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45-451: Zouk is a musical movement and dance pioneered by the French Antillean band Kassav' in the early 1980s. It was originally characterized by a fast tempo (120–145 bpm ), a percussion-driven rhythm, and a loud horn section. Musicians from Martinique and Guadeloupe eventually added MIDI instrumentation to their compas style, which developed into a genre called zouk-love. Zouk-love

90-569: A French settlement in Grenada in 1649. Despite the long history of British rule, Grenada's French heritage is still evidenced by the number of French loanwords in Grenadian Creole , French-style buildings, cuisine and places name (For ex. Petit Martinique , Martinique Channel , etc.) In 1642, the Compagnie des Îles de l'Amérique received a twenty-year extension of its charter. The King would name

135-489: A population density of 77 inh. per km (200 inh. per sq. mile) in 2006. Most residents live in the settlement of Beauséjour (formerly known as Grande-Anse). Geologically speaking, La Désirade is the oldest island in the Lesser Antilles with its most ancient rocks, at 145 million years old, being found at the easternmost point of the island . The beach at Pointe Doublé is frequently visited by geologists who come to examine

180-461: A small colony on the island in 1805. As a result, Dominicans speak English as an official language while Antillean creole is spoken as a secondary language and is well maintained due to its location between the French-speaking departments of Guadeloupe and Martinique. In Trinidad , the occupying Spanish had contributed little towards advancements, despite the island's ideal location. Because it

225-450: A submarine cable because it far exceeds the consumption of local inhabitants. It was not until 1991 that La Désirade was connected to the water network of mainland Guadeloupe. Previously, the inhabitants used rainwater collected in cisterns and drew water from springs on the island. Since the breakage of the submarine cable supplying electricity to the island by Hurricane Dean in August 2007,

270-484: Is a legend of an international adventurer Tybalt Rosembraise born in 1798 in the penal colony to a French dissident and a Carib slave woman. The island of Desirade has had a reputation as a home base for liquor smugglers. In the 18th century, a leper hospital was founded in Baie-Mahault, at the eastern end of the island. The patients suffered difficult living conditions, and this center finally closed its doors in 1952. On

315-464: Is an adaptation of its historical name in Spanish ( La Deseada ). La Désirade first belonged to the island of Dominica and then became a dependency of Guadeloupe in 1648, when some cotton plantations were installed. It also served as a hideout for pirates attacking Spanish overseas territories. Les Galets was a place of exile for the criminals of Grand-Terre and for some nobles of the metropolis. There

360-625: Is an island in the French West Indies , in the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean . It forms part of Guadeloupe , an overseas region of France . Archaeological evidence has been discovered that suggests that an Amerindian population lived on La Désirade from the 3rd to the 16th centuries. Deseada was the first island sighted by Christopher Columbus in 1493. When he landed there during his second voyage to America, he took possession of

405-517: Is effectively the French Lesser Antilles ' compas, and it gradually became indistinguishable from compas. The original fast carnival style of zouk, best represented by the band Kassav', became known as "zouk béton", "zouk chiré", or "zouk hard". Zouk béton is considered a synthesis of various French Antillean dance music styles of the 20th century, including kadans , konpa , and biguine . French Antilles Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc

450-464: Is located at the eastern end of the Guadeloupean archipelago, in the Lesser Antilles . It lies about 8 km off the coast of Grande-Terre , which is the eastern half of the island of Guadeloupe. The island is 11 km long and 2 km wide; the interior of the island forms a central plateau . It has a land area of 20.64 km (7.97 sq mi) and a population of 1,595 in 2006, with

495-535: Is paraded all around Beauséjour. Though the ceremony itself is only for a day, the days leading up to and following it are normally festive too, with parades and parties. People from all over Guadeloupe and Metropolitan France come over to the island to partake in the event. Every year the "Goat Festival" (Fête du Cabri) takes place during the Easter weekend. Based around a celebration of the island's favourite food, various concerts, productions and programmes are held across

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540-462: The Lesser Antillean iguana . The two islets of Petite Terre (Terre de Bas, the larger of the two, and Terre de Haut) were designated as a natural reserve in 1998. The two islets are separated by a lagoon 200 yards across and are located about seven miles from Désirade, to which they belong administratively. In 1974 the lighthouse keeper and his family, the last residents, left Petite Terre due to

