Basse-Terre Island - Name

Name

Despite its name, Basse-Terre Island (literally "Low Land" Island, "Down Land" Island) is the highest island of Guadeloupe, rising to 1,467 m (4,813 ft) above sea-level at the Soufrière volcano. The name of the island in fact is the result of French terminology used in the Caribbean in the 17th century. In the Caribbean, the prevailing winds blow from the northeast (see trade wind), thus the western side of the Caribbean islands, the leeward side (in French: côte sous le vent), protected from the trade winds, was called the Basse-Terre ("Down Land") in 17th century French because it is situated downwind compared to the eastern side of the Caribbean islands, the windward side (in French: côte au vent), which is exposed to the trade winds and was called the Cabesterre.

This distinction between a Basse-Terre (western side of an island) and a Cabesterre (eastern side of an island) was used in several Caribbean islands colonized by France. The capital of Saint Kitts and Nevis, for example, was named Basseterre because it is located on the western side of the island of Saint Kitts. Basse-Terre Island was originally called "Guadeloupe" (a name which did not originally include the sister island of Grande-Terre) and as in other French Caribbean islands its western side was called Basse-Terre while its eastern side was called Cabesterre. The capital and main settlement of Guadeloupe was established on the Basse-Terre side of the island in the 17th century and was simply called the city of Basse-Terre (in the same way as what happened in Saint Kitts). Later in the 18th century, the entire island (and not just its western side) came to be known as Basse-Terre Island, probably under the influence of its largest settlement the city of Basse-Terre, and the name Guadeloupe was then used for the combined islands of Basse-Terre Island and Grande-Terre.