La Désirade is an island in the French West Indies, located at the eastern end of Guadeloupe island group, in the Lesser Antilles.

It has a land area of 20.64 km² (7.97 sq. miles) and a population of 1,595 in 2006, with a population density of 77 inh. per km² (200 inh. per sq. mile) in 2006. Most residents live in the settlement of Beauséjour (formerly known as Grande-Anse).

Geography

The island is located about 8 km off the coast of Grande-Terre, the eastern half of the island of Guadeloupe. Its coordinates are 16°19′N 61°3′W / 16.317°N 61.050°W / 16.317; -61.050Coordinates: 16°19′N 61°3′W / 16.317°N 61.050°W / 16.317; -61.050. La Désirade is 11 km long and 2 km wide; the interior of the island forms a central plateau.

Administration

Administratively speaking, the island of La Désirade is part of the commune (municipality) of La Désirade which also includes the uninhabited Petite Terre Islands.

Main settlements

Beauséjour

The main village of Beauséjour has a Post Office, several grocery stores, a library, restaurants and the community’s church, which is famous for its altar carved out of locally grown pear tree wood. Around the central square, ‘La Place du Maire mendiant’ (‘The begging Mayor’s square’), one can find a statue of the French abolitionist Victor Schoelcher, a monument in memory of the fishermen who perished at sea and the town hall, built in the style of architect Ali Tur. The ‘begging Mayor’ was the nickname given to a former Mayor, Joseph Daney de Marcillac, who, after a terrible fire that destroyed most of the village in 1922, went from door to door in Guadeloupe begging for funds and building materials in order to rebuild the two primary schools.

La Désirade is a commune in the French overseas region and department of Guadeloupe, in the Lesser Antilles. The commune of La Désirade is made up of the island of La Désirade and the uninhabited Petite Terre Islands located about 10 kilometres (6 mi) south of it.

The administrative centre of the commune is the settlement of Beauséjour on the island of La Désirade.

See also

References