festivites
Here are some of the major festivities and holidays in Guadeloupe:
1. Carnival - celebrated in February or early March, carnival is a massive celebration that lasts for several weeks leading up to Ash Wednesday. During this time, people dress up in colorful costumes, dance to the sound of drums and horns, and participate in parades and street parties.
2. Fête des Cuisinières (Festival of the Cooks) - held on August 10th every year in Pointe-à-Pitre, this festival celebrates the local cuisine and the women who prepare it. Participants wear traditional dress and carry dishes of food through the streets in a colorful procession.
3. All Saints' Day/All Souls' Day - on November 1st and 2nd, Guadeloupeans celebrate the memory of their ancestors by visiting cemeteries, cleaning graves, and leaving flowers and offerings.
4. Christmas - like in many other parts of the world, Christmas is a major holiday in Guadeloupe. Activities include attending church services, decorating homes with lights and ornaments, and enjoying festive meals with family and friends.
5. Abolition of Slavery Day - celebrated on May 27th, this day commemorates the end of slavery in Guadeloupe in 1848. It is marked with ceremonies, speeches, and cultural events throughout the island.
These celebrations are an important part of Guadeloupean culture and reflect the diverse influences that have shaped the island's history.
seasons
Guadeloupe has two main tourist seasons:
1. High season: From December to April, this is when the weather is at its best and there are many tourists around. It is recommended to book accommodation, activities and transportation well in advance during this period.
2. Low season: From May to November, this is when the weather can be more unpredictable with a higher chance of rain and potential hurricanes. However, prices for accommodation and activities tend to be lower during this period. It is still possible to enjoy Guadeloupe during this time as long as you plan ahead and check weather forecasts regularly.
It's also worth noting that July and August are popular months for French tourists, so they're likely to be busier than other months during the low season.
visa
Citizens of certain countries may need a visa to visit Guadeloupe, while others are exempt from this requirement. Here are some special VISA rules and average costs for citizens of specific countries:
1. Citizens of the European Union (EU) do not need a visa to visit Guadeloupe.
2. Citizens of the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand do not need a visa to visit Guadeloupe for stays up to 90 days.
3. Citizens of other countries may need to obtain a Schengen visa or a French visa, depending on their nationality. The cost of a Schengen visa is around €80-€100 ($96-$120 USD), while a French visa can cost anywhere from €60-€200 ($72-$240 USD), depending on the type of visa and the duration of stay.
It's important to note that visa requirements and costs can vary depending on individual circumstances, so it's always best to check with the relevant consulate or embassy for the most up-to-date information.
souvenirs
Here are some popular souvenirs to buy from Guadeloupe, along with their average prices and where to buy them:
1. Rhum Agricole - a type of rum unique to the French Caribbean made from sugarcane juice. Prices range from €10-€50 depending on the brand and age. Can be purchased at supermarkets or specialty stores like La Maison du Rhum.
2. Spices - Guadeloupe is known for its flavorful spices such as vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Prices vary depending on the spice and quantity. Can be found at local markets like Marché de la Darse in Pointe-à-Pitre.
3. Bokits - a popular Guadeloupean sandwich made with fried dough and various fillings such as meat, cheese, and vegetables. Prices range from €3-€7 depending on the vendor. Can be found at food trucks and markets throughout the island.
4. Madras Fabric - bright and colorful fabric often used for traditional dress in Guadeloupe. Prices range from €10-€30 per meter. Can be found at fabric shops like Toto in Pointe-à-Pitre.
5. Gwo Siwo - a percussion instrument made from dried gourds and played during traditional Guadeloupean music. Prices range from €10-€50 depending on the size and quality. Can be found at souvenir shops and markets throughout the island.
If you have 1 week
Thank you for letting me know your location! Based on the natural beauty and cultural significance of Guadeloupe, I suggest the following one-week itinerary:
Day 1: Start your trip by exploring the town of Pointe-à-Pitre, where you can visit the lively marketplaces, admire the colorful colonial architecture, and learn about the history of the island.
Day 2: Take a boat tour to explore the scenic islands of Les Saintes, which are known for their unspoiled beaches, crystal-clear waters, and charming fishing villages. You can also indulge in some delicious local cuisine and drinks.
Day 3: Visit the Parc National de la Guadeloupe, a sprawling national park that covers two-thirds of the island's land area. Here you can hike through lush rainforests, discover hidden waterfalls, and observe rare bird species.
Day 4: Head to Basse-Terre, the island's capital, and explore its historic landmarks, such as the imposing Fort Delgrès and the iconic Cathedral Notre-Dame-de-Guadeloupe. You can also take a stroll through the Jardin Botanique, a stunning botanical garden that features exotic flora and fauna.
