral reefs that ingests certain species of fishes, it is not unthinkable that certain predators are contaminated to have migrated in waters located at the North of the 16th parallel, zone where rages particularly the toxin.
It is not rare to observe in the channel of les Saintes cetaceans, humpback whales, sperm whales, killer whales, dolphins... which during their migration reproduce in the warm seas of the Antilles.
The sea birds, The sea birds, Magnificent Frigatebird
, Brown Booby
, Masked Booby
, terns, Double-crested Cormorant
(Phalacrocorax auritus), Pelican
, petrels
nidifying on the cliffs and the uninhabited islands of les Saintes, particularly Grand Îlet, a natural reserve of the archipelago which knows the presence of boobys' species only observable on les Saintes, among the islands of the department, Red-footed Booby
(Sula sula) and Blue-footed Booby
(nebouxii Sula). But in the context of global warming and invasive foreign species implanted by the humans (ex: Red lionfish
), the environment and the biodiversity of these islands are considered as very vulnerable and have to be the object of a drastic protection, it is thus recommended to the visitors do not making extraction of plants, captures or poaching of animals, to avoid perturbing the species into their natural biotope, or and do not pollute the ecosystem.
Sea turtles
Numerous species are endemic and strictly protected, listed, and guarded by the Conservatoire du littoral
("Coastal protection agency" ), particularly the sea turtles, in application of the international convention ratified by France. Indeed les Saintes is the preserve of seven varieties of sea turtles among which three (those in bold type) lay on the beaches of the island:
forests of the volcanic islands of the Antilles:
The aridity allowed developments of colonies of very diversified cactus which the most remarkable are:
The dry ground of the hills is strewned with herbaceous plants, sometimes composed by urticant lianas (Acalypha arvensis), cat's claw
(Uncaria tomentosa), (Croton balsamifer), (philodendron) and fabaceaes, tree with toxic or edible peas or seeds, Pigeon peas (Cajanus cajan), sword beans (Canavalia gladiata), Senna alexandrina
, Margosa or Bitter melon
(Momordica charantia), (Caesalpinia ciliatea), (Caesalpinia bonduc) which the children play balls, rosary pea (Abrus precatorius), Castor oil plant
(Ricinus communis), very used in the local small business sector.
Seaside knows a vegetation of:
Three rare species of orchid grow naturally in the archipelago and are the object of a severe protection:
Numerous walking tours were realized by the Conservatoire du Littoral through the forest, in such a way to observe these natural resources, the historic ruins of the fortifications and to admire the exceptional panoramas which offer les Saintes to the visitors.
The sand of beaches is in dominant white or golden, even if some zones of black sand remain under the white sand provoking by place, colored nuances of seaside, it is the domain of Ghost crab
(Ocypode quadrata), hermit crab
(Pagurus bernhardus), Sally lightfoot
(Grapsus grapsus) on the semi-submerged rocks.
During 1990's most of the beaches and mounts of the archipelago are listed under decree of protection of biotope (Grande Anse beach, Îlet à Cabrit, Morel hill). At the request of the municipality and the Departmental Council, the bays of Pompierre and Pain de Sucre are classified by french law of May 2nd, 1930 (relative to the protection of the natural monuments and the sites of artistic, historic, scientific, legendary or picturesque character).
Conservatoire du littoral
agency makes within the framework of the national program of protection of the natural spaces, the acquisition of several grounds in particular Grand Ilet and Chameau hill..
Since December 31st, 2010, the open-air garbage dump , an environmental problem for the archipelago for long time, is closed and replaced by the starting of the waste sorting. Then, waste are compacted and sent by boat to Guadeloupe to be recycled.
Moreover the plastic bags disappeared from cashdesks of grocer's shops and businesses of the archipelago. Each municipality helped its inhabitants to change their habits by distributing reusable shopping bags. By these new political measures, les Saintes is more committed into the protection of the environment and the heritage.
Terre-de-Haut
, created its local Agenda 21
.
In May, 2011, buoys of anchorage were installed in the bay of Terre-de-Haut to regulate the sailing and decrease the uncontrolled anchorage which damages sea bed.
Specials guy-wired
wind turbines
, which could be lying on the ground (in 45 minutes) when huricane or storm
coming, were installed on Terre-de-Bas, Terre-de-Bas.
In 2007, the seven machines could produce three million kWh a year, allowing Terre-de-Bas, and all the archipelago of les Saintes to be surplus in electricity. Thanks to that les Saintes can supply electricity to the south of Basse-Terre
(Guadeloupe).
completed by those specific to Guadeloupe overseas department and those of Les Saintes.
The Christian feast days are celebrated in the mass into the churches livened up by the choirs of both parishes. (Christmas, Easter, Pentecost) Some feast days have them peculiarities:
August 16th is sailors and seamen day. They organize a procession in remember of the dead sailor. To the program: Election of beauty queens, animations, competitions, fireworks and podia which begin from August 14th. Today August 15th and 16th are very famous and became a festival of Caribbean music, where numerous artists succeed. Terre-de-Bas island do its festivities on August 8th and 9th. It's the commemoration of August 9th, 1882, the creation of the municipality of Terre-de-Bas
.
The traditional music (Creole Quadrille
,Biguine
, mazouk from Martinique
) is still present for the folk balls and when the inhabitants release their traditional costumes and sing the creole hymns of the island ("Viv péyi an nou, viv les Saintes an nou" (litterally: Long live to our country, Long live to our les Saintes ) or "Viv Terre-de-Haut" (litterally: Long live to Terre-de-Haut) for the visits of officials. (Minister's visit or August 15th Patron saint's day of the island). Gwo ka
, contrary to its neighbour Guadeloupe
where it is come from, made only shy appearances to les Saintes, but did not integrate Les Saintes ' traditions.
The Haitian Compas music and the guadeloupean combos (band) of the 70s (les Aiglons, la Perfecta, etc.) are very appreciated and are played in all the parties of the life (marriages, public baptisms, ball, etc.).
The Creole waltz remained the traditional emblem of the opening of the ball for the newlyweds of the archipelago.
Zouk
, Salsa
, Merengue
, Dancehall
, French and international varieties are in fashions with the young populations who dance on these rhythms in bars and clubs. Les Saintes have also inspired the Guadeloupean singer Francky Vincent
who dedicated a title to the archipelago: Le tourment d'amour.
A singer from les Saintes called "Joyeux des cocotiers" who did the titles La cousine and Pina colada coco loco became famous in French Antilles quite as an illustrious band of Terre-de-Bas: L' Étoile des mers which created the titles: La vi péchè (L'an mè la enragé), Pwoblèm and Ti marin péchè. Famous creole song in French West Indies.
, curcuma
, safran
and cumin
) ), Black pudding, accras de Morue (saltfish)
which are added some typical specialities:
Each island has a care centre for help; the fire brigades are equipped with equipment and vehicles adapted to fight against disasters and to carry assistance.
Other care and specialities are located at Basse-Terre
or Pointe-à-Pitre
and in case of emergency, the fire brigade can call the helicopter of Sécurité Civile
to come from Guadeloupe.
mainly consists of scooters and motorcycles. A lot of scooter rental companies are made available to tourists on their arrival. Cars are rare; some taxis, tourist minibuses and utility vehicles use the narrow streets of the island.
On Terre-de-Bas
minibuses make the bulk of the transport between the port and the villages.
(Guadeloupe island), and Basse-Terre
(Guadeloupe island) on certain mornings.
Other connections, essentially for tourists, are made several times a week to Pointe-à-Pitre
(Guadeloupe), Grand-Bourg
(Marie-Galante
), Roseau
(Dominica
) or Fort-de-France
(Martinique
).
Les Saintes is frequented by pleasure boats, coming from Guadeloupe island or cruising the Carribbean islands.
Goods transportation is made by small cargo boats or barges from Guadeloupe island. Small deliveries or express service are made by the ferries.
stopped the flight connection in 2008).
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
of French Antilles located in the South 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 ....
, on the West of Marie-Galante
Marie-Galante
Marie-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....
and in the North of Dominica
Dominica
Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
in the arc of 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 a dependency 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 in turn is an overseas department
Département d'outre-mer
An overseas department is a department of France that is outside metropolitan France. They have the same political status as metropolitan departments. As integral parts of France and the European Union, overseas departments are represented in the National Assembly, Senate, and Economic and Social...
and Region of France.
Geography
It constitutes two very mountainous inhabited islands, Terre-de-Haut IslandTerre-de-Haut Island
Terre-de-Haut Island is an island in the Îles des Saintes archipelago. It belongs to the commune of Terre-de-Haut. The Fort Napoléon des Saintes is located on this island. 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...
and Terre-de-Bas Island, with seven other uninhabited îlets:
- Îlet à Cabrit
- Grand-Îlet
- la Coche
- les Augustins
- la Redonde
- le Pâté
- les Roches Percées
The total surface is 12.8 km² (4.9 sq mi). The archipelago has approximately 22 km (13.7 mi) of coast and its highest hill, le Chameau (literally, "the Camel"), reaches about 309 metres (1,014 ft).
Administration
The archipelago is, at the administrative level, a cantonCantons 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...
divided into two municipalities: Terre-de-Haut
Terre-de-Haut
Terre-de-Haut is a commune in the French overseas department of Guadeloupe, on Terre-de-Haut Island. It is the most populous island of the archipelago of the Îles des Saintes. The Fort Napoléon des Saintes is located in this commune....
and Terre-de-Bas
Terre-de-Bas
Terre-de-Bas Island is the largest island in the Îles des Saintes archipelago. It belongs to the commune of Terre-de-Bas. The island has five tourist attractions:* Grande Anse beach* Le Cimetière marin * Bord de Mer beach...
.
It is included in the arrondissement
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...
of Basse-Terre
Arrondissement of Basse-Terre
The arrondissement of Basse-Terre is an arrondissement of France, located in the Guadeloupe département, in the Guadeloupe région. It has 17 cantons and 18 communes.-Cantons:The cantons of the arrondissement of Basse-Terre are:# Baie-Mahault...
and also in Guadeloupe's 4th constituency
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...
.
Thus, it benefits from the French overseas department status and is integrated in the French territory according to the 73rd article of the French constitution.
Administratively a part 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...
, les Saintes are also part of the ultra peripheral regions of the European Union
European 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...
.
Two Mairies (city halls), are on the inhabited islands, as well as two offices of P.T.T
La Poste (France)
La Poste is the mail service of France, which also operates postal services in the French Overseas Departments of Réunion, Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guiana, and the territorial collectivities of Saint Pierre and Miquelon and Mayotte...
(mail service Bank).
Les Saintes have six primary and secondary schools which welcome the pupils of both municipalities:
- 2 nursery schools
- 2 primary schools
- 2 middle schools (colleges)
High school and higher education requires the children to go to Guadeloupe, Martinique or France.
Demography
The inhospitable relief and the low precipitationQuantitative precipitation forecast
The Quantitative Precipitation Forecast is the expected amount of melted precipitation accumulated over a specified time period over a specified area. A QPF will be created when precipitation amounts reaching a minimum threshold are expected during the forecast's valid period...
do not allow the establishment of agriculture. Few slaves were brought onto these islands. The population is constituted historically by Bretons
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
, Normans
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
and by inhabitants of Poitou
Poitou
Poitou was a province of west-central France whose capital city was Poitiers.The region of Poitou was called Thifalia in the sixth century....
who settled down to fish. This explains the European type of the people from les Saintes (Saintois) sɛtwa (French gentilic of the inhabitants of les Saintes).
