Caribbean - Armed Forces Pest Management Board

of the Lesser Antilles, between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Grande-Terre is a low limestone
formation; Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin, with interior mountains. Most of the other seven islands are also
volcanic. The country’s highest point is 1,467 m at Soufriere near the southern end of Basse-Terre. The island of
Saint-Martin shares 10.2 km of land border with Saint Maartin (part of the Netherlands Antilles), which divides the
Island of Saint Martin approximately on an east-west line. Soufriere is an active volcano, although it has not erupted
recently. Land use in Guadeloupe includes: 14% arable (30 sq km are irrigated), 4% permanent crops, 14%
permanent pasture, 39% forests and woodlands, and 29% other. The country’s most important natural resources are
cultivable land, beaches, and a climate that fosters tourism. The economy is primarily based on agriculture, tourism,
light industry (mainly sugar and rum production), and government services. Sugar is being replaced by other crops,
such as bananas (which now yield about 50% of export earnings), eggplant and flowers. Most manufactured goods,
fuel and some food must still be imported. All the country’s electricity is produced by generators that run on fossil
fuel. The population is mostly black or mulatto, and the vast majority are Roman Catholic. The country has 2,082
km of roads, 1,742 km of which are paved, and they are among the best roads in the eastern Caribbean (some have
six lanes). Railroads are limited to privately owned narrow-gauge plantation lines. There are nine airports, eight with
paved runways.
2. Climate. Guadeloupe’s climate is subtropical, tempered by trade winds, with a rather high humidity. There is a
cooler dry season (January through May) and a rainy season (June through November). Total rainfall averages about
150 cm per year and falls mostly during the rainy season. Average daily temperatures vary only a few degrees per
day and are around 27 o C during the rainy season and 24 o C during the dry season. The island is situated in the middle
of the hurricane belt, and hurricanes and tropical storms may hit Guadeloupe from June through November, causing
severe damage to crops and loss of life.
Camp Jacob, Guadeloupe (elevation 533 m)
Mean Daily Temperatures ( o C)
MONTH J F M A M J J A S O N D
MAXIMUM 25 24 25 26 27 27 27 28 28 27 27 26
MINIMUM 18 17 17 18 19 21 20 21 21 20 19 18
67