Day 5: Relax on the stunning beaches of Grande-Terre, which are renowned for their powdery white sand and turquoise waters. Some of the best spots include Plage de la Caravelle and Plage de Bois Jolan.
Day 6: Discover the island's rich cultural heritage at the Musée Schoelcher, a museum dedicated to the life and work of Victor Schoelcher, an abolitionist who played a key role in ending slavery in France. You can also visit the Maison du Cacao, a chocolate factory where you can learn about the process of making chocolate from scratch.
Day 7: End your trip with a visit to the Cascade aux Ecrevisses, a stunning waterfall that cascades down from a mountain peak. Here you can take a refreshing dip in the cool waters and enjoy the scenic surroundings.
I hope this itinerary provides a great mix of adventure, culture, and relaxation during your week in Guadeloupe!
If you have 2 weeks
Thank you for sharing your location with me! Based on your location in Guadeloupe, here is an itinerary that will allow you to experience the best of what this beautiful world has to offer, regardless of any global situation.
Week 1:
Day 1-3: Explore the vibrant city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Take a cable car ride up to the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue and take in breathtaking views of the city from above. Spend some time on the famous Copacabana or Ipanema beaches lounging in the sun, sipping on coconut water, and enjoying Brazilian street food.
Day 4-5: Fly to Cape Town, South Africa and hike up Table Mountain for panoramic views of the city and coastline, then visit the penguins at Boulders Beach.
Day 6-7: Head to Thailand and spend some time in Bangkok, exploring the Grand Palace and local markets. Indulge in delicious Thai cuisine and visit the temples for a glimpse into the country's rich culture.
Week 2:
Day 8-10: Relax on the white sandy beaches of the Maldives and stay in an overwater bungalow, snorkeling and soaking up the stunning scenery.
Day 11-12: Fly to Iceland to explore its unique natural wonders, such as the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa and the black sand beaches of Vik.
Day 13-14: End your trip in New York City, USA, taking in the iconic sights such as the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Times Square, and the Empire State Building. Shop at world-famous stores on Fifth Avenue and indulge in New York-style pizza.
This itinerary offers a diverse range of experiences, from exotic beaches to bustling cities and natural wonders. Each destination provides a unique opportunity to learn about different cultures, try new foods, and enjoy unforgettable experiences. Don't let anything stop you from experiencing the world and all it has to offer!
Culture
Guadeloupe's official language is French, which is spoken by nearly all of the population. Most residents also speak Guadeloupean Creole, a French-based creole language.
Guadeloupean Creole emerged as a result of the need for all ethnic groups (French, African and Amerindian) to be able to understand each other. This language is therefore the result of a mixture created in the 17th century in response to a communicative emergency. At the time of the colony's foundation, a majority of the French population did not speak the standard French language but local dialects and languages, such as Breton and Norman, while the Africans came from a variety of West and Central African ethnic groups and lacked a common language themselves. The Creole language emerged as a lingua franca and ultimately became the native language of much of the population.
Moreover, Terre-de-Haut and Terre-de-Bas, in the Saintes archipelago, due to their settlement history (Breton, Norman and Poitevin settlers), have their own Creoles which differ from Guadeloupean Creole by their French pronunciations, their particular expressions, their syntax and their sonorities. Although it is not transcribed, these islanders call their Creole "patois" or "language of St. Martin" and actively ensure its transmission and perpetuation by their descendants in vernacular form. A Guadeloupean béké first wrote Creole at the end of the 17th century, transcribing it using French orthography.
As Guadeloupe is a French department, French is the official language. However, Guadeloupean French (in contact with Creole) has certain linguistic characteristics that differ from those of standard metropolitan French. Recently, a very detailed study of the phonetic aspect of Guadeloupean French has been undertaken (this would be the first study to deal with both the acoustic and the phonological and perceptual aspects of Guadeloupean French in particular and West Indian French in general). It is also concerned with the reading varieties of Guadeloupean French (acrolect, mesolect and basilect).
In recent decades there has been a revival of Creole, which has stimulated the appearance of books of short stories and poetry published in Creole and French over the last ten years. In this context, Hector Poullet is a pioneer of Creole-mediated dictation. Creole is also a very colourful language and very philosophical in its expressions and phrases, which, translated literally into French, can be confusing. The representatives of the older generations are not always fluent in French, but in Guadeloupean Creole.
Today, the question as to whether French and Creole are stable in Guadeloupe, i.e. whether both languages are practised widely and competently throughout society, remains a subject of active research.
