GRANDE-TERRE

:'' 'Grande Terre' is also the name of the main island of New Caledonia, and the name of the largest of the Kerguelen Islands.

The main part of Guadeloupe consists of two islands separated by a salt river and whose combined shape resembles a butterfly. The western island is Basse-Terre and the eastern island is 'Grande-Terre'. Grande-Terre's northernmost point, Pointe de la Grande Vigie, is also the northernmost point in Guadeloupe.
Grande-Terre's indented coastline is surrounded by coral reefs and the island itself is a limestone plateau. Its surface is a series of rolling hills, white sand beaches and cliffs. The island's beaches consist of both white and black sands, as well as beaches of golden sand. Of the two islands, Grande-Terre is home to the majority of Guadeloupe's farmlands and tourist resorts.
The island has a land area of 594.98 km² (229.72 sq mi) and a 1999 census population of 196,767 inhabitants living in 10 communes, the largest of which are, in descending order of population, Les Abymes, Le Gosier, Pointe-à-Pitre, Le Moule, Sainte-Anne, and Morne-à-l'Eau.