Geography
The boundaries of the national park encompass a core area of 173 square kilometres (43,000 acres), and a buffer zone of 162 square kilometres (40,000 acres). The Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin Nature Reserve comprises 21 square kilometres (5,200 acres) marine, and 16 square kilometres (4,000 acres) terrestrial.
The core area encompasses 10% of the total territory of Guadeloupe, two-thirds of Basse-Terre's tropical forest, and covers a range of elevations from approximately 250 metres (820 ft) to the summit of the mountain massif at 1,467 metres (4,813 ft). The highest point in the park is the summit of La Soufrière, an active volcano. Other notable peaks include: Échelle (1,397 m (4,583 ft)), Grand-Sans-Toucher (1,354 m (4,442 ft)), and the twin side-by-side summits of the Mamelles (768 m (2,520 ft)).
The park comprises parts of 11 communes:
- Vieux-Habitants
- Bouillante
- Pointe-Noire
- Lamentin
- Petit-Bourg
- Goyave
- Capesterre-Belle-Eau
- Trois-Rivières
- Gourbeyre
- Saint-Claude
- Baillif
Read more about this topic: Guadeloupe National Park
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