Basse-Terre (, ; ; ) is a commune in the French

overseas department The overseas departments and regions of France (, ; DROM) are the five departments and regions of the French Republic which are located outside European France (also known as " metropolitan France"). These overseas entities have exactly the s ...

Guadeloupe Guadeloupe is an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre Island, Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Guadeloupe, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galant ...

, in the

Lesser Antilles The Lesser Antilles is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea, forming part of the West Indies in Caribbean, Caribbean region of the Americas. They are distinguished from the larger islands of the Greater Antilles to the west. They form an arc w ...

. It is also the ''

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin word, "''praefectura"'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain inter ...

'' (capital city) of Guadeloupe. The city of Basse-Terre is located on

Basse-Terre Island Guadeloupe is an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre Island, Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Guadeloupe, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galant ...

, the western half of Guadeloupe. Although it is the administrative capital, Basse-Terre is only the second-largest city in

, behind

Pointe-à-Pitre Pointe-à-Pitre (; , , or simply , ) is the second most populous commune of Guadeloupe (after Les Abymes). Guadeloupe is an overseas region and Overseas department, department of France located in the Lesser Antilles, of which it is a ''Subprefectu ...

. Together with its urban area, it had 44,864 inhabitants in 2012 (11,534 of whom lived in the city of Basse-Terre proper).

Geography

Basse-Terre is located in the south-western corner of the Basse-Terre portion of the island of Guadeloupe which is itself located some 100 km north of

Dominica Dominica, officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island country in the Caribbean. It is part of the Windward Islands chain in the Lesser Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. The capital, Roseau, is located on the western side of t ...

and some 450 km south-east of

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

. The commune is at the foot of the Soufrière volcano and is connected to the rest of the island by three main roads: *The which exits the commune in the south on the coast and continues inland to Gourbeyre then all the way around the coast to

Grande-Terre Grande Terre or Grande-Terre (, French for "large land") is a generic term used in French to designate the main island of any given archipelago. As a specific toponym, it may refer to the following: * Grande-Terre, Guadeloupe, the eastern half of ...

. *The which goes north along the coast to

Vieux Habitants Vieux-Habitants (, French for ''Old Inhabitants''; ) is a commune on Guadeloupe, a French overseas department in the Caribbean. It is located on the southwest coast of the island of Basse-Terre. History This is the oldest parish, founded in 163 ...

and continues all the way around the coast to join the N1 at Baie Mahault. *The N3 which traverses the length of the commune and continues to Saint-Claude inland. Basse-Terre has a maritime station that receives cruise ships and has a ferry service to the

Îles des Saintes The Îles des Saintes (; ), also known as Les Saintes (, ), is a group of small islands in the archipelago of Guadeloupe, an overseas department of France. It is part of the Canton of Trois-Rivières and is divided into two communes: Terre- ...

. The commune is mostly urban with some farmland in the north-east and north-west. The different districts of Basse-Terre are: Agincourt (also Saint-Claude), Bas-du-Bourg, Carmel, Desmarais (also Saint-Claude) Guillaud, Morne-Chaulet, Morne-à-Vaches (also Saint-Claude), Petit-Paris, Pintade, Rivière-des-Peres, La Rue-Maillan, Saint-François, Sur-le Morne, and Versailles.

Climate

Basse-Terre lies at a transitional point between a

tropical rainforest climate A tropical rainforest climate or equatorial climate is a tropical climate sub-type usually found within 10 to 15 degrees latitude of the equator. There are some other areas at higher latitudes, such as the coast of southeast Florida, United States ...

and a

tropical monsoon climate An area of tropical monsoon climate (occasionally known as a sub-equatorial, tropical wet climate or a tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate) is a tropical climate subtype that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category ' ...

. As is the norm with cities with these two climate types, Basse-Terre features relatively consistent temperatures throughout the year.

Toponymy

History

Native American origins

Before Basse-Terre became a French town it was a village of American Indian horticulturists and potters. The village was on the site of the present Basse-Terre Cathedral where archaeological excavations found human remains and other evidence of occupation during the restoration of the cathedral. In 2005 on the lower part of a Native American garbage dump, excavations have uncovered a new dump containing large amounts of archaeological material:

food waste The causes of food going uneaten are numerous and occur throughout the food system, during food production, production, food processing, processing, Food distribution, distribution, Grocery store, retail and food service sales, and Social clas ...

