Terre-de-Haut Island

Terre-de-Haut
Native name: <span class="nickname" ">Terre-de-Haut des Saintes

Terre-de-Haut view from Chameau hill.
Geography
Location Caribbean sea
Coordinates 15°51′45″N 61°35′00″W / 15.86250°N 61.58333°W / 15.86250; -61.58333Coordinates: 15°51′45″N 61°35′00″W / 15.86250°N 61.58333°W / 15.86250; -61.58333
Archipelago Îles des Saintes
Total islands 9
Major islands Terre-de-Bas Island
Area 5.2 km2 (2.0 sq mi)
Highest elevation 306 m (1,004 ft)
Highest point Chameau hill
Administration
Overseas department Guadeloupe
Canton les Saintes
commune Terre-de-Haut
Largest settlement Fond-du-Curé
Mayor Louis Molinié
Demographics
Population 1838 (as of 2006)
Density 352 /km2 (912 /sq mi)

Terre-de-Haut Island (officially in French :Terre-de-Haut des Saintes (literally: highland of les Saintes)) is an island in the Îles des Saintes archipelago, in the Lesser Antilles. It belongs to the commune (municipality) of Terre-de-Haut into the French department of Guadeloupe.

Geography

Description

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

The Pain de sucre peninsula, with the height of (53 metres (174 ft)) is linked to Terre-de-Haut by an isthmus.[1]

Populated areas

Small villages are seen spread out in the rolling hills in the interior. Fond-du-Curé is located in a natural harbour. Yachts and cruise boats are a common sight in the harbour. The oldest settlements still remaining are the villages of Mouillage and Fond-du curé.[2] The population is spread among 20 quartiers (districts), more or less well delimited. They are grouped into two halves:[3]

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

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

Marigot (Terre-de-Haut)

Demography

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

In 2006 the population of Terre-de-Haut was 1,838, with a density of population of 306 inhabitants/km2. The number of households was 693.[4]

Climate

Language

History

Pain de sucre (Terre-de-Haut)

Culture

Economy

The island lives essentially on fishing and tourism. The island contains a UCPA center with 60 bungalows, and receives approximately 120 trainees every week. it closes for two months every year because of the weather conditions.

Environment

Transport

To see

See also

References

  1. "Monographie sur les Saintes (dépendance de la Guadeloupe)". gallica.bnf.fr. Retrieved 2014-10-10.
  2. Bonniol, J.L. (1980). Terre-de-Haut des Saintes: contraintes insulaires et particularisme ethnique dans la Caraïbe. L HARMATTAN. p. 299. ISBN 9782903033132. Retrieved 2014-10-10.
  3. "Au bourg débute la visite de Terre de Haut". escale-creole.wifeo.com. Retrieved 2014-10-10.
  4. "Insee - Chiffres clés : Commune de Terre-de-Haut (97131)". statistiques-locales.insee.fr. Retrieved 2014-10-10.
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