Guadeloupe, among some Caribbean islands, is to this day the dependent territory of France.  Geographically the country belongs to Leeward group of the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean Sea.  The colony structure besides the island of Guadeloupe (total area of 1203 square kilometers) includes such small islands as Le-Saint (13,9 square kilometers), Mari-Galant (150 square kilometers), Saint-Bartelmi (25 square kilometers), Dezirad (29,7 square kilometers) and northern part of the island Saint Martin which southern part got to Holland.  Guadeloupe on the area is the largest island among the Lesser Antilles. 

Guadeloupe – the island of a volcanic origin on which there is an active volcano Sufriyer (height of 1467 meters). Other islands of a colony in geological aspect are calcareous plateaus and volcanic massifs. The local climate differs pronounced tropical character, with a regular season of rains which drop out during the period from July to October. Average air temperature makes +26 C. Because of a mountainous terrain of the island over its territory tropical hurricanes often storm. The plant and animal life of Guadeloupe differs variety.

The capital of a colony is Basse-Terre, it is the largest city of Guadeloupe. Total number of the population makes about 448 thousand people which ethnic structure is very diverse. Generally here Blacks and mulattos, and also "matinyonets" live - so call descendants of immigrants from France. Here too there are a lot of natives from the East - Hindus, metises, Syrians and Lebanese. In the administrative relation the colony has the status of overseas department of France. French own this territory from the middle of the seventeenth century. Therefore the head of state is the president of the French republic. On the island its interests are provided by the commissioner who appoints French the governments. Local governments of Guadeloupe represent the General council consisting of 42 members, and the Regional council calculated on 41 places. All parliamentarians are elected by universal suffrage for six-year term. The chairman of the General Council becomes head of the government. Subjects of Guadeloupe three districts which are divided into cantons are administrative, the last in turn share on communes. Official language of Guadeloupe is French. However, practically all inhabitants speak on a dialect "патуа" which represents a mix from the French and Creole languages. English is widespread only in tourist zones. The majority of the population professes Catholicism.

The cuisine of Guadeloupe represents "the Caribbean office" the French. Mother country influence is so great here. Actually, here it is possible to meet all traditional French dishes. However, recently with inflow of migrants from different parts of the world in "Guadeloupe" dishes influence of the Chinese, Indian or Mexican cuisine even more often is visible. But, certainly, local cooks adapt foreign recipes under inquiries of locals and tourists. As well as in the majority of the countries of the Caribbean region, on Guadeloupe the central dishes are the viands prepared from seafood. Crustaceans and mollusks, lobsters and turtles, red люциан and the sea hedgehog is only small part from the long list of gifts of the sea. The most traditional local dishes: boiled crab with green bananas; the stuffed crab; crustaceans with a vegetable garnish; stewed mollusks on coals; "матуту - krabes" - crabs with spices; to "tent" - a boiled octopus;  "tinin-all right-more" - allsorts from fish and vegetables;  бриоши from spiny lobsters;  "gut-Colombo" and "кабри" - fish and goat meat;  to "company" - a flat cake with a fish stuffing;  "калалу" - solyanka from meat, seafood and vegetables.  The word of all also you won't list.  Except a set of various dishes the cuisine of Guadeloupe pleases with abundance of freshly squeezed juice.  To a course there are such cultures, as passion fruit and pineapples, аннон and a guava, tangerine and a papaya and, even, a sugar cane.  Fans of drinks are stronger, certainly will find on the island all grades of French wines and champagne.  And the card of local wine makers is rum punch. 

To notice that Guadeloupe is part of France easily with the naked eye. Influence of the mother country extended and on names of streets, and on a state system, and on a way of life. However, there are noticeable differences. For example, at once it is visible as the standard of living of locals is low: their ordinary-looking shanties and hovels brightly contrast with constructions of magnificent resorts. But locals obviously suffer "the French language chauvinism" and sacredly believe that any foreigner has to be able to tell about ten phrases in French. Therefore communication with islanders without the corresponding language preparation often causes difficulties in tourists. Influence of French also was reflected in such tradition of inhabitants of Guadeloupe, as a breakfast. Here it can't be presented without croissants, coffee and fresh rolls. That is why on the island small bakeries - "boulangerie" which trade in fresh baking are so popular.

Carnivals traditional for the Caribbean Basin and festivals exist and on Guadeloupe.  Only here them it is visible twice more, after all along with local holidays islanders with pleasure celebrate primordially French "red dates".  To number of traditional island carnivals carry Mardi-Gr and Grand Parad.  Them mark out till first week of the Lent.  At this time all territory of Guadeloupe is full a large number of various actions:  traditional colourful processions, musical representations, beauty contests on a title of the queen, and also folklore a praznik-procession of a funeral of the king of a carnival Vavalya.  On the island Saint Martin arrange colourful musical representation which "The overture of harmony of night" is called.  Except the state and religious holidays in Guadeloupe often hold sports surfing, yachting and fishing competitions. 