585-629: The Saintes . The Knights of Malta bought Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin , which were made dependencies of Guadeloupe. In 1665, the Knights sold the islands they had acquired to the newly formed (1664) Compagnie des Indes occidentales . Dominica is a former French and British colony in the Eastern Caribbean , located about halfway between the French islands of Guadeloupe (to the north) and Martinique (to

630-569: The Americas. The term varies in meaning by its usage and frame of reference. It is not used much in France, unless the speaker wants to refer to every French dependency in the Caribbean region. The term's more ambiguous than the term "French West Indies", which refers specifically to the islands that are French overseas departments , which means they have overall the same laws and regulations as departments on

675-472: The French West Indies. The French Caribbean (or Francophone Caribbean ) includes all the French-speaking countries in the region. It can also refer to any area that exhibits a combination of French and Caribbean cultural influences in music, cuisine, style, architecture, and so on. The Francophone Caribbean is a part of the wider French America , which includes all the French-speaking countries in

720-554: The French settlements in the Caribbean, in 1637 becoming governor of Martinique. He remained in Martinique and did not concern himself with the other islands. The French permanently settled on Martinique and Guadeloupe after being kicked off Saint Kitts and Nevis ( Saint-Christophe in French ) by the British. Fort Royal (Fort-de-France) on Martinique was a major port for French warships in

765-610: The Governor General of the company, and the company the Governors of the various islands. By the late 1640s, in France Mazarin had little interest in colonial affairs, and the company languished. In 1651 it dissolved itself, selling its exploitation rights to various parties. The du Paquet family bought Martinique, Grenada, and Saint Lucia for 60,000 livres. The sieur d' Houël bought Guadeloupe , Marie-Galante , La Desirade and

810-679: The Green Sea Turtle ( Chelonia mydas ) and the Loggerhead Sea Turtle ( Caretta caretta ), come to the islets to lay their eggs. Tourism is regulated by the National Office of Forests, in partnership with the Désiradian association of Ti Tè. The annual Sailors’ Commemorative Ceremony is held on 16 August. A large procession is taken out, in which Le Vétéran , a model boat normally kept in the town's church (Notre Dame de l’Assomption),

855-596: The automation of the lighthouse. In earlier times, as many as 50 inhabitants lived on the islets. Today this tiny archipelago, surrounded by clear waters and huge coral reefs is inhabited by iguanas ( Iguana delicatissima ), which are native to the Lesser Antilles. Petite Terre is home to rare species of birds such as the Least Tern ( Sternula antillarum ), the American Oystercatcher ( Haematopus palliatus ), as well as various types of sandpipers. Two species of turtle,

900-466: The basalt and composite rocks, which give the area its striking multi-coloured appearance. The island has its own lapidary, which transforms the rocks found on the island into jewellery and souvenirs. The island of La Désirade forms part of the department of Guadeloupe , which is one of the five overseas departments and regions of France. Local administration is carried out by the local commune (municipality). The commune of La Désirade also includes

945-521: The cannons and a monument to the dead in tribute to the deceased former sailors, which recalls the primordial place of fishing in the island's economy . Every year, on August 16, a fishermen's festival is celebrated with a procession . During the government of Nicolas Sarkozy , the opening of the États-Généraux de l'Outre-mer ("General States of the Overseas") was declared. Several study groups were created, one of which dealt with local governance, leading to

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990-549: The community's church, which is famous for its altar carved out of locally grown pear tree wood. The central square of the village is named ‘La Place du Maire mendiant’ (‘The begging Mayor’s square’), in memory of a beloved local figure. The ‘begging Mayor’ was the nickname given to a former Mayor, Joseph Daney de Marcillac, who, after a terrible fire had destroyed most of the village in 1922, went from door to door in Guadeloupe begging for funds and building materials in order to rebuild

1035-539: The conception of a project of institutional modification or a new status for Guadeloupe with or without the emancipation of its remaining dependencies. At the same time, the conferences of the "southern islands" (name of the last dependencies of Guadeloupe) were opened (Marie-Galante, les Saintes and la Désirade). The problems common to these islands were presented in six study groups: equal opportunities, territorial continuity, local governance, local economic development, insertion through activity and tourism. At that time, it