In 2007 the population of les Saintes is established like this:
Terre-de-Haut: 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.
Terre-de-Bas: 1,030 inhabitants was the average between 1999 and 2006, with a density of population of 151 inhabitants / km2. The number of households is 377.
The life expectancy is 75-year-old for men and to 82-year-old for women. The average number of children per woman is 2.32.
Language
The archipelago of les Saintes is mostly populated by the descendants of the colonists from BrittanyBrittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
and Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, and inhabitants of Poitou
Poitou
Poitou was a province of west-central France whose capital city was Poitiers.The region of Poitou was called Thifalia in the sixth century....
, Saintonge
Saintonge
Saintonge is a small region on the Atlantic coast of France within the département Charente-Maritime, west and south of Charente in the administrative region of Poitou-Charentes....
and Anjou
Anjou
Anjou is a former county , duchy and province centred on the city of Angers in the lower Loire Valley of western France. It corresponds largely to the present-day département of Maine-et-Loire...
who are mostly from the first French families that lived on Saint Christopher and Nevis when it was a French colony. The population has the peculiarity of having a big majority of European origin and speaks a variety of popular American French
American French
American French is a collective term used for the varieties of the French language that are spoken in North America:*Quebec French*Acadian French*Newfoundland French*Cajun French*Colonial French...
, hwith some terms of Old French
Old French
Old French was the Romance dialect continuum spoken in territories that span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium and Switzerland from the 9th century to the 14th century...
.
The French of France is the official language and that one taught in schools.
Among the language of the archipelago, the Creole or patois (dialect) of les Saintes, stemming from the interbreeding of the Europeans and from the Creole influence of the slaves brought into the archipelago, is the most practised by far.
Les Saintes' creole is a French-based creole language, and includes the category of the agglutinative languages
Agglutinative language
An agglutinative language is a language that uses agglutination extensively: most words are formed by joining morphemes together. This term was introduced by Wilhelm von Humboldt in 1836 to classify languages from a morphological point of view...
. It differs from those of the neighbouring islands (Guadeloupe, Marie Galante and Dominique) by its very gallicised pronunciation. It is close to the Creole spoken on the eastern side of the island of Saint-Barthélemy. Certain phonemes
Phoneme
In a language or dialect, a phoneme is the smallest segmental unit of sound employed to form meaningful contrasts between utterances....
of the French language ([œ], [œ̃], [ø], and [y]) disappeared from the modern creole
Antillean Creole
Antillean Creole is a creole language with a vocabulary based on French. It is spoken primarily in the Lesser Antilles. Its grammar and vocabulary also include elements of Carib and African languages. Antillean Creole is related to Haitian Creole, but has a number of distinctive features; they are...
of Guadeloupe, Dominica and Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
are found in this dialect.
Contrary to other French Antilles Creole which go away from it, it tends to get closer to the French language, in particular by a hypercorrection of the pronunciation of [r], in a sign to speak well. Probably an inheritance of the first colonists who considered, by phenomenon of diglossia
Diglossia
In linguistics, diglossia refers to a situation in which two dialects or languages are used by a single language community. In addition to the community's everyday or vernacular language variety , a second, highly codified variety is used in certain situations such as literature, formal...
, the dialect as a secondary language lower than French and tried hard to avoid pronouncing [r] in the Guadeloupean way [w].
There is a second variant of this dialect, caused by the isolated evolution of the group on two different islands. Terre-de-Haut Island
Terre-de-Haut Island
Terre-de-Haut Island is an island in the Îles des Saintes archipelago. It belongs to the commune of Terre-de-Haut. The Fort Napoléon des Saintes is located on this island. 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...
's dialect can therefore be distinguished from Terre-de-Bas's.
The variant of Terre-de-Bas is the same, with a different accent, and certain expressions which are typical.
Even if the correct French language remains the educational parental priority, there is no generational problem in learning and speaking Creole. However, it is necessary to avoid talking in Creole for people exercising public authority, the elders and unknown people.
There are many other peculiarities of this dialect. Les Saintes' creole is still practised and Saintois are proud of its difference with the other Creoles. They transmit it in a vernacular way to their children.
Precolombian time
Les Saintes, due to their location in the heart of the Lesser Antilles, were frequented first by Indian tribes coming from CaribbeanCaribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
and Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
. Caaroucaëra (the Arawak name of Îles des Saintes), although uninhabited due to the lack of spring water, were regularly visited by Arawak peoples then Kalinagos living on the neighbourhood islands of Guadeloupe and Dominica around the 9th century. They went there to practise hunting and fishing. The archaeological remains of war axes and pottery dug up on the site of Anse Rodrigue's Beach and stored at "Fort Napoléon" museum
Fort Napoleon
Fort Napoleon could refer to:* Fort Napoléon des Saintes* Fort Napoleon, Ostend...
testify the visits of these populations.
Discovery and colonisation
It was during his second expedition for America, that Christopher ColumbusChristopher 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...
discoveed the small archipelago, on 4 November 1493. He named them "Los Santos", in reference to All Saints' Day which had just been celebrated. Around 1523, along with its neighbours, these islands, which were devoid of precious metals, were abandoned by the Spanish who favoured the Greater Antilles and the South American continent.
On 18 October 1648, a French expedition led by Sir du Mé, annexed les Saintes, already under English influence, at the request of the governor of Guadeloupe, Charles Houël. From 1649, the islands became a colony exploited by the French West India Company
French West India Company
In the history of French trade, the French West India Company was a chartered company established in 1664. Their charter gave them the property and seignory of Canada, Acadia, the Antilles, Cayenne, and the terra firma of South America, from the Amazon to the Orinoco...
which tried to establish agriculture. However, the inhospitable ground and the aridity of "Terre-de-Haut" halted this activity, though it persisted for a while on Terre-de-Bas, which was wetter and more fertile, under the orders of Sir Hazier du Buisson from 1652.
In 1653, Sir Comte de l'Etoile forced out the Caribs, who tried to invest les Saintes in reprisal for the French attacks against the tribes of Dominica, decided by Sir du Mé in answer to the massacres of the French troops in Marie Galante. The Caribs was definitively chased away in 1658. In the name of the King of France, les Saintes were acquired in the royal domain by Jean-Baptiste Colbert
Jean-Baptiste Colbert
Jean-Baptiste Colbert was a French politician who served as the Minister of Finances of France from 1665 to 1683 under the rule of King Louis XIV. His relentless hard work and thrift made him an esteemed minister. He achieved a reputation for his work of improving the state of French manufacturing...
on dissolution of the French West India Company
French West India Company
In the history of French trade, the French West India Company was a chartered company established in 1664. Their charter gave them the property and seignory of Canada, Acadia, the Antilles, Cayenne, and the terra firma of South America, from the Amazon to the Orinoco...
in 1664.
On 4 August 1666, while the English were attacking the archipelago, their fleet was routed by the passage of a cyclone
Cyclone
In meteorology, a cyclone is an area of closed, circular fluid motion rotating in the same direction as the Earth. This is usually characterized by inward spiraling winds that rotate anticlockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere of the Earth. Most large-scale...
and some British who besieged this "Gibraltar of the Antilles" were quickly expelled by the troops of Sir du Lion and Sir Desmeuriers, helped by the Caribs. The English surrendered on 15 August 1666, the day of the Assumption of Mary
Assumption of Mary
According to the belief of Christians of the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, and parts of the Anglican Communion and Continuing Anglicanism, the Assumption of Mary was the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven at the end of her life...
, and a Te Deum
Te Deum
The Te Deum is an early Christian hymn of praise. The title is taken from its opening Latin words, Te Deum laudamus, rendered literally as "Thee, O God, we praise"....
was intoned at the request of Sir du Lion who founded an annual remembrance in honour to this victory - this is celebrated ardently on the island of Terre-de-Haut to this day. Our-Lady-of-Assumption became the Patron saint of the parish.
To protect the French colonies of the area, the English were repelled to Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
by the governor of Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
, Jean-Baptiste Ducasse in 1691.
From 1759 to 1763, the English took possession of les Saintes and a part of Guadeloupe.
Les Saintes were restored to the kingdom of France only after the signature of the Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris (1763)
The Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement. It ended the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War...
on 10 February 1763, by which France gave up Île Royale, Isle Saint-Jean
Isle Saint-Jean
After 1713, France engaged in a reaffirmation of its territory in Acadia. Besides the construction of Louisbourg, France was resolved in organizing a colony on Isle Saint-Jean After 1713, France engaged in a reaffirmation of its territory in Acadia. Besides the construction of Louisbourg, France...
, Acadia
Acadia
Acadia was the name given to lands in a portion of the French colonial empire of New France, in northeastern North America that included parts of eastern Quebec, the Maritime provinces, and modern-day Maine. At the end of the 16th century, France claimed territory stretching as far south as...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
region and the left bank of the Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
to the British.
To prevent further English ambitions, King Louis XVI ordered the construction of fortifications on les Saintes. Thus began the construction of "Fort Louis" on the Mire Hill, "Fort de la Reine" on Petite Martinique island, the watchtowers of "Modele tower" on Chameau Hill (the top of the archipelago, 309 m), the artillery batteries
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
of Morel Hill and Mouillage Hill, in 1777..
On 12 April 1782, after the military campaign of January in Basseterre
Basseterre
Basseterre , estimated population 15,500 in 2000, is the capital of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis in the West Indies. Geographically, the Basseterre port is located at , on the south western coast of Saint Kitts Island, and it is one of the chief commercial depots of the Leeward Islands...
on the island of Saint Christopher, the French fleet of Comte de Grasse
François Joseph Paul de Grasse
Lieutenant Général des Armées Navales François-Joseph Paul, marquis de Grasse Tilly, comte de Grasse was a French admiral. He is best known for his command of the French fleet at the Battle of the Chesapeake, which led directly to the British surrender at Yorktown...
, which aimed to annexe English Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, left Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
and headed towards the archipelago of les Saintes, where it arrived in the evening. Caught in the Dominica Passage by the English and inferior in number, it was crushed by the vessels of the vices-admirals of England, Baron George Brydges Rodney
George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney
George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney, KB was a British naval officer. He is best known for his commands in the American War of Independence, particularly his victory over the French at the Battle of the Saintes in 1782...
aboard Formidable and Viscount Samuel Hood
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood was a British Admiral known particularly for his service in the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars...
aboard Barfleur. According to legend, after he had fired the last of the ammunition of his carronade
Carronade
The carronade was a short smoothbore, cast iron cannon, developed for the Royal Navy by the Carron Company, an ironworks in Falkirk, Scotland, UK. It was used from the 1770s to the 1850s. Its main function was to serve as a powerful, short-range anti-ship and anti-crew weapon...
s, de Grasse fired his silverware. In a little more than five hours, 2,000 French were killed, and 5,000 men and 5 boats captured. The defeat put les Saintes under British control almost permanently for twenty years, but dealt a fatal blow to the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
after the Battle of the Chesapeake
Battle of the Chesapeake
The Battle of the Chesapeake, also known as the Battle of the Virginia Capes or simply the Battle of the Capes, was a crucial naval battle in the American War of Independence that took place near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay on 5 September 1781, between a British fleet led by Rear Admiral Sir Thomas...
(Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
) in 1781, which could not strengthen the colonial troops against the American freedom fighters. So, the Battle of the Saintes
Battle of the Saintes
The Battle of the Saintes took place over 4 days, 9 April 1782 – 12 April 1782, during the American War of Independence, and was a victory of a British fleet under Admiral Sir George Rodney over a French fleet under the Comte de Grasse forcing the French and Spanish to abandon a planned...
finished the war for independence
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
of the United States of America.
In 1794, France's National Convention
National Convention
During the French Revolution, the National Convention or Convention, in France, comprised the constitutional and legislative assembly which sat from 20 September 1792 to 26 October 1795 . It held executive power in France during the first years of the French First Republic...
, represented by Victor Hugues, tried to reconquer the British Îles des Saintes, but succeeded in occupying it only temporarily, pushed away by the powerful English vessel Queen Charlotte
HMS Queen Charlotte
Four ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Queen Charlotte after Charlotte, queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.*The first was a first rate of 100 guns, built at Chatham and launched in 1790. She took part in several actions against the French navy, and flew the flag of...
.
In 1802, the Bonapartists succeeded in obtaining the archipelago from the British, under the pressure of their military assaults. On 14 April 1809, the English armada reconquered the archipelago. Three young people from les Saintes, Mr. Jean Calo, Mr. Cointre and Mr. Solitaire, succeeded in guiding three French vessels which were caught unawares inside the bay and helped them to escape through the North Passage called "La baleine". These heroes were decorated with the Legion of Honour. On 30 May 1814, the United Kingdom ceded Guadeloupe, Martinique and La Réunion to France; however, the French came back to les Saintes only in December. Les Saintes was annexed again by the crown of England on 6 July 1815. It was definitely French only the year after.
It was in 1822 that the Chevalier de Fréminville legend was born. Christophe-Paulin de la Poix named Chevalier de Fréminville, a sailor and naturalist in a military campaign to les Saintes aboard the vessel La Néréïde shared a dramatic love story with a Saintoise named Caroline, (known as "Princess Caroline" in reference to her legendary beauty). She commited suicide down from the artillery battery
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
of Morel Hill which wears her name today, thinking her beloved man dead at Saint-Christopher, not seeing him come back from campaign. This condemned the knight to madness; taken by sorrow, he took Caroline's clothes and returned to Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
, where he stayed until the end of his days. Engravings and narratives are kept at Fort Napoléon museum
Fort Napoleon
Fort Napoleon could refer to:* Fort Napoléon des Saintes* Fort Napoleon, Ostend...
.
In 1844, during Louis Philippe I's reign, the construction of a fort began on the ruins of the old Fort Louis. The fortification was built to the technique of Vauban
Vauban
Sébastien Le Prestre, Seigneur de Vauban and later Marquis de Vauban , commonly referred to as Vauban, was a Marshal of France and the foremost military engineer of his age, famed for his skill in both designing fortifications and breaking through them...
to protect the archipelago against a possible English reconquest.
In 1851, a penitentiary was built on Petite Martinique island, which became îlet à Cabrit; in 1856 a prison reserved for women replaced it. It was destroyed in 1865 by a hurricane. The fort, begun during Louis-Philippe's reign, was finished in 1867 in the reign of Napoleon III who baptised it Fort Napoléon in honour of his uncle, Napoleon I
Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
. Fort de la Reine was renamed Fort Joséphine
Joséphine de Beauharnais
Joséphine de Beauharnais was the first wife of Napoléon Bonaparte, and thus the first Empress of the French. Her first husband Alexandre de Beauharnais had been guillotined during the Reign of Terror, and she had been imprisoned in the Carmes prison until her release five days after Alexandre's...
at the same time. A lazaretto
Lazaretto
A lazaretto or lazaret is a quarantine station for maritime travellers. Lazarets can be ships permanently at anchor, isolated islands, or mainland buildings. Until 1908, lazarets were also used for disinfecting postal items, usually by fumigation...
was opened in 1871 instead of the penitentiary.
On 9 August 1882, under Jules Grévy
Jules Grévy
François Paul Jules Grévy was a President of the French Third Republic and one of the leaders of the Opportunist Republicans faction. Given that his predecessors were monarchists who tried without success to restore the French monarchy, Grévy is seen as the first real republican President of...
's mandate, at the request of the municipal councillors and with the church's support claiming the creation of the parish of Saint-Nicholas
Sinterklaas
Sinterklaas is a traditional Winter holiday figure still celebrated today in the Low Countries, including the Netherlands and Belgium, as well as French Flanders and Artois...
, the municipality of Terre-de-Bas was created, separating from Terre-de-Haut which also became a municipality. This marked the end of the municipality of les Saintes. The patron saint's day was then established on 6 December, St Nicholas' Day.
In 1903, the military and disciplinary garrisons were definitively given up. It was the end of the "Gibraltar of the Antilles", but in honour of its military past, the ships of the navy made a traditional stopover. In 1906, the famous cruiser Duguay-Trouin
French ship Duguay-Trouin
Ten vessels of the French Navy have been named Duguay-Trouin in honour of René Duguay-Trouin; among them:* Duguay-Trouin , a 74-gun ship of the line...
stopped over at les Saintes. In September 1928, les Saintes, like its neighbouringislands of Guadeloupe, were violently struck by a strong cyclone which destroyed an important part of the municipal archives. From 1934 the first inns were built, which marked the beginning of visits to the island by the outside world..
DissidenceFree French ForcesThe Free French Forces were French partisans in World War II who decided to continue fighting against the forces of the Axis powers after the surrender of France and subsequent German occupation and, in the case of Vichy France, collaboration with the Germans.-Definition:In many sources, Free...
and french overseas Departmentalization
In June, 1940, answering massively to the appeal of General de Gaulle, French Antilles entered in DissidenceFree French Forces
The Free French Forces were French partisans in World War II who decided to continue fighting against the forces of the Axis powers after the surrender of France and subsequent German occupation and, in the case of Vichy France, collaboration with the Germans.-Definition:In many sources, Free...
period, a mouvement of resistance against Vichy Government and Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
collaboration. The governor, appointed by Marshal Pétain, Constant Sorin, is in charge of administrating Guadeloupe and its dependences. Les Saintes became the Mecca of dissidence, the mayor of Terre-de-Haut, Théodore Samson, is discharged and replaced by a Béké
Béké
Béké or beke is a Creole term to describe a descendant of the early European, usually French, settlers in the French Antilles.-Origin:The origin of the term is not clear and several explanations have been proposed. It could be a word from the Igbo language where it describes a European...
of Martinique appointed by Vichy Government, Mr. de Meynard. Fort Napoléon became a political jail where the dissidents are locked. The Saintois embarked massively aboard their traditional boats called saintoise to join the Guadeloupean coast to stow away the volunteers to leave for France's freedom. Since, they sailed to Dominica, by avoiding the patrol boats of Admiral Robert. Taken in by the soldiers allied in Dominique, they leaved in the United States to have a military formation by the marines
Marines
Marines may refer to :* The plural of Marine , a member of a naval infantry force* Chiba Lotte Marines, a Japanese professional baseball team* "The Marines", an episode of the Adult Swim animated television series, Aqua Teen Hunger Force'People...
before joining the West Indian battalion of Free French Forces
Free French Forces
The Free French Forces were French partisans in World War II who decided to continue fighting against the forces of the Axis powers after the surrender of France and subsequent German occupation and, in the case of Vichy France, collaboration with the Germans.-Definition:In many sources, Free...
on the Fronts in North Africa. Many of them participated in Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
beside the Allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
.
In 1943, the mayor of Terre-de-Haut Théodore Samson found his offices since the liberation of Guadeloupe by Free French Forces.
March 19th, 1946, the President of the Provisional Government of the French Republic
Provisional Government of the French Republic
The Provisional Government of the French Republic was an interim government which governed France from 1944 to 1946, following the fall of Vichy France and prior to the Fourth French Republic....
promulgates the law of departmentalization setting up the colonies of Guadeloupe, Martinique, La Réunion
La Reunion
La Reunion may refer to:* La Reunion , a communal settlement near present-day Dallas, Texas*La Réunion, Lot-et-Garonne, a town in the Lot-et-Garonne department of France*Réunion, an island in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar...
and French Guyana, in Overseas Department. From then on, les Saintes, Marie-Galante
Marie-Galante
Marie-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 Désirade
La Désirade
La 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...
, Saint-Barthélemy and french side of Saint-Martin are connected with Guadeloupe island into the new 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...
as municipalities. The colonial status known until then is replaced by a policy of assimilation to the rest of the metropolitan territory.
In 1957, in the countryside municipal elections, the mysterious death of the mayor of Terre-de-Haut, Théodore Samson, while he was in the office of the National Gendarmerie of the island to settle a dispute between his grandson and a local resident about a jar in terra-cotta, provoked an uprising of the population against the institution which was plundered by knocks of conches and stones. The revolt lasted two days before being shaded off by the military and police reinforcements coming from Guadeloupe whom dissipated the crowd, looked for and arrested the stemming insurgents mainly into the family "Pineau", Théodore Samson's political support. A frigate of the navy stayed a few weeks in the harbor of les Saintes to restaure the peace.
Tourism development
1958: Les Saintes dashed into the tourist cruise and will become, one of the stopovers among the most appreciated by Lesser Antilles. In 1963, the archipelago welcomed SS FranceSS France
SS France may refer to:* SS France , a French liner scrapped in 1936* SS France , a French liner; later renamed SS Norway; sent to Alang, India and scrapped in late 2008....
during its first transatlantic voyage, which wetted in the bay like a lot of Italian, Swedish, Norwegian and American cruise sailships which continue still today to frequent the small archipelago. The era of the luxury yacht begun.
In 1966, due to mayor Eugène Samson, les Saintes entered into the aeronautical era, the runway of aerodrome is built on the island of Terre-de-Haut.
The tourist vocation is born in 1969 when the first hotel of the island, "le bois joli" opened its doors at "Anse à Cointre" beach.
In 1972, les Saintes is equipped with a desalination plant of waters by reverse osmosis, to feed the population. Distribution costs being too much raised, the activity is abandoned for the benefit of a supply by submarine conduct from Capesterre-Belle-Eau
Capesterre-Belle-Eau
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 and the population as of 1999 is 19,568. The population density is 189...
, Settled by IFREMER
Ifremer
Ifremer, standing for French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea is an oceanographic institution in France.- Scope of works :...
in 1993. it's the same for electricity, even if an emergency power plant of fuel oil remained active on the island of Terre-de-Bas.
In 1974, the Fort Napoléon is restored by the Club of the Old manor house and a young active association, the Saintoise association of Protection of the Heritage (A.S.P.P), and accommodated the museum of the history and the heritage of les Saintes. It became then the most visited monument in the archipelago. In 1984, the Jardin Exotique de Monaco
Jardin Exotique de Monaco
The Jardin Exotique de Monaco is a botanical garden located on a cliffside in Monaco.-History and features:...
and Jardin botanique du Montet
Jardin botanique du Montet
The Jardin botanique du Montet , sometimes also called the Jardin botanique de Nancy, is a major botanical garden operated by the Conservatoire et Jardins Botaniques de Nancy...
sponsored the birth of an exotic garden on the covered way of the Fort Napoléon.
Within the operation " The Road of flowers ", Terre-de-Haut is coupled with the city of Baccarat
Baccarat
Baccarat is a card game, played at casinos and by gamblers. It is believed to have been introduced into France from Italy during the reign of King Charles VIII , and it is similar to Faro and Basset...
, famous for its crystal glass-makings.
