Description

Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It is an overseas department of France. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe is also one of the twenty-six regions of France. Guadeloupe is comprised of five islands: Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre (separated from Basse-Terre by a narrow sea channel called Salt River) with the adjacent islands of La Désirade, Les Saintes and Marie-Galante. Basse-Terre has a rough volcanic relief, while Grande-Terre features rolling hills and flat plains. Guadeloupe follows the government system of France. They send four deputies to the French National Assembly and three senators to the French Senate. The executive branch holds the Chief of State which is represented by the prefect. The head of government is the president of the general council and the president of the regional council which are elected every four to six years. The political parties include the Guadeloupe Communist Party, the Progressive Democratic Party, and the Union for a Popular Movement, the Socialist Party, and the Union for French Democracy. Guadeloupe's culture is probably best known for the islanders' literary achievements, particularly the poetry of Saint-John Perse, the pseudonym used by Alexis Léger. Guadeloupe has always had a rich literary production prolonged today by many living writers, poets, novelists, essayists and journalists. Also culturally important are the arts, particularly painting and sculpture. Music and dance are also very popular, and the widely accepted interaction of African, French and Indian cultures has given birth to some original new forms specific to the archipelago. Islanders enjoy many local dance styles including the quadrille ""au commandement"", zouk, zouk-love, toumbélé, as well as all the modern international dances. Another element of the Guadeloupian culture is its dress. Women in particular have a unique style of traditional dresses, with many layers of colorful fabrics, now only worn on special occasions.

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