1080-401: The few square meters of the "Place du Maire mendiant", named in memory of Joseph Daney de Marcillac, remembered for ''tirelessly'' touring Guadeloupe to finance the reconstruction of the island after the great cyclone of 1928 , stands the church of Notre-Dame du bon secours, flanked by its bell tower and a massive pear tree high altar, the small town hall, the bust of the heroic Victor Schœlcher,

1125-504: The island on behalf of the Spanish crown , followed by the island of Marie-Galante. Like other Antillean islands, it served as a hideout for pirates or corsairs who attacked Spanish overseas possessions. Some sources indicate that the island owes its name to the relief of the members of Columbus crew who saw the first dry land since leaving the Canary Islands of Spain . They cried out: "Oh, desired island" The French name La Désirade

1170-482: The island to Grande-Terre and, more specifically, to the municipality of Saint-François. And the island is also accessible by tourist planes that can make rotations at the airfield of La Désirade de Grande-Anse, mainly from the Guadeloupe-Polo airport in the Caribbean . The main settlement on the island is the village of Beauséjour, which has a post office, a library, several grocery stores and restaurants, as also

1215-537: The island, including exemption from taxes for ten years and land grants in accordance to the terms set out in the Cedula. This exodus was also encouraged by the French Revolution . These new immigrants established the local communities of Blanchisseuse , Champs Fleurs, Paramin , Cascade, Carenage and Laventille , adding to the ancestry of Trinidadians and creating the creole identity; Spanish, French, and Patois were

1260-477: The island, this cove was also home to all those who were exiled in the 18th century. The island is in pristine condition, and is partly under the Réserve naturelle nationale de La Désirade . It provides a good opportunity to see varied and often rare wildlife. While the arid soil on La Montagne's plateau does not permit cultivation beyond subsistence level, the natural vegetation is amazingly rich and varied. Some of

1305-567: The island. They were subsequently replaced by 6 state-of-the-art wind turbines, less noisy and capable of producing a rated power of 275 kW each in light winds . The second site was located on the heights of the Baie Mahault section: 35 wind turbines of 60 kW. The electricity produced by the La Désirade wind farms is 3.8 mW; it is injected into the Guadeloupe electricity grid via

1350-410: The islands of the present and former British West Indies were once ruled by France . Among some of them, a French-based creole language is spoken, whereas in others the language is nearing extinction; specific words and expressions may vary among the islands. La Desirade La Désirade ( French pronunciation: [la deziʁad] ; Guadeloupean Creole : Dézirad or Déziwad )

1395-409: The isle. The island is renowned for its fresh seafood, much of which goes straight from the fishing boats to the local restaurants. Furthermore, the lobsters and shellfish which are plentiful on Désirade are becoming increasingly rare in Guadeloupe as a whole. There are also many traditional goat recipes, including curries and stews, which make up a large part of the island's cuisine. As for desserts,

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1440-513: The languages spoken. Trinidad's population jumped from just under 1,400 in 1777, to over 15,000 by the end of 1789. In 1797, Trinidad became a British crown colony, with a French-speaking population. The two official French overseas departments are Guadeloupe and Martinique. Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy, formerly attached to the department of Guadeloupe, have held separate status as overseas collectivities since 2007. These Caribbean Départments et Collectivités d’Outre Mer are also known as

1485-468: The mainland of France. Collectivities can be included too. The following Caribbean regions are predominantly French -speaking and/or French Creole -speaking: * Both countries gained independence from the United Kingdom . English is their official language, but French-based Creole languages are widely spoken by the island population due to a period of French colonization. In addition, some of

1530-605: The municipality tried to improve its autonomy from the mainland. As a result, community cisterns were rehabilitated and individuals were encouraged to install individual cisterns . The first lighthouse was constructed in 1933. It was later replaced by a modern concrete lighthouse. The municipal government of La Désirade launched a bus service called Désirbus in November 2012. Two minibuses (9 and 17 seats) and five drivers run rotations between 5:10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., Sundays and holidays included. Maritime boats operate from