In 1990, the island of Terre-de-Haut is rewarded by the Oscar of the environment, for the conservation of its heritage and its natural housing environment.
On May 14th, 1991, the sites of the bay of Pompierre and Pain de Sucre
Pain de sucre (Les Saintes)
Pain de Sucre is a little mountain located on Terre-de-Haut Island on the archipelago of Îles des Saintes with the height of 53 meters...
are classified protected spaces according to the law of May 2nd, 1930 .
In 1994, the tourism office of les Saintes is created, the island welcomes approximately 300 000 visitors a year and becomes a destination appreciated by the cruises and by the sailing.
May 20th, 1994, during his travel in the Antilles
Antilles
The Antilles islands form the greater part of the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. The Antilles are divided into two major groups: the "Greater Antilles" to the north and west, including the larger islands of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola , and Puerto Rico; and the smaller "Lesser Antilles" on the...
, Prime Minister of France Édouard Balladur, made an official visit to Terre-de-Haut.
In May, 2001, les Saintes integrated the Club of the Most Beautiful Bays of the World
Club of the Most Beautiful Bays of the World
The Club of the Most Beautiful Bays of the World is an international association , founded in Berlin on 10 March 1997, consisting of structures, each representing a community with a frontage marine bay exceptional locked world.It is chaired by Jérôme Bignon, French specialist member of the...
.
"Les Saintes" eathquake
November 21st, 2004, islands of les Saintes are strucked by an earthquake of magnitude 6,3 (the plan of the main fault passes under the Saints). The concussions of the main shock and the numerous retorts were powerful, reaching an intensity MSK of VIII (important structural damages). Damage to property in les Saintes, in Trois-Rivières (Guadeloupe)Trois-Rivières, Guadeloupe
Trois-Rivières is a commune in the overseas department of Guadeloupe, and the chef-lieu of the Canton of Trois-Rivières. It is on the south coast of the island of Basse-Terre.-External links:* ....
and in the North of Dominica are considerable on the most vulnerable buildings. In Trois-Rivières, a collapsed wall killed a sleeping girl and seriously hurted her sister. To les Saintes, even if it didn't had no dead man, or badly wounded person counted, many were traumatized and terrorized by the strong and numerous retorts. As all the Lesser Antilles, the zone around les Saintes contains an important number of faults, any sizes, which disrupt mutually and prolong several years the diminution in magnitude and in frequency of the retorts, easily felt because of the nearness of islands.
This earthquake reminded to West Indians the necessity of living with earthquakes as with cyclones and of getting ready for it at best to minimize the risks. He also allowed to throw the " Plan Earthquake " to the national level, a sector of which is specifically dedicated in the Antilles.
Political and institutional evolution request period
December 7th, 2003, islands of les Saintes, integrated 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...
, les Saintes did not get involved in the movement and are moderately concerned: 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, the Guadeloupean tourism was partially transferred to les Saintes.
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
Dependence of Guadeloupe
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...
. The conferences of the " southern islands" (name of the last dependences 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...
) (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 southern islands 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 the article 74 of the 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
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, brought in governmental portfolio of overseas, on June 23rd, 2009 and appointed, Overseas Minister on November 6th, 2009, seems wildly opposite to the initial project of her predecessor and delays applying it.
Economy
Fishing was for a long time the main activity of les Saintes and is still an important employment sector. The local fishermen are considered in all the Lesser Antilles for their bravery and their "hauls".Since around thirty years, les Saintes became a famous touristic place and this activity constitutes henceforth the moving plate of the local economy. Terre-de-Haut welcomes numerous boats which cast anchor in the bay of les Saintes, "one of the most beautiful bays of the world" according to the evaluation made by the club of the most beautiful bays of the world. The hotel business and the guest houses spread, without distorting this archipelago which knew how to remain wild. The bay attracts luxury yachts, pleasure boats, cruise ships and big sailboats which cross thru the Antilles. (84 stopovers of cruise for 2009) Terre-de-Haut receives annually more than 380,000 visitors who please businesses of the archipelago.
Agriculture was never really developed on these dry lands turned to the sea.
An economic approach of all the activities is realized by the National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) of Guadeloupe. The economic activity remains relatively low, marked by strong disparities between Terre-de-Haut and Terre-de-Bas. et Terre-de-Bas The unemployment rate is 12,6 % (2007). Working population consist of a great majority of employees and salaries worker's and a small percentage of storekeepers and handicraftsmen. The number of companies in the archipelago amounted in 2007 to 331.
Climate
The climate of these islands is Tropical tempered by trade winds with moderate high humidity.Thought its localisation between Guadeloupe and Dominica, les Saintes climate is different, and is more dry than its neighbourgs. It tends to get closer to the climate of St. Barts
Saint Barthélemy
Saint Barthélemy , officially the Territorial collectivity of Saint Barthélemy , is an overseas collectivity of France. Often abbreviated to Saint-Barth in French, or St. Barts in English, the indigenous people called the island Ouanalao...
and the most little islands of Lesser Antilles. The archipelago covers an area of 12.8 km² (4.9 sq mi). Terre-de-Bas, the eastern side is wetter than Terre-de-Haut, the western. Though 330 days of sunshine, the rainfall could attend 900 millimetres (35 in) but varies very widely. Summer is from May to November which is also the rainy season. Winter from December to April is the dry season. Sunshine is very prominent almost all through the year and even during the rainy season. Humidity, however, is not very high because of the winds. It has an average temperature of 25 °C (77 °F) with day temperatures rising to 34 °C (93 °F). The average temperature in January is 28 °C (82 °F) while in July it is 31 °C (88 °F). The lowest night temperature could be 16 °C (61 °F). The Caribbean sea waters in the vicinity generally maintain a temperature of about 27 °C (81 °F). The archipelago faces frequent catastrophic threats of cyclonic storms.
Environment
Les Saintes extends only over 12.8 km² (4.9 sq mi) but they are characterized by a big coast, enriched by those of four small uninhabited islands. The coast of these islands hasn't got real cliffs but their rocky funds are covered with corals. The sandy funds are moreless colonized by herbariums of Phanerogams marine. The inventory of the natural zones of ecological interest, faunistique and floral ( ZNIEFF) allowed to list in 2008 zones covering 381 hectares.Ground Fauna
The ground fauna is characterized by the presence of numerous ground iguanas. On this small territory live the green iguana of South America (heraldic symbol of the municipality of Terre-de-Haut) and the endemic species of the Antilles, Iguana delicatissima, which is threatened by the appearance of a hybrid stemming from the reproduction between the both species. Other reptiles live with these prehistoric saurians, the Antilles RacerAntilles Racer
The Antilles Racer is a species of snake found in the Caribbean, on the Lesser Antilles islands of Montserrat, Dominica, and Guadeloupe. It is common only on Dominica, where it can be found in all areas except the highest elevations, possibly due to the absence of the mongoose on that island.It...
(Alsophis antillensis), the Terre-De-Haut Racer (alsophis sanctonum) and lot of species of anolis. Thru the hill, we can discover agoutis
Common agouti
The popular term Agouti designates several rodent species of the genus Dasyprocta that inhabit areas of Middle America, the West Indies, and northern South America. They are related to guinea pigs and look quite similar but have longer legs. The species vary in color from tawny to dark brown with...
(Dasyprocta noblei), rodents of South America and the Caribbean pond, goats which populate wood and edges of beaches and, well hidden, some species of stick insects (praying mantises).
Birds are the most recurring species of the Antilles :
- Passerine: BananaquitBananaquitThe Bananaquit is a species of passerine bird of uncertain relation. It is tentatively placed in the tanager family, but classified as incertae sedis by other authorities such as the American Ornithologists' Union. Its classification is debated, and it is often placed in its own family: Coerebidae...
(Coereba flaveola); Yellow-headed BlackbirdYellow-headed BlackbirdThe Yellow-headed Blackbird is a medium-sized blackbird, and the only member of the genus Xanthocephalus....
; DickcisselDickcisselThe Dickcissel is a small American seed-eating bird in the family Cardinalidae. It is the only member of the genus Spiza, though some sources list another supposedly extinct species... - Hummingbirds : Blue-headed HummingbirdBlue-headed HummingbirdThe Blue-headed Hummingbird is a species of hummingbird in the Trochilidae family.It is found only in Dominica and Martinique....
; Green-throated CaribGreen-throated CaribThe Green-throated Carib is a species of hummingbird found throughout the Caribbean region.It is found in Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, north-east Puerto Rico, Saba, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint...
; Purple-throated CaribPurple-throated CaribThe Purple-throated Carib is a species of hummingbird in the Trochilidae family.It breeds on Antigua, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, Saba, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and Sint Eustatius...
, Blue-tailed EmeraldBlue-tailed EmeraldThe Blue-tailed Emerald, Chlorostilbon mellisugus, is a hummingbird found in tropical and subtropical South America east of the Andes from Colombia east to the Guianas and Trinidad, and south to northern Bolivia and central Brazil....
Ardeidaes being lazy in ponds salted (Snowy Egret
Snowy Egret
The Snowy Egret is a small white heron. It is the American counterpart to the very similar Old World Little Egret, which has established a foothold in the Bahamas....
, Green Heron
Green Heron
The Green Heron is a small heron of North and Central America. It was long considered conspecific with its sister species the Striated Heron , and together they were called "Green-backed Heron"...
and Western Cattle Egret, Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
The Yellow-crowned Night Heron , also called the American Night Heron or squawk, is a fairly small heron, similar in appearance to the Black-crowned Night Heron...
, Tricolored Heron
Tricolored Heron
The Tricolored Heron formerly known in North America as the Louisiana Heron, is a small heron. It is a resident breeder from the Gulf states of the USA and northern Mexico south through Central America and the Caribbean to central Brazil and Peru...
, etc.) and living with the aquatic turtles, the Common Moorhen
Common Moorhen
The Common Moorhen is a bird in the Rallidae family with an almost worldwide distribution. The North and South American Committees of the AOU and the IOC have voted on or before July 2011 to split the American forms into a new species Common Gallinule, however, no other committee has voted to...
, the blue land crab
Cardisoma guanhumi
Cardisoma guanhumi, also known as the blue land crab, is a species of land crab found in tropical and subtopical estuaries and other maritime areas of land along the Atlantic coast of the Americas, from Brazil and Colombia, through the Caribbean, to the Bahamas, and as far north as Vero Beach,...
, the blackback land crab, the sand fiddler crab and more other species of crabs. The Common Kestrel
Common Kestrel
The Common Kestrel is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae. It is also known as the European Kestrel, Eurasian Kestrel, or Old World Kestrel. In Britain, where no other brown falcon occurs, it is generally just called "the kestrel".This species...
is easily visible and audible during the rides into the dry forest, like the Zenaida Dove
Zenaida Dove
The Zenaida Dove is a member of the bird family Columbidae, which includes doves and pigeons. It is the national bird of Anguilla, where it is commonly referred to as a Turtle Dove. It lays two white eggs on a flimsy platform built on a tree or shrub. It also nests in rock crevices and on grassy...
, endemic species of West Indies protected inside the archipelago.
The night-fauna beats the measure of its symphony. At nightfall, it is the balet of frogs, not less unimportant due to the rarity of the species, (Eleutherodactylus barlegnei, Eleutherodactylus pinchoni
Eleutherodactylus pinchoni
Eleutherodactylus pinchoni is a species of frog in the Leptodactylidae family.It is endemic to Guadeloupe.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes.It is threatened by habitat loss....
