Two Islands

As I mentioned in a very early post, Guadeloupe is actually composed of two islands, Grande Terre (the eastern 'wing') and Basse Terre (the western 'wing'). La Rivière Salée (the salty river). which is actually a very narrow strait between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, separates the two islands. Basse Terre, composed entirely of volcanic rock, was formed by various volcanic activity. The oldest portions of the island are approximately 3.5 million years old, making Basse Terre relatively young. Grand Terre, composed mostly of limestone, was pushed above sea level by movements of the Atlantic and Caribbean tectonic plates. Grande Terre is more than 50 million years old.

It is often difficult to see that there are two distinct islands because the mangrove covers a substantial area at the two mouths of the strait (Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin to the north, and Petit Cul-de-Sac Marin to the south). However, looking carefully at a satellite map, the distinction is clear:

Left, the Google satellite map of Guadeloupe, with la Rivière Salée in the center.















I've use Photoshop to highlight the coastline. The mangrove has been lightened along with the water. Substantial portions of the mangrove - especially in the Petit Cul-du-Sac Marin, where the light industrial/commercial area of Jarry is located - have been dredged and paved over. These areas can be easily mistaken to form part of the original coastline.