1575-508: The plant species found are the gaïac ( Guaiacum officinale ), the mapou ( Myrsine australis ) and the cashew tree ( Anacardium occidentale ), as well as a protected species of cacti called the "tête à l’Anglais" (in reference to its similarity to the Queen's Guards’ bearskin hats). This same region is also inhabited by rare animal species such as a type of robin called a ‘bicloitin’ , a tropical rodent with glossy brown, orange fur named an ‘ agouti ’ and

1620-509: The region from which the French were able to explore the region. In 1638, Jacques Dyel du Parquet (1606–1658), nephew of Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc and first governor of Martinique, decided to have Fort Saint Louis built to protect the city against enemy attacks. From Fort Royal, Martinique, Du Parquet proceeded south in search for new territories and established the first settlement in Saint Lucia in 1643, and headed an expedition which established

1665-529: The region. In 1690, French woodcutters from Martinique and Guadeloupe begin to set up timber camps to supply the French islands with wood and gradually become permanent settlers. France had a colony for several years, they imported slaves from West Africa , Martinique and Guadeloupe to work on its plantations. In this period, the Antillean Creole language developed. France formally ceded possession of Dominica to Great Britain in 1763. Great Britain established

1710-620: The region. Richelieu became a shareholder in the Compagnie de Saint-Christophe , created to accomplish this with d'Esnambuc at its head. The company was not particularly successful and Richelieu had it reorganized as the Compagnie des Îles de l'Amérique. In 1635 d'Esnambuc sailed to Martinique with one hundred French settlers to clear land for sugarcane plantations . After six months on Martinique, d'Esnambuc returned to St. Christopher , where he soon died prematurely in 1636. His nephew, Jacques Dyel du Parquet , inherited d'Esnambuc's authority over

1755-448: The same plan as the former northern islands of Guadeloupe (Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin). Marie-Luce Penchard, a native of Guadeloupe, who joined the government's overseas portfolio on June 23, 2009, and was appointed Minister of Overseas France on November 6, 2009, opposed the initial project of her predecessor and delayed its implementation, which was stalled. The island remains a dependency of Guadeloupe. The island of La Désirade

1800-510: The south). Christopher Columbus named the island after the day of the week on which he spotted it, a Sunday ( domingo in Spanish), 3 November 1493. In the hundred years after Columbus's landing, Dominica remained isolated. At the time it was inhabited by the Island Caribs , or Kalinago people, and over time more settled there after being driven from surrounding islands, as European powers entered

1845-462: The two primary schools of the village. Close to the square, one can find a statue of the French abolitionist Victor Schœlcher , as also a monument in memory of the fishermen who perished at sea and the town hall, built in the style of architect Ali Tur . This small bay is situated at the westernmost tip of the island, facing the Pointe des Châteaux. Providing the departure point for the colonisation of

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1890-460: The uninhabited Petite Terre Islands which lie nearby. On La Désirade, which is particularly exposed to trade winds, the first anticyclonic wind farm in the department of Guadeloupe was installed in 1993, with 20 wind turbines of 25 kW each protruding from the Souffleur stretch. These wind turbines could fold up when cyclones approached, thanks to a technique that was tested for the first time on

1935-402: Was a French trader and adventurer in the Caribbean , who established the first permanent French colony, Saint-Pierre , on the island of Martinique in 1635. Belain sailed to the Caribbean in 1625, hoping to establish a French settlement on the island of St. Christopher (St. Kitts). In 1626 he returned to France , where he won the support of Cardinal Richelieu to establish French colonies in

1980-524: Was considered underpopulated, Roume de St. Laurent , a Frenchman living in Grenada, was able to obtain a Cédula de Población from the Spanish king Charles III, on 4 November 1783, allowing French planters with their slaves, free coloreds and mulattos from the French Antilles of Martinique , Grenada , Guadeloupe and Dominica to migrate to Trinidad. The Spanish gave many incentives to lure settlers to

2025-466: Was proposed that the dependence of these islands of Guadeloupe be eliminated and that the collective of the southern islands of Guadeloupe be integrated into a new entity on the basis of Article 74 of the French Constitution . Les Saintes, like Marie-Galante, aspired to the creation of an overseas collectivity for each entity of the southern islands, or the combination of the three dependencies, on

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