, Hylole de Johnstone, Eleutherodactylus jonhsonei) fast perturbed by the minuet which play locusts.
Tree bats wait that we close our eyes to leave their caves or foliages to come to feed on papayas, sapotilles or on the other fruits and berries.
Marine Fauna
The archipelago shelters a big variety of:- Coral fishes (parrotfishParrotfishParrotfishes are a group of fishes that traditionally had been considered a family , but now often are considered a subfamily of the wrasses. They are found in relatively shallow tropical and subtropical oceans throughout the world, but with the largest species richness in the Indo-Pacific...
, CephalopholisCephalopholisCephalopholis is a genus of fish in the Serranidae family.It contains the following species:*Blue-Spotted Grouper *Chocolate hind *Graysby...
,Trumpetfish, Mero, Epinephelus adscensionis, cardinalfishApogon maculatusApogon maculatus is a Cardinalfish from the Western Atlantic. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 11 cm in length. It can be aggressive towards other cardinal fish. Only one should be kept in a tank unless in mated pairs. Otherwise it does well with...
, DamselfishDamselfishDamselfish comprise the family Pomacentridae except those of the genera Amphiprion and Premnas. They can grow up to long. While most are marine, a few species inhabit the lower stretches of rivers in freshwater. Damselfish usually have bright colors. in tropical coral reefs, and many of those are...
, Sergeant majorSergeant Major (fish)The Sergeant Major or píntano is a large, colourful damselfish. It earns its name from its brightly striped sides, which are reminiscent of the insignia of a military Sergeant Major...
, queen triggerfish, sunfishHeteropriacanthus cruentatusHeteropriacanthus cruentatus is a fish from the around the globe, in tropical seas. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 50.7 cm in length....
, Scrawled cowfishScrawled cowfishThe scrawled cowfish, Acanthostracion quadricornis, belongs to the Ostraciidae family and is closely related to boxfish and trunkfish. They range in size from 8-15 inches, with a maximum length of 18 inches, and can be found at depths between 6 and 80 feet.It is common to occasional in...
, schoolmaster snapperSchoolmaster snapperThe schoolmaster snapper, Lutjanus apodus, is found from Massachusetts to Brazil, but is common in southern Florida and the Caribbean. Up to 24 inches in length. It has a robust slightly compressed body, with a pointed head. Its color varies from silvery to bronze. Fins and tails are yellow...
, groupers, moray eels, congerCongerConger is a genus of marine congrid eels. It includes some of the largest types of eels, ranging up to 3 m in length, in the case of the European conger...
, green morayGreen morayThe green moray, Gymnothorax funebris, is a moray eel of the family Muraenidae, found in the western Atlantic from New Jersey, Bermuda, and the northern Gulf of Mexico to Brazil, at depths down to 40 m. Its length is up to 2.5 m.-External links:...
, Black scorpionfishBlack scorpionfishBlack scorpionfish is a venomous Scorpionfish, common in marine subtropical waters. It is widespread in the Eastern Atlantic from British Isles to the Azores and Canary Islands, near the coasts of Morocco, in the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea....
(venomous), red snapperRed snapper (fish)The red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus, is a fish found in the Gulf of Mexico and the southeastern Atlantic coast of the United States and, much less commonly, northward as far as Massachusetts. In Latin American Spanish it is known as huachinango or pargo...
, balloonfishes, Atlantic blue tang surgeonfish, etc.); - Pelagic fishes
- Royal spiny lobsters (Panulirus Argus) or Brazilians (Panulirus guttatus)
- Crustaceans (Spiny spider crabsMaja squinadoMaja squinado is a species of migratory crab found in the north-east Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea.-Diet:M...
, edible crabEdible crabCancer pagurus, commonly known as the edible crab or brown crab, is a species of crab found in the North Sea, North Atlantic Ocean and perhaps in the Mediterranean Sea. It is a robust crab of a reddish-brown colour, having an oval carapace with a characteristic "pie crust" edge and black tips to...
, shrimp, Slipper lobsterSlipper lobsterSlipper lobsters are a family of decapod crustaceans found in all warm oceans and seas. Despite their name, they are not true lobsters, but are more closely related to spiny lobsters and furry lobsters. Slipper lobsters are instantly recognisable by their enlarged antennae, which project forward...
, etc.); - Mollusks (Bobtail squidBobtail squidBobtail squid are a group of cephalopods closely related to cuttlefish. Bobtail squid tend to have a rounder mantle than cuttlefish and have no cuttlebone. They have eight suckered arms and two tentacles and are generally quite small...
, squidSquidSquid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles...
, octopuses); - Shells (strombus gigasStrombus gigasLobatus gigas, commonly known as the queen conch, is a species of large edible sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family of true conchs, the Strombidae...
renowned for their flesh, helmet shell, clamClamThe word "clam" can be applied to freshwater mussels, and other freshwater bivalves, as well as marine bivalves.In the United States, "clam" can be used in several different ways: one, as a general term covering all bivalve molluscs...
, whelksCittarium picaCittarium pica, common name the West Indian top shell or magpie shell, is a species of large edible sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turbinidae. This species has a large black and white shell....
, etc.); - Sea anemoneSea anemoneSea anemones are a group of water-dwelling, predatory animals of the order Actiniaria; they are named after the anemone, a terrestrial flower. Sea anemones are classified in the phylum Cnidaria, class Anthozoa, subclass Zoantharia. Anthozoa often have large polyps that allow for digestion of larger...
, SeahorseSeahorseSeahorses compose the fish genus Hippocampus within the family Syngnathidae, in order Syngnathiformes. Syngnathidae also includes the pipefishes. "Hippocampus" comes from the Ancient Greek hippos meaning "horse" and kampos meaning “sea monster”.There are nearly 50 species of seahorse...
, seaweeds, sea urchinSea urchinSea urchins or urchins are small, spiny, globular animals which, with their close kin, such as sand dollars, constitute the class Echinoidea of the echinoderm phylum. They inhabit all oceans. Their shell, or "test", is round and spiny, typically from across. Common colors include black and dull...
white and black, polypsPolypA polyp in zoology is one of two forms found in the phylum Cnidaria, the other being the medusa. Polyps are approximately cylindrical in shape and elongated at the axis of the body...
and other species of cnidarians (jellyfishJellyfishJellyfish are free-swimming members of the phylum Cnidaria. Medusa is another word for jellyfish, and refers to any free-swimming jellyfish stages in the phylum Cnidaria...
); - Corals (diploria, fire corals, etc.) from Caribbean islands, which we do not miss to observe during submarine diving in the various spots of the archipelago.
- Sharks and rays;
Moreover, Sec Pâté is particularly appreciated and renowned among the most beautiful of the Caribbean (compulsory level 2). Fishing of fishes and shells is regulated or forbidden for certain species. Even if saintoises waters are saved by the ciguatera
Ciguatera
Ciguatera is a foodborne illness caused by eating certain reef fishes whose flesh is contaminated with toxins originally produced by dinoflagellates such as Gambierdiscus toxicus which lives in tropical and subtropical waters. These dinoflagellates adhere to coral, algae and seaweed, where they are...
, a toxic microseaweed stemming from the destruction of the coral reefs that ingests certain species of fishes, it is not unthinkable that certain predators are contaminated to have migrated in waters located at the North of the 16th parallel, zone where rages particularly the toxin.
It is not rare to observe in the channel of les Saintes cetaceans, humpback whales, sperm whales, killer whales, dolphins... which during their migration reproduce in the warm seas of the Antilles.
The sea birds, The sea birds, Magnificent Frigatebird
Magnificent Frigatebird
The Magnificent Frigatebird was sometimes previously known as Man O'War, reflecting its rakish lines, speed, and aerial piracy of other birds....
, Brown Booby
Brown Booby
The Brown Booby is a large seabird of the booby family, Sulidae. The adult brown booby reaches about in length. Its head and upper body are covered in dark brown, with the remainder being a contrasting white. The juvenile form is gray-brown with darkening on the head, wings and tail...
, Masked Booby
Masked Booby
The Masked Booby, Sula dactylatra, is a large seabird of the booby family, Sulidae. This species breeds on islands in tropical oceans, except in the eastern Atlantic; in the eastern Pacific it is replaced by the Nazca Booby, Sula granti, which was formerly regarded as a subspecies of Masked Booby...
, terns, Double-crested Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
The Double-crested Cormorant is a member of the cormorant family of seabirds. It occurs along inland waterways as well as in coastal areas, and is widely distributed across North America, from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska down to Florida and Mexico...
(Phalacrocorax auritus), Pelican
Pelican
A pelican, derived from the Greek word πελεκυς pelekys is a large water bird with a large throat pouch, belonging to the bird family Pelecanidae....
, petrels
Petrel
Petrels are tube-nosed seabirds in the bird order Procellariiformes. The common name does not indicate relationship beyond that point, as "petrels" occur in three of the four families within that group...
nidifying on the cliffs and the uninhabited islands of les Saintes, particularly Grand Îlet, a natural reserve of the archipelago which knows the presence of boobys' species only observable on les Saintes, among the islands of the department, Red-footed Booby
Red-footed Booby
The Red-footed Booby, Sula sula, is a large seabird of the booby family, Sulidae. As suggested by the name, adults always have red feet, but the colour of the plumage varies. They are powerful and agile fliers, but they are clumsy in takeoffs and landings...
(Sula sula) and Blue-footed Booby
Blue-footed Booby
The Blue-footed Booby is a bird in the Sulidae family which comprises ten species of long-winged seabirds. The natural breeding habitat of the Blue-footed Booby is tropical and subtropical islands off the Pacific Ocean, most famously, the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador.- Etymology :The name booby...
(nebouxii Sula). But in the context of global warming and invasive foreign species implanted by the humans (ex: Red lionfish
Red Lionfish
The red lionfish is a venomous coral reef fish in the family Scorpaenidae, order Scorpaeniformes. P. volitans is natively found in the Indo-Pacific region, but has become a huge invasive problem in the Caribbean Sea and along the East coast of the United States along with a similar species,...
), the environment and the biodiversity of these islands are considered as very vulnerable and have to be the object of a drastic protection, it is thus recommended to the visitors do not making extraction of plants, captures or poaching of animals, to avoid perturbing the species into their natural biotope, or and do not pollute the ecosystem.
Sea turtlesSea turtleSea turtles are marine reptiles that inhabit all of the world's oceans except the Arctic.-Distribution:...
' Protection
Numerous species are endemic and strictly protected, listed, and guarded by the Conservatoire du littoralConservatoire du littoral
The Conservatoire du littoral is a French public organisation created in 1975 to ensure the protection of outstanding natural areas on the coast, banks of lakes and stretches of water of 10 square kilometres or more...
("Coastal protection agency" ), particularly the sea turtles, in application of the international convention ratified by France. Indeed les Saintes is the preserve of seven varieties of sea turtles among which three (those in bold type) lay on the beaches of the island:
- the Green sea turtleGreen Sea TurtleThe Green sea turtle or green turtle is a large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus Chelonia. Its range extends throughout tropical and subtropical seas around the world, with two distinct populations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...
(Chelonia mydas) ; - the Flatback sea turtle (Natator depressus) ;
- the Loggerhead sea turtleLoggerhead sea turtleThe loggerhead sea turtle , or loggerhead, is an oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world. It is a marine reptile, belonging to the family Cheloniidae. The average loggerhead measures around long when fully grown, although larger specimens of up to have been discovered...