, ceramics, stone tools and shell tools, ornaments, charcoal and a tomb.

Birth of the town of Basse-Terre (1635–1649)

In 1635, when it was part of

Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Kitts and Nevis, officially the Federation of Saint Christopher (St Kitts) and Nevis, is an island country consisting of the two islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis, both located in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands chain of the Less ...

, an expedition was seeking a place of lasting presence in Guadeloupe. The operation was entrusted to

Charles Liénard de l'Olive Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was ...

and Jean du Plessis d'Ossonville together with 4 missionaries and 550 colonists. The landing took place on 28 June 1635, at Pointe Allègre, far from Basse-Terre. Famine pushed the party to the south near the present town of Vieux-Fort in early 1636. The relationship between Native Americans and colonists degraded quickly; Liénard then began a bloody war against the locals. In 1660 a treaty forced him to retreat to

and Saint Vincent. The war forced him to build a fort, today ''Fort Olive'' at Vieux Fort. In 1640 Jean Aubert succeeded Liénard as the government of the island and he soon left the site to settle on the left bank of the ', which is the current Gourbeyre marina. In 1643

Charles Houël du Petit Pré Charles Houël du Petit Pré (; 161622 April 1682) was a French governor of Guadeloupe from 1643 to 1664. He was also knight and lord. He became, by a royal proclamation dated August 1645, the first of the island judicial officer. He is named Marq ...

replaced Aubert and, in 1649, he left the marina site for the right bank of the Galion and built a fort. Some religious built the first church, now the , shortly afterwards and the city was organized around the chapel and from the fort to the river of Herbs. This was the beginning of Basse-Terre.

Birth of the town of Saint-François (circa 1680)

Around 1680 on the right bank of the (''River of Herbs'') the

Capuchins Capuchin can refer to: *Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, an order of Roman Catholic friars *Capuchin Poor Clares, an order of Roman Catholic contemplative religious sisters *Capuchin monkey, primates of the genus ''Cebus'' and ''Sapajus'', named af ...

built a chapel dedicated to Saint

Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone ( 1181 – 3 October 1226), known as Francis of Assisi, was an Italians, Italian Mysticism, mystic, poet and Friar, Catholic friar who founded the religious order of the Franciscans. Inspired to lead a Chris ...

where the present Guadeloupe Cathedral is located and a second centre of population grew around this place of worship. The River of Herbs separated the two distinct villages: Basse-Terre and Saint Francis. In reality, people flocked to the new town because of raids by English

privateer A privateer is a private person or vessel which engages in commerce raiding under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign o ...

s who burned the town of Basse-Terre in 1691 and again in 1703. Following these raids the people thought that the fort was attracting foreign privateers and consequently moved to Saint Francis. A stone bridge was built in 1739 replacing a ford and a wooden bridge across the river of Herbs.

British occupation (1759–1763) and tentative revival (1763–1789)

On 23 January 1759, a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

expeditionary force captured the island. Guadeloupe was occupied by the British until 10 February 1763, when it was returned to France in the Treaty of Paris. Basse-Terre experienced a resurgence of activity despite the founding of

in 1764 – a town in a better position to receive the ocean swell – and despite a fire in September 1782. The town was partially redesigned around 1787.

Revolutionary period (1789–1802)

The French Revolution reached the island and therefore Basse-Terre in September 1789. In 1793, counter-revolutionary planters agreed to cede the island to the British. They captured Guadeloupe, then governed by Victor Collot, on 22 April 1794 and appointed Thomas Dundas as the new governor. As early as May 1794,

Victor Hugues Jean-Baptiste Victor Hugues (July 20, 1762 – August 12, 1826) was a French politician and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Guadeloupe from 1794 to 1798. He is best known for his actions during the French Revolutionary Wars ...

, sent by the

National Convention The National Convention () was the constituent assembly of the Kingdom of France for one day and the French First Republic for its first three years during the French Revolution, following the two-year National Constituent Assembly and the ...

in Paris, managed to recapture the colony and abolish slavery. The French dislodged the cannon in December 1794 and installed a guillotine. The city was the scene of military operations conducted by General Richepanse, who was sent by

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

to reestablish slavery, against Louis Delgrès in 1802. Delgrès retreated to the fort on 20 May 1802 and abandoned it on 22 May.

