Geography of Guadeloupe
This article describes the geography of Guadeloupe.
- Location:
- Caribbean, islands in the eastern Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico
- Geographic coordinates:
- 16° 15′ N, 61° 35′ W
- Map references:
- Central America and the Caribbean
- Area:
- Total: 1,780 km²
- Land: 1,706 km²
- Water: 74 km²
- Note: Guadeloupe is an archipelago of nine inhabited islands: the main islands Basse-Terre on the west and Grande-Terre on the east, the nearby smaller islands Marie-Galante, La Desirade, Iles des Saintes (2) and Iles de la Petite Terre, and more to the northwest, beyond St Kitts and Nevis: Saint Barthélemy and Saint-Martin (French part of the island of Saint Martin).
- Area--comparative:
- 10 times the size of Washington, DC
- Land boundaries:
- Total: 10.2 km
- Border countries: Netherlands Antilles (Sint Maarten) 10.2 km
- Coastline:
- 306 km
- Maritime claims:
- Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
- Territorial sea: 12 nm
- Climate:
- Subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity
- Terrain:
- Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior mountains; Grande-Terre is low limestone formation; most of the seven other islands are volcanic in origin
- Elevation extremes:
- Lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
- Highest point: Soufriere 1,467 m
- Natural resources:
- Cultivable land, beaches and climate that foster tourism
- Land use:
- Arable land: 14%
- Permanent crops: 4%
- Permanent pastures: 14%
- Forests and woodland: 39%
- Other: 29% (1993 est.)
- Irrigated land:
- 30 km² (1993 est.)
- Natural hazards:
- Hurricanes (June to October); Soufriere is an active volcano
- Environment--current issues:
- NA
See also: Guadeloupe