(Caretta caretta) ; - the Olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) ;
- the Kemp's ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) ;
- the Hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) ;
- the Leatherback sea turtleLeatherback Sea TurtleThe leatherback sea turtle is the largest of all living sea turtles and the fourth largest modern reptile behind three crocodilians. It is the only living species in the genus Dermochelys. It can easily be differentiated from other modern sea turtles by its lack of a bony shell. Instead, its...
(Dermochelys coriacea).
Flora
The flora is, typical XerophileXerophile
Xerophiles are extremophilic organisms that can grow and reproduce in conditions with a low availability of water, also known as water activity. Water activity is a measure of the amount of water within a substrate that an organism can use to support sexual growth. Xerophiles are often said to...
forests of the volcanic islands of the Antilles:
- SoapberriesSapindusSapindus is a genus of about five to twelve species of shrubs and small trees in the Lychee family, Sapindaceae, native to warm temperate to tropical regions in both the Old World and New World. The genus includes both deciduous and evergreen species. Members of the genus are commonly known as...
- Tabebuia pallida
- Tabebuia heterophylla
- EugeniaEugeniaEugenia is a genus of flowering plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae. It has a worldwide, although highly uneven, distribution in tropical and subtropical regions. The bulk of the approximately 1,000 species occur in the New World tropics, especially in the northern Andes, the Caribbean, and the...
(Eugenia axillaris): (A species of MyrtaceaeMyrtaceaeThe Myrtaceae or Myrtle family are a family of dicotyledon plants, placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, clove, guava, feijoa, allspice, and eucalyptus belong here. All species are woody, with essential oils, and flower parts in multiples of four or five...
which fruits allow the manufacturing of the local and typical liqueur of wild cherry, aperitif of les Saintes)) - AcerolaAcerolaMalpighia emarginata is a tropical fruit-bearing shrub or small tree in the family Malpighiaceae. Common names include acerola, Barbados cherry, West Indian cherry and wild crapemyrtle....
(Malpighia emarginata) - Gumbo-limbo (Bursera simaruba)
- Plumeria albaPlumeria albaPlumeria alba is a species of the genus Plumeria . This large evergreen shrub has narrow elongated leaves, large and strongly perfumed white flowers with a yellow center. Native from Central America and the Caribbean, it is now common and naturalized in southern and southeastern Asia....
- Manchineel (Hippomane mancinella): Toxic tree marked with a red line on their trunk by the Conservatoire du Littoral.
- Chinee AppleZiziphus mauritianaZiziphus mauritiana, also known as Jujube, Chinee Apple, Indian plum, and permseret , is a tropical fruit tree species belonging to the family Rhamnaceae....
or permseret (Ziziphus mauritiana) which edible fruits are used for the manufacturing of the punch macerating in the white rum. - Flamboyant red or yellow-flowered (Delonix regia)
- Guapinol (Hymenaea courbaril)
- TamarindTamarindTamarind is a tree in the family Fabaceae. The genus Tamarindus is monotypic .-Origin:...
(Tamarindus indica), which fruits are used to make one of the specialities of Terre-de-Bas island, called "limbé ", a small home-made candy. - West Indian bay tree (Pimenta racemosa) much more present on the hills of Terre-de-Bas where the inhabitant use it to make the "bayrum", a rub lotion which curatives qualities whose the efficiency was widely proved in the Antilles. Furthermore, certain species can be used in hair creams, favoring a fast regrowth and the nutrition of hair. Seeds are also used as spice to perfume dishes. The exploitation of pimenta is assured by the association " Le Mapou " at Terre-de-Bas island which we owe it the medicinal garden "Éloit Germain".
The aridity allowed developments of colonies of very diversified cactus which the most remarkable are:
- CereusCereusCereus is a genus of cactus. The term cereus is also used to describe cacti with very elongated bodies, including columnar growth cacti and epiphytic cacti...
- prickly pearOpuntia ficus-indicaOpuntia ficus-indica is a species of cactus that has long been a domesticated crop plant important in agricultural economies throughout arid and semiarid parts of the world. It is thought to possibly be native to Mexico...
(Opuntia ficus-indica) - AloeAloeAloe , also Aloë, is a genus containing about 500 species of flowering succulent plants. The most common and well known of these is Aloe vera, or "true aloe"....
- MelocactusMelocactusMelocactus is a genus of cactus with about 40 species. They are native to the Caribbean, northern South America, with some species along the Andes down to southern Peru, and a concentration of species in northeastern Brazil....
Which honor the logo of the Tourist information office of the archipelago.
The dry ground of the hills is strewned with herbaceous plants, sometimes composed by urticant lianas (Acalypha arvensis), cat's claw
Uncaria tomentosa
Uncaria tomentosa is a woody vine found in the tropical jungles of South and Central America, which derives its name from its claw-shaped thorns...
(Uncaria tomentosa), (Croton balsamifer), (philodendron) and fabaceaes, tree with toxic or edible peas or seeds, Pigeon peas (Cajanus cajan), sword beans (Canavalia gladiata), Senna alexandrina
Senna alexandrina
Senna alexandrina is an ornamental plant in the genus Senna. It is also used in herbalism. It grows natively in upper Egypt, especially in the Nubian region, and near Khartoum , where it is cultivated commercially...
, Margosa or Bitter melon
Bitter melon
Momordica charantia, called bitter melon or bitter gourd in English, is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, widely grown in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean for its edible fruit, which is among the most bitter of all fruits...
(Momordica charantia), (Caesalpinia ciliatea), (Caesalpinia bonduc) which the children play balls, rosary pea (Abrus precatorius), Castor oil plant
Castor oil plant
The castor oil plant, Ricinus communis, is a species of flowering plant in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae. It belongs to a monotypic genus, Ricinus, and subtribe, Ricininae. The evolution of castor and its relation to other species are currently being studied.Its seed is the castor bean which,...
(Ricinus communis), very used in the local small business sector.
Seaside knows a vegetation of:
- Yellow, green or orange huge coconutCoconutThe coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
palms; - BaygrapeCoccoloba uviferaCoccoloba uvifera is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family, Polygonaceae, that is native to coastal beaches throughout tropical America and the Caribbean, including southern Florida, the Bahamas, Barbados and Bermuda...
(Coccoloba uvifera); - Portia TreePortia treeThespesia populnea, commonly known as the Portia Tree , is species of flowering plant in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is a small tree or arborescent shrub that has a pantropical distribution, found on coasts around the world. However, the Portia Tree is probably native only to the Old World,...
(Thespesia populnea); - Paradise plumChrysobalanus icacoChrysobalanus icaco, the cocoplum, Paradise Plum and icaco , is found near sea beaches and inland throughout the tropical Americas and the Caribbean, including Cuba, southern Florida, and the Bahamas. The inland subspecies is Chrysobalanus icaco pellocarpus.-Description:Chrysobalanus icaco is a...
(Chrysobalanus icaco); - Muricife (creole term), a variety of edible West Indian olive almost disappeared from beaches.
Three rare species of orchid grow naturally in the archipelago and are the object of a severe protection:
- Fringed Star Orchid (Epidendrum ciliare)
- Tolumnia urophyllaTolumnia urophyllaTolumnia urophylla is a species of orchid endemic to the Lesser Antilles....
- Brassavola cucullataBrassavola cucullataBrassavola cucullata is a species of orchid. It is the type for the genus Brassavola, and the only member of B. sect. Brassavola. The diploid chromosome number of B. cucullata has been determined as 2n = 40....
more rare, Endangered on les Saintes archipelago.
Numerous walking tours were realized by the Conservatoire du Littoral through the forest, in such a way to observe these natural resources, the historic ruins of the fortifications and to admire the exceptional panoramas which offer les Saintes to the visitors.
The sand of beaches is in dominant white or golden, even if some zones of black sand remain under the white sand provoking by place, colored nuances of seaside, it is the domain of Ghost crab
Ghost crab
Ghost crabs, also called sand crabs, are crabs of the genus Ocypode, common shore crabs in many countries. Characteristics of the genus include one claw being larger than the other, but this difference is not as marked as in male fiddler crabs....
(Ocypode quadrata), hermit crab
Pagurus bernhardus
Pagurus bernhardus is the common marine hermit crab of Europe's Atlantic coasts. It is sometimes referred to as the common hermit crab or soldier crab. It is about long, and is found in both rocky and sandy areas, from the Arctic waters of Iceland, Svalbard and Russia as far south as southern...
(Pagurus bernhardus), Sally lightfoot
Grapsus grapsus
The crab Grapsus grapsus is one of the most common crabs along the western coast of the Americas. It is known variously as "red rock crab", "abuete negro", and, together with other crabs such as Percnon gibbesi, as "Sally Lightfoot"...
(Grapsus grapsus) on the semi-submerged rocks.
Environmental and energy policy
Numerous actions are made to protect this fragile ecosystem at international, national, departmental and municipal level. The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) listed several sites of the archipelago and categorized their degree of protection according to the current classification. So several sites are registered in category IV defined by the non-governmental organization.During 1990's most of the beaches and mounts of the archipelago are listed under decree of protection of biotope (Grande Anse beach, Îlet à Cabrit, Morel hill). At the request of the municipality and the Departmental Council, the bays of Pompierre and Pain de Sucre are classified by french law of May 2nd, 1930 (relative to the protection of the natural monuments and the sites of artistic, historic, scientific, legendary or picturesque character).
Conservatoire du littoral
Conservatoire du littoral
The Conservatoire du littoral is a French public organisation created in 1975 to ensure the protection of outstanding natural areas on the coast, banks of lakes and stretches of water of 10 square kilometres or more...
agency makes within the framework of the national program of protection of the natural spaces, the acquisition of several grounds in particular Grand Ilet and Chameau hill..
Since December 31st, 2010, the open-air garbage dump , an environmental problem for the archipelago for long time, is closed and replaced by the starting of the waste sorting. Then, waste are compacted and sent by boat to Guadeloupe to be recycled.
Moreover the plastic bags disappeared from cashdesks of grocer's shops and businesses of the archipelago. Each municipality helped its inhabitants to change their habits by distributing reusable shopping bags. By these new political measures, les Saintes is more committed into the protection of the environment and the heritage.
Terre-de-Haut
Terre-de-Haut Island
Terre-de-Haut Island is an island in the Îles des Saintes archipelago. It belongs to the commune of Terre-de-Haut. The Fort Napoléon des Saintes is located on this island. 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...
, created its local Agenda 21
Agenda 21
Agenda 21 is an action plan of the United Nations related to sustainable development and was an outcome of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992...
.
In May, 2011, buoys of anchorage were installed in the bay of Terre-de-Haut to regulate the sailing and decrease the uncontrolled anchorage which damages sea bed.
Specials guy-wired
Guy-wire
A guy-wire or guy-rope, also known as simply a guy, is a tensioned cable designed to add stability to structures . One end of the cable is attached to the structure, and the other is anchored to the ground at a distance from the structure's base...
wind turbines
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
, which could be lying on the ground (in 45 minutes) when huricane or storm
Storm
A storm is any disturbed state of an astronomical body's atmosphere, especially affecting its surface, and strongly implying severe weather...
coming, were installed on Terre-de-Bas, Terre-de-Bas.
In 2007, the seven machines could produce three million kWh a year, allowing Terre-de-Bas, and all the archipelago of les Saintes to be surplus in electricity. Thanks to that les Saintes can supply electricity to the south of Basse-Terre
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 ....
(Guadeloupe).
