Terre-de-Bas Island


Terre-de-Bas Island is an island in the Îles des Saintes archipelago, in the Lesser Antilles.
It belongs to the commune of Terre-de-Bas in the French department of Guadeloupe.

Geography

Description

Terre-de-Bas island is the most occidental island of the archipelago of les Saintes. Like its neighbour Terre-de-Haut, it derives its name from maritime speak which called the islands exposed to the wind hightland and those protected from the wind, lowlands. It is an island of dominated by a mountain massif sheltering a protected forest in its center and a coast lined with cliffs and points . The highest point of the island is Abymes hill with a height of . Terre-de-Bas is separate from Terre-de-Haut by a narrow channel of. Besides Terre-de-Haut, several small islands surround Terre-de-Bas :
Few villages are seen spread out in the rolling hills in the interior. Petite-Anse, the most important village of the island is located in a Valley encircled of mountain without views on the sea. Petite-Anse is the village where is the administrative buildings of the municipality, on the opposite site of the principal harbour. The oldest settlement still remaining are the villages of Grande-Anse and Petite-Anse.The population is spread among 5 quartiers, more or less well delimited. They are grouped into two halves:

Demography

Contrary to Terre-de-Haut, Terre-de-Bas island have a population composed of mixed peoples because of its historical short time of agricultural crop. The from Terre-de-Bas were 1,030 inhabitants in 2006, with a density of population of 151 inhabitants / km2. The number of households was 377 in 2006 census.
The life expectancy is 75 years for men and 82 years for women. The average number of children per woman is 2.32.

Climate

Language

History

Culture

Economy

The island lives essentially on fishing and craft industry. Contrary to Terre-de-Haut, Terre-de-Bas is unfrequented, however, tourism activities try to make a shy development since these three last years. A small West Indian bay tree farm is more active and produce Bay rum", for the regional markel.

Environment

Transport

Sights