Difficult renewal (1802–1870)

The town was occupied from 6 February 1810 to 30 May 1814 and again from 10 August 1815 to July 1816. For over 20 years Basse-Terre suffered from the effects of these disturbances. Only after four hurricanes (in 1816, 1821, 1825, and 1844) did Basse-Terre think of rehabilitating the construction and development of the Champ d'Arbaud by building a Military Hospital (now Gerville-Réache High School), a bishopric, sanitation, and expansion of the city by creating new neighbourhoods such as Trianon, Versailles, Petite Guinée, and Petit-Paris but the situation remained unchanged, worsened more by a

cholera Cholera () is an infection of the small intestine by some Strain (biology), strains of the Bacteria, bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea last ...

epidemic in 1865.

Renewed activity (1870–1976)

From 1870 the commune began to recover and inaugurated its town hall in 1899. It was the first city in Guadeloupe to be electrified in 1913. The impetus came from Ali Tur, who arrived after the cyclone of September 1928 and built the courthouse, the General Council, and a market in the 1930s. A port was built (as wooden quays had previously served as a port) from 1961 to 1964, the boulevard was built in 1962 to serve the port: it was extended in 1964 and again in 1965 along what was once a pebble and black sand beach that ran along the coast. On 26 November 1970, 1.5 inches of rain (38.1 mm) fell in a minute, the heaviest ever recorded. Cyclonic conditions repeatedly ravaged the development of this boulevard in 1989 with

Hurricane Hugo Hurricane Hugo was a powerful tropical cyclone that inflicted widespread destruction across the northeastern Caribbean and the Southeastern United States in September 1989. The eleventh tropical cyclone, eighth Tropical cyclone naming, named st ...

and

Hurricane Marilyn Hurricane Marilyn was the most powerful hurricane to strike the Virgin Islands since Hurricane Hugo of 1989, and the third such tropical cyclone in roughly a two-week time span to strike or impact the Leeward Islands, the others being Hurricane ...

in 1995,

Hurricane Lenny Hurricane Lenny was the strongest November Atlantic hurricane since the 1932 Cuba hurricane. It was the sixteenth tropical cyclone, twelfth named storm, eighth hurricane, and record-breaking fifth Category 4 hurricane in the 1999 Atlan ...

in 1999, and Hurricane Omar in 2008.

Since 1976

In 1976 73,600 inhabitants of Guadeloupe were evacuated (from 15 August to 18 November 1976) due to the high activity of the Soufrière volcano. Some evacuees never returned and moved to Jarry. For 20 years, the town centre was depopulated in favour of peri-urban areas or neighbouring towns such

Baillif Baillif (; ) is a communes of the Guadeloupe department, commune of Guadeloupe, an overseas departments and regions of France, overseas region and department of France located in the Lesser Antilles. Baillif is a suburb of Basse-Terre, the pref ...

, Saint-Claude, and Gourbeyre despite attempts at renewal.

Heraldry

Administration

List of Successive

Mayors In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

;

from 1945

Judicial and administrative bodies

The commune of Basse-Terre has a

Courthouse A courthouse or court house is a structure which houses judicial functions for a governmental entity such as a state, region, province, county, prefecture, regency, or similar governmental unit. A courthouse is home to one or more courtrooms, ...

, which was built in 1934 by architect Ali Georges-Tur, and which also houses the Basse-Terre Court of Appeal, a

Tribunal d'instance In France prior to 2020, the ''Tribunal d'instance'' (literally "Court of First Instance") was a judicial lower court of record of first instance for general civil suits and included a criminal division, the Police Court (''tribunal de police''), ...

, a High Court an Administrative Court, and an industrial tribunal. The Bar Association of the Bar of Guadeloupe is also established in the commune. Basse-Terre benefits from the presence of a Chamber of bailiffs, a Chamber of Notaries, and a Chamber of Commerce. The prefecture is also present and the city is the seat of the ''Urban community of South Basse-Terre''. There is a police station and a prison.

Twinning

Basse-Terre has twinning associations with: *

Pondicherry Pondicherry, officially known as Puducherry, is the Capital city, capital and most populous city of the Puducherry (union territory), Union Territory of Puducherry in India. The city is in the Puducherry district on the southeast coast of Indi ...

(India) since 1981

Demography

In 2017 the commune had 10,058 inhabitants. The total number of households in the commune in 2017 was 4,732.Dossier complet: Commune de Basse-Terre (97105)
INSEE Since 2007 the population has been in decline.

