La Désirade
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about the island of La Désirade. For the administrative commune which includes the island, see La Désirade (commune).
La Désirade is an island in the French overseas région and département of Guadeloupe, in the Lesser Antilles.
It has a land area of 20.64 km² (7,97 sq. miles) and a population of 1,620 in 1999 (down from 1,682 in 1974), with a population density of 78 inh. per km² (203 inh. per sq. mile) in 1999. Most residents live in the settlement of Beauséjour.
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[edit] 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 . La Désirade is 11 km long and 2 km wide.
[edit] 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.
[edit] History
La Désirade was discovered in 1493 by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage, and was the site of a leper colony until 1958.
[edit] External links
- Desirade-sante.com Everything you should know about the major public health crisis that occurred in La Désirade.
