Basse-Terre [key], town, on Basse-Terre Island, capital of Guadeloupe, a French overseas department in the West Indies. Basse-Terre is a port that ships the products of the surrounding agricultural area. Founded by the French in 1643, it retains its French colonial atmosphere, but its commercial prosperity passed to Pointe-à-Pitre in the late 18th cent. The evacution of more than 70,000 in 1976 due to the eruption of Soufrière caused a permanent drop in the town's and island's population. Both subsequently have suffered from a series of hurricanes; the town suffered especially significant damage in 1979.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Caribbean Political Geography
