Capesterre-de-Marie-Galante
Encyclopedia
Capesterre-de-Marie-Galante (often simply referred to as Capesterre) is a commune
on the island of Marie-Galante
, in the French
overseas region and department of Guadeloupe
, itself in the Lesser Antilles
.
Capesterre-de-Marie-Galante is located on the southeast coast of Marie-Galante. The surface area is 46.19 km² (17.8 sq mi) and the population is 3,469 (as of 2006). The population density is 75 persons per km2.
Trade winds, called alizés, blow from the northeast and often temper the climate.
There are also manufacturing factories near Capesterre. There is one rum distillery at Capesterre, Bellevue Distillery and it produces Rum Domaine de Bellevue. Also, there is a factory where the production of Moysan Cane syrup. This is a traditional and typical Marie-Galantine product. It is the by-product from the cooked juices of the canes.
Tourism is not a full-scale industry. Capesterre has two hotels nearby and several restaurants. The beaches attract tourists to Marie-Galante.
The Bézard Windmill is the first windmill in the French West Indies to have been reconstructed to its original state and returned to proper working condition. It is one of the rare mills in Marie-Galante to have benefited from modernism at the end of the 19th century in the area of sugar cane grinding. Its structure is completely metal with horizontal rollers for more efficiency.
The wind engine power plant Petite Place was put into operation in 1998. It produces electricity that is directly deposited into the reserves of EDF (French Electrics). Thanks to the trade winds 30% of the Island's electrical consumption is produced.
The church of the Holy-Anne is located near the bay.
Exploitation Rousseau et Fils is an ox drawn wagon tour company in Capesterre.
Le Discothèque Touloulou is a night club in Capesterre and it opens from 10 p.m.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
on the island of Marie-Galante
Marie-Galante
Marie-Galante is an island of the Caribbean Sea located at the south of Guadeloupe and at north of Dominica. Marie-Galante is a dependence of Guadeloupe which is a french overseas department....
, in the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
overseas region and department of Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
, itself in the Lesser Antilles
Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...
.
Capesterre-de-Marie-Galante is located on the southeast coast of Marie-Galante. The surface area is 46.19 km² (17.8 sq mi) and the population is 3,469 (as of 2006). The population density is 75 persons per km2.
History
The name of the commune comes from cabesterre, vocabulary of marine of use to the 17th century which indicated a ground exposed to the east winds. In 1928, a cyclone struck hard the borough which had to be rebuilt.Geography
Capesterre is situated southeast on the island of Marie-Galante. The port of Capesterre and its long beaches are protected from the waves of the Atlantic by the coral reefs.Climate
Like any other Eastern Caribbean town, Capesterre experiences quite evenly spread rainfall during the year, with a wetter season between July and November which coincides with hurricane season. The town receives 1500–2500 mm of rainfall. Tropical heat is the norm, bringing constant highs of around 32°C (89°F) that drop to 20°C (68°F) at night.Trade winds, called alizés, blow from the northeast and often temper the climate.
Economy
Capesterre is partly surrounded by forest and scrubland. North, there are sugar fields where sugar is produced. Other food crops such as bananas, cocoa and coffee are also grown. Fishing is also done at the harbor.There are also manufacturing factories near Capesterre. There is one rum distillery at Capesterre, Bellevue Distillery and it produces Rum Domaine de Bellevue. Also, there is a factory where the production of Moysan Cane syrup. This is a traditional and typical Marie-Galantine product. It is the by-product from the cooked juices of the canes.
Tourism is not a full-scale industry. Capesterre has two hotels nearby and several restaurants. The beaches attract tourists to Marie-Galante.
Sights
Capesterre is especially famous for its beaches such as the beach of Feuillère & the beach of Petite Anse.The Bézard Windmill is the first windmill in the French West Indies to have been reconstructed to its original state and returned to proper working condition. It is one of the rare mills in Marie-Galante to have benefited from modernism at the end of the 19th century in the area of sugar cane grinding. Its structure is completely metal with horizontal rollers for more efficiency.
The wind engine power plant Petite Place was put into operation in 1998. It produces electricity that is directly deposited into the reserves of EDF (French Electrics). Thanks to the trade winds 30% of the Island's electrical consumption is produced.
The church of the Holy-Anne is located near the bay.
Exploitation Rousseau et Fils is an ox drawn wagon tour company in Capesterre.
Le Discothèque Touloulou is a night club in Capesterre and it opens from 10 p.m.