Education

The commune has 24 educational institutions: *5 public kindergartens: Chevalier St-Georges, Circonvallation, Laure Abel, Petit Paris and Rivière des PérèsLISTE DES ECOLES PUBLIQUES ET PRIVEES SOUS CONTRAT
" . Retrieved on 10 March 2018. *5 public primary schools: Elie Chaufrein, Gaston Michineau, Mélanie Milly, Regina Richard, and Rivière des Pérès *3 public junior high schools: Joseph Pitat, Les Persévérants, and Pensionnat de VersaillesÉtablissements du 2nd degré PUBLIC 2017–2018
." . Retrieved on 10 March 2018. *2 public senior high schools: **

Lycée et lycée professionnel les Persévérants In France, secondary education is in two stages: * ''Collèges'' () cater for the first four years of secondary education from the ages of 11 to 14. * ''Lycées'' () provide a three-year course of further secondary education for students between ...

** Lycée polyvalent Raoul Georges Nicolo Former high schools?: * Lycée général et technologique Gerville Réache * Lycée général et technologique Pensionnat de Versailles 3 private primary schools: *Immaculée Versailles *Jeanne-D Arc *Saint Paul de Bouillon Private secondary schools under contract: * Collège Les Persévérants/ LP/LGT Les Persévérants * LGT/LP/LT Versailles

Health

Medical institutions in Basse-Terre are among the largest on the island. In 2012 the hospital in Basse-Terre had 235 beds organized into four areas (emergency, surgery, enlarged internal medicine, obstetrics and pediatrics) and had a staff of 850 doctors, hospital and administrative staff. The commune also has a Health Centre.

Town planning

Urban morphology

Over the centuries the commune spread along a street formerly named Grand Rue. The River of Herbs separates two early nuclei of houses which now correspond to the districts of Carmel and Saint Francis. The town developed on a narrow coastal strip between the

Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere, located south of the Gulf of Mexico and southwest of the Sargasso Sea. It is bounded by the Greater Antilles to the north from Cuba ...

and the first hills of the long mountain ridge that divides the island in two. The volcanic massif of the Soufrière is to the north-east and the mountains of ''Caraïbes'' and ''Houëlmont'' are to the south-east, which enclose the commune in lush greenery. The city itself stretches over 3 km in spite of a rugged terrain intersected by ravines.

Communal territory

The boundaries of the commune have varied over the centuries. The colonial Decree of 20 September 1837 endorsed the creation of communes (endorsed on 12 November 1789) and set the powers of the mayor and city council. The territory of Basse-Terre was previously split into two: ''intra-muros'' which was the urban part and its inner periphery and ''extra-muros'' that extended to the slopes of the Soufrière (although this terminology is used, the city has never been surrounded by walls). In 1837 two new communes were created by cutting ''extra-muros'' from Basse-Terre and the future Saint-Claude and Gourbeyre were created. A decision of the municipal council of 15 March 1839 specified the limits of the commune. By 16 October 1953, the commune has grown and included the neighbourhoods of Rivière-des-Peres by the sea as well as Pintade, Thillac, Morne-à-Vaches, Desmarais, Guillard, and Delille.

Housing

The total number of dwellings in the commune is 6,143 (2017). 77.0% are primary residences. The number of second homes is 80.8% and the number of vacancies is 22.2% which is above the national average of 8%.

Economy

There has been development of the economic sector through improving the reception of cruise ships and passengers in the port of Basse-Terre. The first stone for the ferry terminal was laid on 27 December 2013. The modern terminal has a capacity of 100 people with areas for ticketing and restaurants was opened on 2 October 2015.

Employment

The unemployment rate in 2017 for the town was 40.7% out of a total workforce of 4,286 individuals.

Culture and heritage

The commune has a very large number of buildings and sites that are registered as historical monuments. Some of the most interesting are shown below.