Feast days and long-standing custom
The feast days calendar and customs are guided by the Christians' feast days. The traditions of Church are there very long-lived. The public holidays are the same that those of FranceFrance
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...
completed by those specific to Guadeloupe overseas department and those of Les Saintes.
The Christian feast days are celebrated in the mass into the churches livened up by the choirs of both parishes. (Christmas, Easter, Pentecost) Some feast days have them peculiarities:
- Corpus ChristiCorpus Christi (feast)Corpus Christi is a Latin Rite solemnity, now designated the solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ . It is also celebrated in some Anglican, Lutheran and Old Catholic Churches. Like Trinity Sunday and the Solemnity of Christ the King, it does not commemorate a particular event in...
: The believers follow a procession in the streets of the island with the priest who protects the MonstranceMonstranceA monstrance is the vessel used in the Roman Catholic, Old Catholic, and Anglican churches to display the consecrated Eucharistic host, during Eucharistic adoration or Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Created in the medieval period for the public display of relics, the monstrance today is...
(Blessed SacramentBlessed SacramentThe Blessed Sacrament, or the Body and Blood of Christ, is a devotional name used in the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Catholic Churches, Old Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches, to refer to the Host after it has been consecrated in the sacrament of the Eucharist...
) covered with the most beautiful embroidery of the local crafts to a cave, where is held children dressed in CherubimCherubA cherub is a type of spiritual being mentioned in the Hebrew Bible and cited later on in the Christian biblical canons, usually associated with the presence of God...
throwing petals of flowers. The local residents living along the route of procession go out to the entrance of their house, their fishing nets decorated with fruits and flowers, with Christian icons and with paintings of The Last Supper (Leonardo da Vinci).
- Fishing and fishermen days: celebrated on June 11th of every year: competition of fishing, meshing of net, remembrance of the dead sea fishermen, the public ball and animation are made.
- August 15th and 16th: Public holydays. August 15thAssumption of MaryAccording to the belief of Christians of the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, and parts of the Anglican Communion and Continuing Anglicanism, the Assumption of Mary was the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven at the end of her life...
is the Patron saintPatron saintA patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
's day of Terre-de-Haut IslandTerre-de-Haut IslandTerre-de-Haut Island is an island in the Îles des Saintes archipelago. It belongs to the commune of Terre-de-Haut. The Fort Napoléon des Saintes is located on this island. 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...
(Our-Lady-of-Assumption), the Mayor, his municipal concil and officials are dressed as much as the boats in the bay. The salvoes of artilleries, drum majorettes, torchlight procession, reveille on the bugle are at the party. The island celebrates the victory of August 15th, 1666 of the French fleet against the English occupying the archipelago. A procession with the status of Our-Lady-of-Assumption is organized through the streets of the island before ending on the beach where the priest throws a spray of flowers to the sea. It is the signal for the regatta of saintoise sail (traditionnal boat of les Saintes). A ship of the French NavyFrench NavyThe French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
is present for the occasion, particularly la Fougeuse a Patrol boatPatrol boatA patrol boat is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defense duties.There have been many designs for patrol boats. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, or police force, and may be intended for marine and/or estuarine or river environments...
wich Terre-de-Haut island is the godmother. Officers and sailors wearing their bachis ( SeamanSeamanSeaman is one of the lowest ranks in a Navy. In the Commonwealth it is the lowest rank in the Navy, followed by Able Seaman and Leading Seaman, and followed by the Petty Officer ranks....
(Matelot) and QuartermasterQuartermasterQuartermaster refers to two different military occupations depending on if the assigned unit is land based or naval.In land armies, especially US units, it is a term referring to either an individual soldier or a unit who specializes in distributing supplies and provisions to troops. The senior...
(Quartier-maître) hat in french navy characterized by a small red pom-pon) walk on the island. In the past French cruiser Jeanne d'Arc (R97) attended of the festivities.
August 16th is sailors and seamen day. They organize a procession in remember of the dead sailor. To the program: Election of beauty queens, animations, competitions, fireworks and podia which begin from August 14th. Today August 15th and 16th are very famous and became a festival of Caribbean music, where numerous artists succeed. Terre-de-Bas island do its festivities on August 8th and 9th. It's the commemoration of August 9th, 1882, the creation of the municipality of Terre-de-Bas
Terre-de-Bas
Terre-de-Bas Island is the largest island in the Îles des Saintes archipelago. It belongs to the commune of Terre-de-Bas. The island has five tourist attractions:* Grande Anse beach* Le Cimetière marin * Bord de Mer beach...
.
- SinterklaasSinterklaasSinterklaas is a traditional Winter holiday figure still celebrated today in the Low Countries, including the Netherlands and Belgium, as well as French Flanders and Artois...
: December 6th, is the Patron saintPatron saintA patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
's day of Terre-de-Bas Island (Saint Nicholas ). Festival of the island.
- CarnivalCarnivalCarnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
is celebrated as most of the islands in February, by wearing luxurious fancy dresses and masks which disentangle in streets under the rhythms of West Indian steel drums for fat days: Saturday, Sunday, Monday (night disentangled in pajamas), on Fat Tuesday (big parade) and on Ash WednesdayAsh WednesdayAsh Wednesday, in the calendar of Western Christianity, is the first day of Lent and occurs 46 days before Easter. It is a moveable fast, falling on a different date each year because it is dependent on the date of Easter...
(disentangled in black and white which cloture the carnival by burning the marionette Vaval, king of carnival). People goes to the church after carnival for liturgical imposition of ashes. A traditional mask of les Saintes frightens the children particularly during Fat Tuesday (tuesday of carnival or Mardi Gras), they call it in creole :Mo-vivant (literally: "zombie").
Local crafts
Crafts is still very present on the archipelago, which still produce typical objects:- the SalakoSalakoSalako is a hat from Îles des Saintes . It appeared towards the end of the 19th century. It is made on Terre-de-Bas Island by some last craftsmen who still have the art and the technics of its making.-Description:...
, traditional hat made in fibers of bamboo, probably native of Indochina. It is a conical shape hat covered with white fabric for the top and blue for the bottom for its traditional colour, but also dressed in madrasMadras (cloth)Madras is a lightweight cotton fabric with typically patterned texture and plaid design, used primarily for summer clothing—pants, shorts, dresses and jackets. The fabric takes its name from the former English name of the city of Chennai, India...
fabric ; its manufacturing is realized by the craftsmen of Terre-de-Bas.
- The Saintoise, a boat of fishing which spread in all the Lesser Antilles for its reliability and its maneuverability. It is the work of the old marine carpenters of the island who even modernized it by motorizing it. Its traditional shape is in veil and wooden and is used during regatta today. Guadeloupe took back this tradition of les Saintes, and restored the local sailingSailing (sport)Sailing is a well organized and recognized sport.There is a broad variety of kinds of races and sailboats used for racing. Much racing is done around buoys or similar marks in protected waters, while some longer offshore races cross open water...
by creating an annual regatta which takes place on July, the TGVT (Guadeloupe Traditional Sail Tour). The saintoise is realized in shipyard which receive orders of numerous Caribbean islands. (ex: shipyard Alain Foy, shipyard Pineau, etc.)
- The embroidery, the sewing, the hook, and the weaving: come from the Breton and Norman ancestral traditions, the ladies of the island devote gladly to the preparation of the basketworks in latan palm leaves and to the sewing. As well as parasols, slippers, baby clothes, curtains, place mats, mantillas, beddings and pillowcases embroidered or in hooks born by the extraordinary dexterity of the lady of the archipelago. Their clothing businesses are sometimes exposed in the city halls for competition and sold in front of the doors of their residence. The men make nets, bow nets, for fishing and weave the fibers of bamboo for the bottom of chair and rocking chairs.
- Furnitures, model making and wooden toys: the furniture of houses beds, sideboards, consoles, rocking chairs, and the models of boats are created by the hand of very skillful carpenters. Marionettes, cars (kabwa in Creole) and wooden traditional spinning tops are made on the island, and are still very appreciated by the children.
- The housing environment: Les Saintes is renowned for the charm and the cleanliness of its houses. it is the work of a Creole traditional know-how. Everything is minutely retailed, railings, doors with flaps, venetian blinds, the designs, and the decorative friezes covering gutters along the roof. The wood is still the most important material of local crafts.
Artists
Les Saintes inspire lots of artists for its exceptional landscapes, its heritages and their scenes of life.- Pascal Foy art gallery: this young people from les Saintes realized and patented his idea to miniaturize and to conceive the facades of the traditional Creole houses. A personal talent that he exposes and sells in his art gallery at Terre-de-Haut.
- Martine Cotten art gallery: this Breton artist found asylum to les Saintes for more than twenty years, she realizes paintings of soft pastels on vellum paper of scenes and panorama of les Saintes and BrittanyBrittanyBrittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
(Pont-AvenPont-AvenPont-Aven is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France.-Population:Inhabitants of Pont-Aven are called in French Pontavenistes.-History:...
) which she sells and exposes in her shop on the small port of Terre-de-Haut. Her realizations are appreciated by collectors and business managers. A lot of exhibitions are dedicated to her in France and abroad.
- Spindler art gallery: this artist, noticed for his original colored works of caribbean life, stayed for a long time in les Saintes, before to settle down recently on Saint-Barts, his works are present on both islands.
- Cathy Regnier: A painter of watercolor who realizes portraits and landscape of les Saintes.
- Edouard recup'art: this artist, fallen in love of les Saintes, exposes paintings and panels from recycling wood of boat hulls with worn nets which muddled are a pleasure for eyes.
- The soap factory of the island: a perfumer who makes, bath salts, soaps, oil and essential milk in the designs and the scents of the archipelago.
- Alain Foy: this young people from les Saintes realizes sculptures in resin on plans of paintings in three dimensions.
Music
Music, like all the islands of the Lesser Antilles, livens up life of the people from les Saintes. The musicians who in the past, occupied squares to play, les Saintes, West Indian and French scores with their accordions, violins and armonicas left place to some small bands which give rhythm at the parties and carnival of the islands. (SOS band, Unison, Mélody Vice, Explosion, etc.)The traditional music (Creole Quadrille
Quadrille
Quadrille is a historic dance performed by four couples in a square formation, a precursor to traditional square dancing. It is also a style of music...
,Biguine
Biguine
Biguine is a style of music that originated in Guadeloupe and Martinique in the 19th century.-History:Two main types of French antillean biguine can be identified based on the instrumentation in contemporary musical practice, which is call the drum biguine and the orchestrated biguine . Each of...
, mazouk from Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
) is still present for the folk balls and when the inhabitants release their traditional costumes and sing the creole hymns of the island ("Viv péyi an nou, viv les Saintes an nou" (litterally: Long live to our country, Long live to our les Saintes ) or "Viv Terre-de-Haut" (litterally: Long live to Terre-de-Haut) for the visits of officials. (Minister's visit or August 15th Patron saint's day of the island). Gwo ka
Gwo ka
Gwo ka is both a family of hand drums and the music created with them, which is a major part of Guadeloupean folk music. There are seven rhythms in gwo ka, which are embellished by the drummers...
, contrary to its neighbour 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...
where it is come from, made only shy appearances to les Saintes, but did not integrate Les Saintes ' traditions.
The Haitian Compas music and the guadeloupean combos (band) of the 70s (les Aiglons, la Perfecta, etc.) are very appreciated and are played in all the parties of the life (marriages, public baptisms, ball, etc.).
The Creole waltz remained the traditional emblem of the opening of the ball for the newlyweds of the archipelago.
