TO2X – Guadeloupe

The TO2X team will compete in the CQ WW DX SSB competition on October 26-27, 2024 at IOTA NA – 102, Guadeloupe.
Team – M5RIC, GW4XUM, K1XX, W1MD.
Nearest DX Point Tokamak
TO2X Log Searchsearch Before and after the competition, they will be active as FG/M5RIC, FG/GW4XUM, FG/K1XX, and FG/W1MD.
QSL through LOTW, ClubLog.
QTH Positioner – FK96ia.

Long-suffering Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe is a territory in the Caribbean Sea and an overseas department of France.

Geographically, Guadeloupe is part of the Lesser Antilles. Interestingly, Guadeloupe is actually made up of two islands, Grand Terre (which means “high land”) and Basse-Terre (which translates to “low land”). The two islands are separated by a small channel, but many geographers and even locals believe that Guadeloupe is a single island, and the channel is believed to be a river (which even has a name – Salé River) that separates the two banks.

The archipelago also includes the islands of La Désilard, Marie-Garan, Les Saintes and the uninhabited Petit-Terre.

Guadeloupe. Author – Jerome Delaunay.

The region’s climate, flora and fauna

Is the climate of these latitudes worth mentioning? Of course, it is a humid tropical climate. The average temperature is 25-29 degrees Celsius throughout the year, although it can reach up to 35 degrees Celsius during certain periods. Precipitation is huge and comes in the form of tropical rains – rain falls from the sky almost all summer and half of the autumn.

It goes without saying that in such a climate the entire island’s territory should be covered with tropical forests… until humans began to cut down trees ruthlessly on a large-scale industrial scale. As a result, Greater Thera is completely devoid of forests; while Lower Thera still has abundant forests on its slopes and hills, the frenzied rate of felling and further exportation will surely lead to imminent destruction.

The animal world of Guadeloupe is sparse – it is inhabited mainly by bird representatives, including an “exclusive” species that lives only here – the Guadeloupe black-bellied fruit bat.

Among the mammals, rats and mice are often seen, which every year cause great damage to the region’s agriculture – namely the sugar cane plantations, which are ubiquitous here and are an important economic factor for Guadeloupe.

The authorities of the department even decided to introduce mongoose to the island in order to eliminate harmful rodents. However, this idea failed and caused more damage to the agricultural and natural environment of the area – the mongoose, together with rats, eliminated a large number of birds and some mammals. As a result, the authorities created another problem – a large number of mongooses on the island.

Aquatic life here (as on land) is extremely rich and diverse – the warm waters of the Caribbean are home to a wide variety of exotic fish and mammals. Yet, fisheries here are surprisingly underexplored and underdeveloped.

Guadeloupe. Author – Phoenix Radieux.

History background

The historical reference point of the archipelago is considered to be around the 3rd century BC. In that distant era, the Arawaks (ancient Indians) lived here. They engaged in fishing, as well as growing some crops.

Until the 8th century AD, the Arawaks lived here without sorrow or trouble. Later, the Caribs came and drove the ancient Indians from the place where they had lived for centuries. The land got a new name – “Islands of Beautiful Waters” (Karukerra).

The first foreigner to discover these territories was the famous Christopher Columbus, who discovered the islands during his second expedition in 1492. The navigator named this place Santa María de Guadalupe Extremadura.

In 1634, the French “set their sights” on the islands. The authorities decided to colonize these territories. A year later, French troops landed on the islands and wiped out a large number of Caribs. The conquered lands began to be used as sugar cane plantations.

In 1675, Guadeloupe officially came under the control of France. However, the English crown also had a soft spot for these lands and tried to drive the French troops out of Guadeloupe. By the end of the 17th century, the English even conquered the land. But in the end, Guadeloupe returned to France under the Treaty of Paris.

However, the restless British reoccupied Guadeloupe in 1811. The archipelago remained British until 1813, when it was transferred to Sweden. A year later, Sweden returned Guadeloupe to France under the same Treaty of Paris.

Finally, in 1846, Guadeloupe became an overseas department of France, where it remains today…

Guadeloupe. Author – Judith Chagnon.

in conclusion

Guadeloupe is a long-suffering region with a rich and unique history. Although the colonial past has clearly slowed down the province’s development, today Guadeloupe is thriving in every aspect…

TO2X. Where is Guadeloupe located. Map.