Civil heritage

*Fort Delgrès (formerly Fort Saint-Charles), built by Charles Houël in 1649; thereafter many governors expanded it and made substantial changes. It was taken and retaken several times. It had several names: Fort Houël (1650–1794), renamed Fort Matilda by the British (1794), Fort Richepanse (30 March 1803 – 1810), again Fort Matilda (1810–1814 and 1815–1816), again Fort Richepanse (1816–1960), Fort Saint Charles (1960), and Fort Delgrès (since 1989). Classified as an historical monument by order of 21 November 1977. *The Gerty Archimede Museum opened in 1984 in the house where the lawyer and politician Gerty Archimede lived. *The Town hall was built in 1889. For the Tercentenary celebrations of linking the

West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...

to France Georges Rohner made ??seven paintings to decorate the building, between 1934 and 1936. The seven paintings in the town hall are registered as historical objects: **A Painting: Portrait of Victor Schoelcher (1937) **A Painting: Horseman talking to a woman and small boy (1937) **A Painting: Workman carrying a hand of bananas (1937) **A Painting: Two fishermen shaking their nets with a woman (1937) **A Painting: Two fishermen shaking their nets (1937) **A Painting: Basse-Terre bay (1937) **A Painting: Women talking under a tree (1937) *The Courthouse buildings were all built by Ali Tur.Michèle Robin-Clerc
''Descriptive note of the works of Ali Tur''
Conseil régional de Guadeloupe, Basse-Terre, 2010, p. 7-8 It is used for all of the courts of the prefecture including the

Court of Appeal An appellate court, commonly called a court of appeal(s), appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to Hearing (law), hear a Legal case, case upon appeal from a trial court or other ...

and High Court. It is classified as historical monuments by order of 15 December 1997. *The Market Clock located inside the City spice Market dates from 1932 and is also the work of architect Ali Tur. *The Lycée général et technologique Gerville-Réache was built in the 1st quarter of the 19th century when it housed a military hospital. In the 1950s this was converted into the school. It was classified as an historical monument by order of 15 January 1979. *The Regional Council of Guadeloupe was recently built (1991–1993) and houses the offices of regional councilors and the President of the Regional Executive. *The General Council of Guadeloupe was built on the site of the former General Council building. It has been listed as an historical monument since 1997. *The Prefecture of Guadeloupe on the site of the former military hospital destroyed by fire in 1794. It was a military district which was formerly called the "Barracks of Orleans" in the 19th century. The current building was built by Ali Tur between 1932 and 1935 and was called the "Palace of Orleans" or the "Palace of the Governor". It was not until 1951 that the prefectural administration settled there. It was classified as an historical monument by order of 15 December 1997.

Religious heritage

*The Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadeloupe was built over a wooden chapel that was built in the 18th century when it was called Saint Francis Church. It was not until 1877 that it was dedicated to Our Lady of Guadeloupe. The cathedral was listed as an Historical Monument (MH) on 17 June the 1975. Its annex buildings are the seat of the Diocese of Basse-Terre and Pointe-à-Pitre. *The Bell Tower of the Cathedral was built in 1837 and recently renovated recently and is separated on the back of the cathedral without. It was classified as a historical monument on 19 May 2006. *The Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was built by the first colonists and more precisely by monks in the 17th century. It marked foundation of Basse-Terre. It was classified as an historical monument on 20 April 2006. The church contains several items that are registered as historical objects: **A Cabinet (18th century) **A Processional Cross (18th century) **A

Monstrance A monstrance, also known as an ostensorium (or an ostensory), is a vessel used in Roman Catholic, Old Catholic, High Church Lutheran and Anglican churches for the display on an altar of some object of piety, such as the consecrated Eucharisti ...

(1704) **A Funeral plaque for Jean Louis Honoré d'Hesmivy (18th century) **A Funeral plaque for François Charles de Bourlamaque (18th century) **A Sculpture (18th century) *The Saint Antoine Monastery was founded in 1897 as a charitable hospice and property of the Saint Vincent de Paul congregation. It was listed in 2007 as an historical monument.Ministry of Culture, Mérimée

Festivals

*The

Auditorium An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens. Auditoriums can be found in entertainment venues, community halls, and t ...

Jérôme Cléry and a theatre with 500 seats called ''L'Artchipel'' *The 'Festival Patronale on 12 December *The Festival of Carmel on 16 July

Sport

Sports facilities in the commune: *Sports Palace of Rivière-des-Pères (1600 seats) *Stadium of Rivière-des-Peres (4000 seats) *Inter-communal Swimming Pool at Rivière-des-Peres *Félix-Éboué Stadium *Multisports halls They are used by sports clubs: *The Cygne Noir, football *La Gauloise, football *The Racing Club of Basse-Terre, football *The Étoile du Carmel, football *The Basse-Terre Rugby Club (BASTRUC), rugby

Media

The TV channel Guadeloupe I and radio Guadeloupe I are available in the commune.

