Geography of Guadeloupe - Definition and Overview

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