ÃŽles des Saintes

The Îles des Saintes are a group of islands of the French overseas departments of Guadeloupe. They are located about 15 km southeast of Guadeloupe and include this as well as the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean. You have an area of 13 km ² and 3,000 inhabitants ( 1999), spread over the two main islands of Terre -de- Haut and Terre -de- Bas.

Geography

The two main islands of the archipelago are small Terre- de -Haut ( 4.52 km ²) and Terre- de -Bas (9.45 km ² ), with Terre- de-Haut is the central place with a unique natural harbor. To the northeast of this island there is also the historic Fort Napoléon, which covered the entrance to the harbor military. On Terre- de -Bas coffee, cotton, pepper, and bananas are grown. A further seven islands are uninhabited, including the islet Îlet à Cabrit, which protects the harbor bay.

History

The Saintes ( Los Santos originally Spanish ) owe their name to Christopher Columbus, who laid out here on All Saints Day in 1493 and the island group therefore called so. The first French settlers settled about 1648. Around the island ( " Gibraltar of the West Indies ") was fought between France and England due to the strategically favorable location, the archipelago until 1816 was definitely French.

On April 12, 1782, the Battle of the Saintes took place off the coast of the islands.