Picture gallery

Musée Gerty-Archimède.JPG, The Gerty Archimede Museum Marché aux épices de Basse-Terre.JPG, The Spice Market and its clock Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Guadeloupe.JPG, Basse-Terre Cathedral Clocher de la cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Guadeloupe.JPG, The cathedral bell tower Évêché de la Guadeloupe.JPG, The seat of the Diocese of Basse-Terre and Pointe-à-Pitre Monastère Saint-Antoine - Sept. 2013 (1).JPG, The Saint-Antoine Monastery

Notable people linked to the commune

, founder of Basse-Terre in 1649 *

Jacques-Nicolas Gobert Jacques-Nicolas Gobert (; 1 June 1760 – 17 July 1808)Mullié, Charles (1852)''Biographie des célébrités militaires des armées de terre et de mer de 1789 à 1850: G–O'', pp. 1-2.At Google Books. Retrieved 26 August 2013. was a French genera ...

, born in Basse-Terre on 22 May 1760; a Major-General in the French Revolution * Jean-Jacques Ambert (1765–1851), General of the armies of the Republic and the Empire, born in Saint-Céré ( Lot), died in Basse-Terre * Louis Joseph Amour de Bouillé du Chariol (1769–1850), General of the armies of the Republic and the Empire * Louis Delgrès, born on 2 August 1766 at

Saint-Pierre, Martinique Saint-Pierre (, ; ; Martinican Creole: ) is a town and commune of France's Caribbean overseas department of Martinique, founded in 1635 by Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc. Before the total destruction of Saint-Pierre by a volcanic eruption in 1902, it ...

and died on 28 May 1802 at Matouba in

, Guadeloupe hero, Commandant of Basse-Terre in 1802 * Antoine Richepanse, born at

Metz Metz ( , , , then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle (river), Moselle and the Seille (Moselle), Seille rivers. Metz is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Moselle (department), Moselle Departments ...

on 25 March 1770, named chief of the expedition to

Napoléon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

, he embarked in 1801 with order to quell the uprising of Louis Delgrès. He succeeded but, having contracted yellow fever, he died on 3 September 1802 at the age of 32 years at Basse-Terre. He is buried in Fort Delgrès. * Ferdinand Joseph L'Herminier, born in 1802 at Basse-Terre and died in 1866 at

; botanist and zoologist * Louisy Mathieu, born on 2 February 1817 at Basse-Terre and died on 4 November 1874; slave, cooper, and print worker; MP for Guadeloupe, 1848–1849 * Léon Hennique, born at Basse-Terre on 4 November 1850 and died in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

on 25 December 1935; naturalist novelist and playwright * Camille Mortenol (1859–1930), ship's captain; student with exceptional ability in

mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...

* Élie Bloncourt, born at Basse-Terre on 5 May 1896, MP for

Aisne Aisne ( , ; ; ) is a French departments of France, department in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. It is named after the river Aisne (river), Aisne. In 2020, it had a population of 529,374. Geography The department borders No ...

and a fervent Resistance fighter during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

* Gerty Archimede, born on 26 April 1909 at

Morne-à-l'Eau Morne-à-l'Eau (; ) is a French commune, commune located in the department of Guadeloupe. Events In March or April each year since 1993, the town organises a crab festival which features crab races and many stalls selling crab-based dishes. In ...

(

), died at Basse-Terre on 15 August 1980, the first woman admitted to the bar in Guadeloupe in 1939 and deputy to Mayor Élie Chauffrein (1953–1956) * Paul Niger, real name Albert Béville; writer, administrator, and militant; born on 21 December 1915 at Basse-Terre and died on 22 June 1962 in an air accident at Deshaies * Joseph Aucourt,

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

; born at Basse-Terre on 12 January 1927; played for RC Basse-Terre and

FC Girondins de Bordeaux Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux (), commonly referred to as Girondins de Bordeaux () or simply Bordeaux, is a French Association football, football club based in the city of Bordeaux in Gironde (department), Gironde, Nouvelle-Aquitain ...

