BP1 Guadeloupe and Martinique

      

Beach in Guadeloupe

    
    



Have you ever desired of going to Guadeloupe or Martinique? If you have, here are some facts to consider before going. Martinique and Guadeloupe are roughly 170 miles away from each other.  Martinique is the largest of the Windward Islands. Both Guadeloupe and Martinique are under the jurisdiction of France.

                Guadeloupe and Martinique have been fought over for centuries between the French and British. The reason why Guadeloupe and Martinique are under the jurisdiction today of France is due to several peace treaties. The Treaty of Paris in 1763 allowed the French to gain possession of the islands once more after the 7 years’ war. The reason these islands were fought over so much along with many other Caribbean islands, is because of the sugar cane. Tobacco was the most profitable crop until sugar can surpassed it in the world’s economy.

            The culture of Guadeloupe and Martinique primarily consist of African and French settlers. Martinique is referred to the Paris of the lesser Antilles and the most common creole language spoken there is based off French. However, there is still a mixture of languages that include Portuguese, Spanish, English, and some African languages on both islands. The most common African language would be considered Pidgin. In Guadeloupe, men and women believe that they should be respected equally. In Guadeloupe the people of the island practice Christianity, but in Martinique the main religious practice in Catholicism. In Martinique, a dish that the locals eat is named Boudin which means delicious local sausage according to Culturetrip.com. Culturetrip.com states that there is pork, pigs’ blood, onions, and other ingredients included in the local meat. On these islands, most travelers should try the fresh fruit and fish.

Cactusworldwide.com states that the Amerindian people call Guadeloupe “Karukera” which is means island of the beautiful waters. Guadeloupe a landmark you should see when visiting Guadeloupe should be Fort Napoleon. Martinique has some mountainous views that should be explored, and the capital is Fort-De-France. If you ever decide to go to these islands, you should try the different foods, meet new people, and check out some of the historical sights.