Before arrival of Europeans Guadeloupe was occupied by Indian Caribs who nicknamed the island "Kakukera" - "The island of fine waters".  It is necessary to tell that European civilization managed to keep the most part of primitive beauty of Guadeloupe.  Now the colony represents a bright mix of picturesque villages and modern small towns, green rainforests and the isolated sandy beaches.  The island form which reminds the butterfly who has stretched wings, is an original symbol of Guadeloupe.  East "wing" represents the island Grand Ter which has a hilly relief.  Here on plains plantations of a sugar cane were stretched.  The island Basse-Terre - the western "wing" of Guadeloupe which has grown with a dense cover of a rainforest and magnificent ferns. 

Basse-Terre is the most beautiful region of Guadeloupe. Here two picturesque routes for the tourist. The first conducts in popular National park Basse-Terre which occupies nearly twenty percent of the territory of the province. The second route conducts to sugar factory of Company-Fermye-de-Gros-Montan. The factory is the real work of art. Huge cars are painted in picturesque colors so that remind Pompidou's Center in Paris. Near factory there is an outstanding Botanical garden, and also a rum Museum in which entrance ticket exposition tasting is included. A little to the south it is possible to get to the reserve of Cousteau which by right is considered best of places for diving.

The capital of Guadeloupe Basse-Terre is famous for the fort of Delgri which was erected in the 1643rd year, and is one of the strongest fortification constructions of the island.  Architectural sights of the capital are presented by also such buildings, as the justice Palace, the palace Konsel-Zheneral and the Prefecture building.  But the main treasury of Basse-Terre is nevertheless the National park of the island, whose size makes about 17,3 thousand hectares.  UNESCO declared Park the biospheric reserve.  Here the set of unique types of flora is collected.  First of all, it is massifs of the rain wood which last from the northwest on the southeast through all island.  Also here it is possible to admire rare species of orchids and tree ferns, thickets of mahogany and гевеи. 

In the east of Guadeloupe there is a resort zone of Grand Ter which quite often call Riviera.  There is a set of magnificent beaches with perfectly developed infrastructure for tourists.  The economic center of Guadeloupe is the city of Pointe-a-Pitre.  It was based in the 1654th year as the slave trade center.  Certainly, to the European measures Pointe-a-Pitre absolutely small the small town which it is possible to bypass on foot a maximum in one day.  But it is worthy mentions thanks to the magnificent and picturesque markets to which a little that can be compared.  Other large city of Guadeloupe of Saint-François can be characterized as port.  There is a starting point for visit of other islands of a colony.  Here it isn't enough beaches, but the city can brag of the yacht parking with a picturesque pier and the only thing on the island a nudist beach. 

Strangely enough, the special attention on Guadeloupe is deserved … by a cemeteries. From far away they look as magnificent villages with long streets at what at production of gravestone monuments the most courageous design decisions, and also all known ways of processing of a stone were, seemingly, used. Cemeteries on Guadeloupe take a place of honor on suburbs of any settlements. They look extremely unusually and vividly, without conceding to mother country cemeteries.

Telling about Guadeloupe it is necessary to mention the card of this country – a volcano – Sufriyer.  Lya-Sufriyer as locals call him on the French harmony, is the most ancient volcano in West Indies.  The age of this geological handsome makes 60 million years.  Sufriyer is in northern part of the island.  It has rather active character, in historical memory of mankind it was thrown up at least 160 times.  All eruptions, as a rule, led to impressive damage, especially it concerned agriculture, as served as the reason of reorientation of economy of the island on the tourist sphere.  Sufriyer's slopes are covered with dense rainforests, in the southern part of a crater the volcanic lake of 183 meters in depth was formed.  Sufriyer - one of the most studied volcanoes in the world.  Its foot has seismic stations and geophysical laboratories which supervise activity of a volcano and regularly conduct researches of earth movements. 

The island Saint Martin which is near Guadeloupe, belongs as it is already told, to two states. France got northern part of Saint Martin, and southern – Holland. All island can be bypassed on foot in three hours. However the resort industry here is widely developed. The picturesque nature and sufficient number of the first-class beaches attracts here thousands tourists. The capital of the French part of the island is the city of Marigot. And it is possible to carry Saint-Louis's constructed in the 1767th year the powerful fort to number of sights of Saint Martin.