(1952–1955) * Guy Hatchi, former French footballer; born on 18 March 1934 at Basse-Terre (Guadeloupe); played for

CS Sedan Ardennes Club Sportif Sedan Ardennes, commonly referred to as CS Sedan or simply Sedan (), is a football club based in Sedan, France. The club was formed in 1919 and plays its home matches at the Stade Louis Dugauguez located within the city. Despite ...

and

Olympique Lyonnais Olympique Lyonnais (), commonly referred to as simply Lyon () or OL, is a French professional association football, football club based in Lyon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France. With origins dating back to 1899, they were founded in 1950 and p ...

* Jacques Rousseau, French athlete, born on 10 March 1951 at Basse-Terre; champion of Europe in

long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...

in 1978 * Willy Salzedo, born at Basse-Terre in 1961; pianist, author, composer, producer, arranger; major composer of Caribbean songs for over 20 years * Luc Sonor, born on 15 September 1962 at Basse-Terre, international French footballer, played for

AS Monaco Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club, commonly referred to as AS Monaco (), is a professional football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. Although not in France, they are a member of the French Football Federation (FFF) and currently ...

and

FC Metz Football Club de Metz () is a Football in France, French association football club based in Metz, Lorraine. The club was formed in 1932 and plays in Ligue 1, the highest division in the French football league system, for the 2025–26 Ligue 1, ...

and consulted at

Canal+ Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flo ...

* Evelyne Elien, born on 24 March 1963 at Basse-Terre; French athlete specialising in

400 metres The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor running track, it is ...

* Tanya Saint-Val, singer born in 1965 in the commune * Élie Domota, born in 1967 in the commune, Guadeloupean unionist and spokesman for

Liyannaj Kont Pwofitasyon ''Liyannaj Kont Pwofitasyon'', or LKP, is an umbrella group of approximately fifty trade unions and social movements in Guadeloupe. It spearheaded the 2009 French Caribbean general strikes, general strike beginning in January 2009. Name The name ...

créole Creole may refer to: Anthropology * Alaskan Creole people, people descended from the inhabitants of colonial Alaska before it became a part of the United States during the period of Russian rule * Creole peoples, ethnic groups which originate ...

, or LKP (collective against outrageous exploitation), leading member of the 2009 French Caribbean general strikes which occurred in January and February 2009 *

Marie-José Pérec Marie-José Pérec (; born 9 May 1968) is a retired French track and field sprinter who specialised in the 200 and 400 metres and is a three-time Olympic gold medalist. She was born in the French overseas department of Guadeloupe and moved to ...

, born at Basse-Terre on 9 May 1968; triple Olympic champion: in 1992 at the

1992 Summer Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympics (, ), officially the Games of the XXV Olympiad (, ) and officially branded as Barcelona '92, were an international multi-sport event held from 25 July to 9 August 1992 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Beginning in 1994 ...

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

in the 400 metres and twice at the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

in Atlanta in the 400 metres and 200 metres * Jean-Pierre Cyprien, footballer born at Basse-Terre on 12 February 1969, notably won the jersey for

Olympique de Marseille Olympique de Marseille (, ; , ), also known simply as Marseille, or by the abbreviation OM (, ), is a French professional Association football, football club based in Marseille which competes in Ligue 1, the French football league system, top f ...

* Jane Fostin, born on 27 December 1973 at Basse-Terre; Guadeloupean singer and former member of the group

Zouk Machine Zouk Machine is an all-female Zouk (musical movement), zouk group from Guadeloupe which had several hits, particularly in France, such as the summer number-one single on French SNEP, SNEP Singles Chart "Maldòn (la musique dans la peau)", in 1990 ...

* Rony Martias, born on 4 August 1980 at Basse-Terre; racing cyclist * Sonia Petro, Deputy Mayor since 2020. *

Indira Ampiot Indira Ampiot (born 19 September 2004) is a French beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss France 2023. She had previously been crowned Miss Guadeloupe, Miss Guadeloupe 2022 and Miss Basse-Terre 2022 and is the fourth woman from Guadeloup ...

, born in 2004 and crowned

Miss France 2023 Miss France 2023 was the 93rd edition of the Miss France pageant, held at the M.A.CH 36 in Châteauroux, Centre-Val de Loire, France, on 17 December 2022. Diane Leyre of Miss Île-de-France, Île-de-France crowned Indira Ampiot of Miss Guadeloupe ...

* Minia Biabiany, born at Basse-Terre in 1988; artist

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Basseterre Communes of Guadeloupe Prefectures in France Capitals in the Caribbean Populated places established in 1643 Articles containing video clips 1643 establishments in the French colonial empire Port cities in the Caribbean