island in the Lesser Antilles, eastern Caribbean Sea, and a dependency of Guadeloupe, an overseas département of France. It lies 6 miles (10 km) east of the island of Grande-Terre. La Désirade is made of coral and is roughly oblong in shape. For more than 200 years, until 1958, it was a leper colony. The population is largely impoverished and depends mainly on fishing, working on sailboats, and some farming. Area 27 square miles (70 square km). Pop. (1999) 1,620.