Guadeloupe Travel Overview
Important facts
Capital: Basse-Terre
Official language: French
Continent: North America
Vacation in the Antilles
From France directly to the Caribbean and rent a bungalow by the sea? This dream can come true in Guadeloupe!
Location
Together with Martinique, the island forms the French Antilles. The island is an overseas territory of France and therefore has the euro as its currency. Bordering island states are Montserrat, Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica.
Region
Located in the Caribbean Sea, you can count on pleasantly warm water all year round. The area is therefore ideal for diving and sailing trips and beach holidays. The region is also very popular among deep-sea fishermen.
Geography
Continent: North America
Geo coordinates: N 16 ° 59 ‘45.5 “W -62 ° -4’ -3.5”
Highest mountain: Soufriere (1,467 m)
Total area: 1,780 km²
Mainland: 1,706 km²
National border: 10 km
Coastline: 306 km
Politics
Dependency: France since 1655
Other political affiliation: European Union since 1957
Economy
Electricity consumption: 1,132 million KWh
Oil consumption: 13,500 million m³
Cultivation area: 14.58%
Bovine: 90,000 pieces
Pigs: 17,300 pieces
Fishing: 11,500 t
Demographic data
Residents: 452,800
Residents in cities: 447,000
Average age: 32.2 years
0-14 years: 23.6%
15-64 years: 67.1%
> 65 years: 9.3%
Population growth: 0.88%
Birth rate: 15.05 / 1,000 residents
Death rate: 6.09 / 1,000 residents
Migration: -0.15 / 1,000 residents
Ratio men / women: 0.97
Fertility: 1.9 children / woman
Infant mortality: 8.41 ‰
Life expectancy men: 74.91 years
Life expectancy women: 81.37 years
Country codes and abbreviations
ISO 3166 Alpha 2: GP
ISO 3166 Alpha 3: GLP
ISO 3166 numeric: 312
Top Level Domain: gp
UN / LOCODE: GP
Source: Abbreviationfinder
Communication
Telephone connections: 240,000
Cell Phones: 364,000
Radios: 188,000
Transportation
Paved roads: 965 km
Cars: 138,000
Health
Number of doctors: 870
Daily food intake: 2,840 kcal / resident
Education
Illiteracy: 9%
Religion
Main religious group: Christians
GETTING THERE
Arriving by plane
Guadeloupe’s national airline is called Air Caraïbes (TX) (Internet: www.aircaraibes.com). Air France (AF), Corsairfly (SS) (www.corsairfly.com) and LIAT Airlines (LI) (Internet: www.liatairline.com) offer flight connections to the Caribbean islands. The quickest way to get to Guadeloupe is via Paris.
Flight times
Frankfurt – Guadeloupe: 12 hours 50; Vienna – Guadeloupe: 13 h 15; Zurich – Guadeloupe: 12 hours 55.
Departure fee
No.
Arrival by ship
Holland America, Royal Caribbean, Cunard and Princess Cruises, among others, call at Guadeloupe. There are numerous shipping connections between Guadeloupe and Martinique, which also call at Miami and San Juan (Puerto Rico). Ferries and hydrofoils run regularly from Pointe-à-Pitre to the Caribbean islands of Dominica, Martinique and St. Lucia. Compagnie Générale Maritime (www.cma-cgm.com) offers weekly “banana boat ” connections from Guadeloupe to Martinique, Dominica and St. Lucia.
ON THE GO
Traveling by plane
LIAT (LI) (Internet: www.liatairline.com) and Air Caraïbe (TX) (Internet: www.aircaraibes.com) connect Guadeloupe with the smaller islands. Air France (AF) has a limited number of inter-island flights. You can also charter.
On the way by car / bus
There is right-hand traffic. The streets in Guadeloupe are i. General Well. Locals are good drivers, but always seem to be in a hurry and safety distances are often not kept.
When entering a roundabout, you should always give others the right of way and then keep to the right until you have reached the exit. Allow extra time to travel to an appointment due to slow moving trucks and groups of cyclists.
The Point de la Gabare bridge over the Salée connects the two main islands Grande-Terre and Basse-Terre.
There is a good public bus network. Buses run from Point-à-Pitre and Basse-Terre to all cities.
Taxis are available; many car rental companiesare available.
Documents: Your own driver’s license is sufficient, but must be at least one year old. International driver’s license recommended. Right-hand traffic.
On the way by ship
Regular ferry connections between the islands:
– Pointe-à-Pitre, Saint François and Trois-Riviéres to Terre-de-Haut / Les Saintes (from Terre-de-Haut also to the neighboring island of Terre-de-Bas);
– from Pointe-à-Pitre to Grand Bourg on Marie-Galante (possibly a stopover in Saint Louis);
– Ferries commute between Marigot / St. Martin and Gustavia / St. Barthelemy.