About 80% of the population is Roman Catholic. Guadeloupe is in the diocese of Basse-Terre (et Pointe-à-Pitre). Other major religions include various Protestant denominations. In 1685, the Black Code announced the Christian religion in its Catholic form as the only authorized religion in the French West Indies, thus excluding Jews and the various Protestant groups from practicing their beliefs, and imposed the forced conversion of the newly arrived slaves and the baptism of the older ones.
This was followed by a rapid fashion among the slaves, since this religion offered them a spiritual refuge and allowed them to safeguard some of their African beliefs and customs, thus marking the beginning of a religious syncretism. Since the 1970s, new religions and groups have been 'competing' with the Catholic Church, such as the Evangelical Pentecostal Church, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Bible Students or Jehovah's Witnesses and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Administratively, the territory of Guadeloupe is part of the Diocese of Basse-Terre and Pointe-à-Pitre, attached to the Catholic Church in France. The diocese includes the territories of Guadeloupe, St. Barthélemy and St. Martin and the number of faithful is estimated at 400,000. In 2020 there were 59 priests active in the diocese. The episcopal see is located in Basse-Terre, in the cathedral of Notre-Dame-de-Guadeloupe.
Hinduism, which accompanied the Indians who came to work in Guadeloupe in the mid-19th century, has expanded since the 1980s. The Indian community has its own tradition that comes from India. It is the mayé men, a distorted pronunciation of the name of the Tamil Indian goddess Mariamman. There are no less than 400 temples in the archipelago. Islam made its appearance in the French West Indies in the 1970s, first in Martinique.
According to the president of the Muslim association of Guadeloupe, there are between 2,500 and 3,000 Muslims in the department. The island has two mosques. Judaism has been present in Guadeloupe since the arrival of Dutch settlers expelled from the northeast of present-day Brazil in 1654. There is a synagogue and an Israelite cultural community. Guadeloupeans of Syrian and Lebanese origin practice Catholicism in its Maronite form. Rastafari has been attractive to some young people since the 1970s following its emergence in Jamaica. The quimbois or kenbwa, practiced in Guadeloupe, refer to magical-religious practices derived from Christian and African syncretism.
Guadeloupe has always had a rich literary output, with Guadeloupean author Saint-John Perse winning the 1960 Nobel Prize in Literature. Other prominent writers from Guadeloupe or of Guadeloupean descent include Maryse Condé, Simone Schwarz-Bart, Myriam Warner-Vieyra, Oruno Lara, Daniel Maximin, Paul Niger, Guy Tirolien and Nicolas-Germain Léonard.
Music and dance are also very popular, and the interaction of African, French and Indian cultures has given birth to some original new forms specific to the archipelago, most notably zouk music. Since the 1970s, Guadeloupean music has increasingly claimed the local language, Guadeloupean Creole as the preferred language of popular music. Islanders enjoy many local dance styles including zouk, zouk-love, compas, as well as the modern international genres such as hip hop, etc.
Traditional Guadeloupean music includes biguine, kadans, cadence-lypso, and gwo ka. Popular music artists and bands such as Experience 7, Francky Vincent, Kassav' (which included Patrick St-Eloi, and Gilles Floro) embody the more traditional music styles of the island, whilst other musical artists such as the punk band The Bolokos (1) or Tom Frager focus on more international genres such as rock or reggae. Many international festivals take place in Guadeloupe, such as the Creole Blues Festival on Marie-Galante. All the Euro-French forms of art are also ubiquitous, enriched by other communities from Brazil, Dominican Republic, Haiti, India, Lebanon, Syria) who have migrated to the islands.
Classical music has seen a resurgent interest in Guadeloupe. One of the first known composers of African origin was born in Guadeloupe, Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges, a contemporary of Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and a celebrated figure in Guadeloupe. Several monuments and cites are dedicated to Saint-Georges in Guadeloupe, and there is an annual music festival, Festival International de Musique Saint-Georges, dedicated in his honour. The festival attracts classical musicians from all over the world and is one of the largest classical music festivals in the Caribbean. Another element of Guadeloupean culture is its dress. A few women (particularly of the older generation) wear a unique style of traditional dress, with many layers of colourful fabric, now only worn on special occasions. On festive occasions they also wore a madras (originally a "kerchief" from South India) headscarf tied in many different symbolic ways, each with a different name. The headdress could be tied in the "bat" style, or the "firefighter" style, as well as the "Guadeloupean woman". Jewellery, mainly gold, is also important in the Guadeloupean lady's dress, a product of European, African and Indian inspiration.
Traditional dress, inherited today, is the result of a long cultural mix involving Africa, Asia and Europe. This cultural mix was initially based on triangular trade and later on a more globalized trade that included importing fabrics from the Orient. For example, in the traditional Guadeloupean costume, we find Asian influences with the use of madras cloth from India, African and European influences (Spanish in this case) with the use of the headscarf for covering and again European influences (French in this case) in the adoption of the lace petticoat from Brittany.
