GUADELOUPE. - G. is the largest (1,509 sq. km.) of the Lesser Antilles.
Together with the nearby islands of Marie-Galante, Les Saintes, Petite Terre, Désirade, Saint-Barthélemy and the French part of Saint Martin (altogether 1,780 sq. km., with 270,000 inhabitants, mostly mulattoes and Negroes; whites are only 8%), it forms since 1947 a French department. The capital is Basse-Terre (14,000 inhabitants), but the most important center, and also the best port, is Pointe-à-Pitre (45,000 inhabitants), both on the island of G. The islands produce sugarcane (from which rum is extracted), bananas, coffee, cocoa, pineapples and vanilla, which are the main export items. The extensive and rich forests are little exploited; livestock raising (cattle) is moderate. For the map of ecclesiastical districts, V. ill. ANTILLE, I, cols. 1449-50.
THE DIOCESE OF G. - The island of G., discovered by C. Columbus in 1493, was neglected by the Spaniards, while the French took possession of it in 1635, disembarking 500 colonists accompanied by 4 Dominican fathers. In the same year an Apostolic Prefect was appointed for the Dominican missions in G. and adjacent islands. In 1646 the Capuchins arrived, establishing their main center on the island of Saint-Christopher, and two years later the Jesuits, who were expelled in 1764. The Carmelites reached the island in 1681 and were authorized to take charge of parishes. In 1789 there were on the island 32 parishes and 33 missionaries for 101,971 inhabitants, of whom 13,466 were whites, 3,044 of mixed race and 85,461 slaves. Under the French Revolution Catholicism suffered greatly: Apostolic Prefects were suppressed and the activities of religious were restricted. After several attempts at agreement with the government in Paris, in 1821, with the approval of the civil authority, it was finally possible to appoint an Apostolic Prefect. The territory was erected into a diocese, suffragan of Bordeaux, on 27 Sept. 1850, placed under the jurisdiction of the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda Fide in 1909 and entrusted to the Congregation of the Holy Spirit on 4 March 1912. The diocese has an area of 1,780 sq. km. and counts 312,000 inhabitants, almost all Catholics. Protestants number 1,400 and pagans about 300.
According to the 1949 statistics, in G. there are 53 priests of the Holy Spirit and 3 Dominicans; 6 brothers and 209 sisters; 213 catechists. There are 38 parishes, 3 parochial districts. The schools are divided into 7 elementary with 834 boys; 2 middle schools with 719 pupils; 2 high schools with 472 pupils; 38 churches, 11 chapels, 1 hospital and 2 pharmacies, 3 kindergartens, 1 magazine Clartés with a circulation of 5,000 copies.