Zouk
Zouk
Zouk is a style of rhythmic music originating from the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe & Martinique. Zouk means "party" or "festival" in the local Antillean Creole of French, although the word originally referred to, and is still used to refer to, a popular dance, based on the Polish dance, the...
, Salsa
Salsa music
Salsa music is a genre of music, generally defined as a modern style of playing Cuban Son, Son Montuno, and Guaracha with touches from other genres of music...
, Merengue
Merengue music
Merengue is a type of music and dance from the Dominican Republic. It is popular in the Dominican Republic and all over Latin America. Its name is Spanish, taken from the name of the meringue, a dessert made from whipped egg whites and sugar...
, Dancehall
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
, French and international varieties are in fashions with the young populations who dance on these rhythms in bars and clubs. Les Saintes have also inspired the Guadeloupean singer Francky Vincent
Francky Vincent
Francky Vincent is a singer, song-writer, producer, painter, manager and musician of at least 170 songs from Guadeloupe...
who dedicated a title to the archipelago: Le tourment d'amour.
A singer from les Saintes called "Joyeux des cocotiers" who did the titles La cousine and Pina colada coco loco became famous in French Antilles quite as an illustrious band of Terre-de-Bas: L' Étoile des mers which created the titles: La vi péchè (L'an mè la enragé), Pwoblèm and Ti marin péchè. Famous creole song in French West Indies.
Gastronomy
People of the sea, the gastronomy is mainly composed of products of the sea and creole culinary dishes, (fish Court-bouillon, Colombo (sort of creole dish of meat spicy with colombo powder ingredients (curryCurry
Curry is a generic description used throughout Western culture to describe a variety of dishes from Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Thai or other Southeast Asian cuisines...
, curcuma
Curcuma
Curcuma is a genus of about 80 accepted species in the plant family Zingiberaceae that contains such species as turmeric and Siam Tulip. The name comes from Arabic kurkum meaning "turmeric". Since assembly of the genus Curcuma by Linnaeus in 1753 about 130 species have been described so far...
, safran
SAFRAN
Safran is a French conglomerate involved in defense, aerospace propulsion and equipment, and security. It is the result of a merger between the propulsion and aerospace equipment group SNECMA and the defense conglomerate SAGEM. Its headquarters are located in Paris.The name Safran, literally...
and cumin
Cumin
Cumin is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native from the east Mediterranean to India. Its seeds are used in the cuisines of many different cultures, in both whole and ground form.-Etymology:...
) ), Black pudding, accras de Morue (saltfish)
Pastéis de Bacalhau
Bolinhos de bacalhau or pastéis de bacalhau are a typical dish made up of potatoes, bacalhau , eggs, parsley, and some other minor ingredients...
which are added some typical specialities:
- le "Tourment d'amour": a small tartlet consisted of a pie crust pastry, with jam (coconut for the traditional) whole covered with a sponge cake. This small cake is very wide-spread in the archipelago where the merchants come on the port to sell them to the visitors arriving from the ferrys. Every year, for the Patron saint's day a competition of the most good and biggest "tourment d'amour" is organized according to the tradition of the territory. We find them now with jam of the other tropical fruits. (BananaBananaBanana 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....
, GuavaGuavaGuavas are plants in the myrtle family genus Psidium , which contains about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees. They are native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America...
, Passion fruit, PineapplePineapplePineapple 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...
. Francky VincentFrancky VincentFrancky Vincent is a singer, song-writer, producer, painter, manager and musician of at least 170 songs from Guadeloupe...
praised it in one of its musical compositions, there is a few years ago.
- The fish pancakes: to honour their ancestral roots, les Saintes 's people has created a pancake with the peculiarity to be filled by a fish stuffing and a bechamel sauce. it is gilded in the oven and covered with dried breadcrumbs. The merchants of Black pudding, do not forget to make this dish which the scent embalms the market.
- The fish cake: It's a fish terrine, gilded in the oven and served freshly.
- "Limbe": A small candy made on the island of Terre-de-Bas with tamarins, with sugar and condensed milk. A very wide-spread fruit in the archipelago.
- "fwisu": it is a special preparation of the goat blood, spicy with onion, persol, thyme and garlic. it is served like a warm starter. it gets closer to the Sanquette a traditional dish of the regions of the South of France.
- "wog": name of the fish eggs, that les Saintes ' peoples prepares in frying. Specially Mahi-mahiMahi-mahiThe mahi-mahi or common dolphinfish is a surface-dwelling ray-finned fish found in off-shore temperate, tropical and subtropical waters worldwide. It is one of only two members of the Coryphaenidae family, the other being the pompano dolphinfish...
's egg. A kind of local caviar.
- EugeniaEugeniaEugenia is a genus of flowering plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae. It has a worldwide, although highly uneven, distribution in tropical and subtropical regions. The bulk of the approximately 1,000 species occur in the New World tropics, especially in the northern Andes, the Caribbean, and the...
liquor: small wild berries of les Saintes macerated in the white rum to give a liquor. Ageing, it emanates a bigger flavor. It is considered as being the local wine, due to its colour and its taste.
Heritage and historical monument
- The museum and the botanical garden of Napoleon fortFort Napoléon des SaintesFort Napoléon is located on Terre-de-Haut Island, in the Îles des Saintes, Guadeloupe. Built on the morne called Mire, it was originally named Fort Louis. It was destroyed by British forces in 1809. It was rebuilt in 1867, and named after Napoleon III, but never saw use in battle, and was...
- The natural reserves of Grand-Îlet and "Morel" hill.
- The ruins of the lazaretto and the "Joséphine Fort" on îlet à Cabrit
- "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 (Terre-de-Haut)
- The chapel of the Calvary (Terre-de-Haut)
- The square of the Governor Lion or square of the port, with its colored houses. (Terre-de-Haut)
- The organs pipes of basalt of Pain de sucrePain de sucre (Les Saintes)Pain de Sucre is a little mountain located on Terre-de-Haut Island on the archipelago of Îles des Saintes with the height of 53 meters...
(Terre-de-Haut) - Our-Lady-of-Assumption 's church (Terre-de-Haut)
- The ruins of the old Pottery factory of "Grand Baie" (Terre-de-Bas)
- St Nicholas' church (Terre-de-Bas)
- The watchtower and the ponds of the "Abymes hill" (Terre-de-bas)
- The typical district of Mapou and its factory of Bay rumBay rumBay rum is the name of a cologne/aftershave lotion.Other uses include as under-arm deodorant and as a fragrance for shaving soap, as well as a general astringent....
and essence of bay rum tree - The diving site of "sec Pâté" (Terre-de-Bas)
- The multiple beaches (Crawen, Pompierre, Anse Rodrigue, Anse Figuier, Marigot, Anse Mire, Grande-Anse, Anse à Dos, Anse à Cointre Etc.)
Public health
The archipelago has a health centre per island. Terre-de-Haut has two general practitioners, two dentists, four physiotherapists. Terre-de-Bas has a general practitioner. The pharmacy is located on Terre-de-Haut.Each island has a care centre for help; the fire brigades are equipped with equipment and vehicles adapted to fight against disasters and to carry assistance.
Other care and specialities are located at Basse-Terre
Basse-Terre
Basse-Terre is the prefecture of Guadeloupe, an overseas region and department of France located in the Lesser Antilles...
or Pointe-à-Pitre
Pointe-à-Pitre
Pointe-à-Pitre is the largest city of Guadeloupe, an overseas région and département of France located in the Lesser Antilles, of which it is a sous-préfecture, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Pointe-à-Pitre....
and in case of emergency, the fire brigade can call the helicopter of Sécurité Civile
Sécurité Civile
Operating for the French Ministry of the Interior, the Direction de la Défense de la Sécurité Civile is a French Government civil defence agency, employing some 2,500 civilian and military personnel over 60 sites...
to come from Guadeloupe.
On the islands
The transport on Terre-de-HautTerre-de-Haut
Terre-de-Haut is a commune in the French overseas department of Guadeloupe, on Terre-de-Haut Island. It is the most populous island of the archipelago of the Îles des Saintes. The Fort Napoléon des Saintes is located in this commune....
mainly consists of scooters and motorcycles. A lot of scooter rental companies are made available to tourists on their arrival. Cars are rare; some taxis, tourist minibuses and utility vehicles use the narrow streets of the island.
On Terre-de-Bas
Terre-de-Bas
Terre-de-Bas Island is the largest island in the Îles des Saintes archipelago. It belongs to the commune of Terre-de-Bas. The island has five tourist attractions:* Grande Anse beach* Le Cimetière marin * Bord de Mer beach...
minibuses make the bulk of the transport between the port and the villages.
By boat
For the regular transport of passengers, small ferries make several daily connections between Terre-de-Bas, Terre-de-Haut, Trois-RivièresTrois-Rivières, Guadeloupe
Trois-Rivières is a commune in the overseas department of Guadeloupe, and the chef-lieu of the Canton of Trois-Rivières. It is on the south coast of the island of Basse-Terre.-External links:* ....
(Guadeloupe island), and Basse-Terre
Basse-Terre
Basse-Terre is the prefecture of Guadeloupe, an overseas region and department of France located in the Lesser Antilles...
(Guadeloupe island) on certain mornings.
Other connections, essentially for tourists, are made several times a week to Pointe-à-Pitre
Pointe-à-Pitre
Pointe-à-Pitre is the largest city of Guadeloupe, an overseas région and département of France located in the Lesser Antilles, of which it is a sous-préfecture, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Pointe-à-Pitre....
(Guadeloupe), Grand-Bourg
Grand-Bourg
Grand-Bourg is a commune on the island of Marie-Galante, in the French overseas region and department of Guadeloupe in the Lesser Antilles Caribbean. It is located in the southwest of Marie-Galante, and is the most populous of the three communes on the island....
(Marie-Galante
Marie-Galante
Marie-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....
), Roseau
Roseau
-Architecture:The central district of Roseau is tightly packed with small and large houses and even larger modern concrete structures. There is little green or open space situated within the city, and this is even more so today, as many of the courtyards which was once commonplace within the city...
(Dominica
Dominica
Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
) or Fort-de-France
Fort-de-France
Fort-de-France is the capital of France's Caribbean overseas department of Martinique. It is also one of the major cities in the Caribbean. Exports include sugar, rum, tinned fruit, and cacao.-Geography:...
(Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
).
Les Saintes is frequented by pleasure boats, coming from Guadeloupe island or cruising the Carribbean islands.
Goods transportation is made by small cargo boats or barges from Guadeloupe island. Small deliveries or express service are made by the ferries.
By plane
An aerodrome crosses Terre-de-Haut island. Its runway of 580 m (0.360396187256888 mi) is reserved for small private planes (e.g. Cessna 208 Caravan, DHC-6 Twin Otter) because the low maritime distance does not allow the maintenance of a profitable regular public line. (Air CaraïbesAir Caraïbes
Air Caraïbes is the regional airline of the French Caribbean which comprises two overseas departments of France: Guadeloupe and Martinique. The airline is headquartered in Les Abymes in Guadeloupe. It operates scheduled and charter services serving 13 islands in the West Indies...
stopped the flight connection in 2008).
See also
- Dependence of GuadeloupeDependence of GuadeloupeThe 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...
- UCPAUCPAUCPA is a non-profit French organization that makes outdoor sports holidays available for people of ages 7–39. Formed in 1965, it is a union of government bodies, sports federations and youth associations...