Guadeloupe Travel Guide

Guadeloupe — Country and Tourist Information

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Country Facts

Location: Caribbean, at the arc of the Leeward group of islands of the Lesser Antilles.
Language: The official language is French. The lingua franca is Creole. English is spoken by professionals and those in the tourism industry.
Area: Total: 1,596 sq km (628 sq miles). Basse-Terre: 839 sq km (324 sq miles). Grand-Terre: 564 sq km (218 sq miles). Marie-Galante: 150 sq km (58 sq miles). La Désirade: 29.7 sq km (11.5 sq miles). Les Saintes: 13.9 sq km (5.4 sq miles). St-Barthélemy: 13 sq km (8 sq miles). St-Martin (which shares the island with St Maarten, part of the Netherlands Antilles): 86 sq km (33 sq miles) (the French side: 52 sq km/20 sq miles; the Dutch side: 34 sq km/13 sq miles).
Time Zone: GMT - 4.
Electricity: 230 volts AC, 50Hz. Standard French two-pin plus are used.
Population: 452,776 (official estimate 2006).
Population Density: 283.7 per sq km.
Capital City: Basse-Terre (administrative). Population: 44,864 (1999 census). Pointe-à-Pitre, on Grande-Terre (commercial centre). Population: 20,000 (UN estimate 2003).
Government: Guadeloupe is an Overseas Department of France and as such is an integral part of the French Republic.
Head of Government: President of the General Council Jacques Gillot since 2001.
Head of State: President Nicolas Sarkozy since 2007, represented locally by Prefect Paul Girot de Langlade since 2004.
Religion: The majority are Roman Catholic, with a minority of predominantly Evangelical Protestant groups.

Recent History

Politics in Guadeloupe has been characterized by apathy and disillusionment among the electorate; since the 1990s, elections have attracted votes from just 15% of the population.

The right has had control of the Regional Council since 1992: since 2004 this has been run by Victorin Lurel. A poll for the General Council, held in March 2004, returned Jacques Gillot as president.

The government commissioner on Guadeloupe represents France, and the islands send representatives to the National Assembly in Paris.

At the start of 2009, serious riots broke out over the high cost of living caused by the strength of the Euro - the national currency.

Communications

Telephone

Country Code: +590. Good internal network. There are no area codes. Phonecards (télécartes) are necessary to make calls from public telephones.

Mobile Telephone

Mobile phones work in most areas on the island and there is good coverage. Analogue networks are compatible with most US handsets, which can be activated on the island by dialing 0 or by registering online.

Internet

Available in Internet cafes at Saint-Francois, Sainte Anne, Mare-Gaillard and Pointe-à-Pitre; there are also terminals in some larger post offices and public buildings.

Post

Airmail takes about one week to reach Europe. Postal rates are the same as metropolitan France.

Press

• Newspapers are all in French.
• The main daily is France-Antilles.
• Le Progrés Social is a popular weekly.

Radio

•Radio Caraibes International is the local radio station and is privately operated, as is NRJ Antilles.
• RFO Guadeloupe, a public broadcaster, also operates.

Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2011-December 2012 period.
2010
25 Dec Christmas Day

2011
1 Jan New Year’s Day
6 Jan Epiphany
9 Mar Ash Wednesday
25 Apr Easter Monday
1 May Labor Day
2 May Ascension
8 May Victory Day
27 May Abolition Day
13 Jun Whit Monday
14 Jul Bastille Day
21 Jul Schoelcher Day
15 Aug Assumption
1 Nov All Saints’ Day
11 Nov Remembrance/Armistice Day
25 Dec Christmas Day

2012
1 Jan New Year’s Day
6 Jan Epiphany
22 Feb Ash Wednesday
9 Apr Easter Monday
1 May Labor Day
8 May Victory Day
17 May Ascension
27 May Abolition Day
28 May Whit Monday
14 Jul Bastille Day
21 Jul Schoelcher Day
15 Aug Assumption
1 Nov All Saints’ Day
11 Nov Remembrance/Armistice Day
25 Dec Christmas Day
Days in lieu are generally not given for holidays that fall on a weekend.

Contact Information

Diplomatic representation

Guadeloupe is an Overseas Department of the Republic of France, and is represented abroad by French embassies – see France section.

Office du Tourisme

5 square de la Banque, BP 555, 97166 Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe
Tel: (590) 820 930.
Website: www.lesilesdeguadeloupe.com

St-Barthélemy Office du Tourisme

Quai du Général de Gaulle, Gustavia, BP 113, 97133 St-Barthélemy, Guadeloupe
Tel: (590) 278 727.
Website: www.st-barths.com

St-Martin Tourist Office

Route Sandy Ground, Marigot, 97150 St-Martin, Guadeloupe
Tel: (590) 875 721.
Website: www.st-martin.org

French Consulate General in the UK

21 Cromwell Road, London SW7 2EN, UK
Visa section: 6A Cromwell Place, London SW7 2EW, UK
Tel: (020) 7073 1200 (consular section) or 1250 (visa section) or 1295 (visa applications in progress; 1500-1700 only) or 09065 508 940 (visa information service; calls cost £1 per minute) or 266 654 (24-hour visa application form request service; calls cost £1.50 per minute) or 540 700 (24-hour automated visa appointment booking service).
Website: www.consulfrance-londres.org
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 0845-1200 and Fri 0845-1130.