administrative capital of Guadeloupe (an overseas département of France), on the eastern Caribbean (Caribbean Sea) island of Basse-Terre. The town, dating from 1643, is situated on the southwestern coast of the island between the sea and the 4,813-foot (1,467-metre) peak of Soufrière and is some 4 miles (6 km) from the island's southern tip. There is a deepwater anchorage but no harbour. Basse-Terre was Guadeloupe's commercial hub until the late 18th century, when it was eclipsed by the town of Pointe-à-Pitre on adjoining Grande-Terre island. The port of the town was destroyed by hurricanes in 1979, which was a serious blow to the efforts to expand and modernize the economy. The island's banana crop was severely damaged by drought in 1994 and by another hurricane in 1995. Pop. (2003) commune, 12,900; urban agglom., 54,076.

island in the eastern Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea. Along with Grande-Terre, its twin to the east, the islands constitute the core of the French overseas département of Guadeloupe. The two islands are separated by a narrow channel called the Salée River. The island is the site of Guadeloupe's administrative capital, the town of Basse-Terre, on the southwest coast. Basse-Terre is mountainous and volcanic, although the east coast is somewhat flatter than the rest of the island. It receives more precipitation than Grande-Terre, and vegetation is lush. A tropical forest covering about 66 square miles (170 square km) was designated a French national park, the National Park of Guadeloupe, in 1989. The active volcano Soufrière is located within the park, in the island's southern interior. Area 325 square miles (842 square km). Pop. (1999) 172,693.