The clothing worn in Guadeloupe has mutated over the centuries and has undergone changes that reflect the social conditions and the evolution of society, from the time of slavery to the present day. During the second half of the 17th century, slaves arriving in Guadeloupe were naked or nearly naked. They were then forced to wear rags or the owner's worn-out clothes, which were quickly discarded, barely concealing their nakedness. Or slaves working in the fields wore the "three-hole" dress, made of a vegetable fiber fabric in which three holes were made (two for the arms and one for the head). Under pressure from the church and the authorities, slaves were forced to wear the "three-hole" dress.
Under pressure from the church and as soon as the Black Code was enforced in 1685, owners were required to provide "each slave with two suits of cloth or four alders [about 7.5 m2] of cloth a year... art.25" which only modestly improved their conditions. However, the poor quality of the clothing worn during slavery must be qualified, as it could vary according to the day of the week (daily clothing, Sunday clothing, clothing for special occasions), or according to the status of the slaves employed in the houses.
In fact, the latter could be dressed in clothes of different quality according to the job they performed on the property. For example, in the case of the maids, their clothes could be of better quality because they had to reflect the image of success and wealth that their master wanted to project.
From the 17th century onwards, the development of the Creole costume coincided with the desire of slave women to regain their dignity, with the evolution of their employment within the household or Guadeloupean society (specialization in the sewing and dressmaking trades), with the evolution of Guadeloupean society (free women of colour, freed slaves, mulatto women) and with the influence of the European fashionable costume, which the housewife represented.
After the abolition of slavery, the main periods of traditional Guadeloupean dress were the following:
* 1848 to 1930, establishment of the use of the costume;
* From 1930 to 1950, significant decrease in the use of the traditional costume;
* From 1950 to 1960, period in which the traje becomes a "folkloric" garment;
* From 1960 to the present, the traditional costume has been recovered and is valued both as an everyday garment and as a sign of attachment to the culture of Guadalupe.53 Today, many designers are inspired by the traditional costume to make some of their creations.
As a result of this fusion of African and European dress codes over the centuries, including materials from distant origins, the Guadeloupean wardrobe includes Creole garments such as: the cozy dress or wòb ti-do, an everyday dress also called "à corps" because it fits the body like a corset; the skirt-shirt, in ceremonial dress (the shirt is made of very fine batiste trimmed with lace, which stops at the elbows and is buttoned with golden buttons. The skirt, full and very wide in the back with tail, is knotted above the breasts); the bodice dress which is distinguished from the others by the quantity and richness of the fabric used (satin, brocade satin, satin).
* The traditional headdress, worn with or without the women's traditional costume, is the subject of a precise codification:
* The "tête chaudière" is the ceremonial headdress with a round, flat shape, topped with a spiked knot;Mobeye-ÉtéDesVilles-Guadeloupe-827.jpg
* The four-pointed headdress (headdress with four knots) means "my heart has room for whoever wants it! ";
* The three-pointed headdress means "my heart is taken!".
* The two-pointed headdress means "my heart is compromised, but you can try your luck! ";
* The one-ended headdress means "my heart is free!"
Guadeloupean cuisine is a mixture of African, European and Asian influences. It uses first of all agricultural products such as poyo (plantain more commonly called green plantain or ti-nain), bread plantain, okra, cabbage, pigeon peas, cristofina, yam or sweet potato.
The sea and rivers provide rays, snappers, octopus (chatou), lambis, burgots (a type of large whelk), sea urchins and ouassous. Orchards provide fruits such as soursop, red jambosier, passion fruit (marakoudja), mango, quenette, and citrus. Condiments sometimes added to dishes are habanero chili, cive (a kind of onion from the country) or roucou seeds that give a red tint to sauces.
The cooking, often spicy and seasoned, results from soaking meat or fish for hours before cooking, to enhance its flavour. Typical dishes are: fish blaff, dombrés, bébélé (from Marie-Galante), colombo (equivalent to Indian curry) and matété (rice cooked with crab). As for appetizers or snacks, there are morcillas criollas, accras, cassava cakes and bokit.
As for desserts, there are blancmange, sorbets or various fruit salads. Pastries include pâtés with jam, tournament d'amour (in Les Saintes), caca bœuf (in Marie-Galante) or sacristain. Pain natté, a local brioche bread, is often eaten.
There are local productions of candied fruits (elderberry, pineapple, carambola) and jams (guava, banana, coconut). Sorbets such as coconut sherbet or snowball made with crushed ice to which a syrup (mint, grenadine) is added are also consumed. Sweets include coconut sugar, kilibibi and konkada (of Beninese origin).In the category of beverages, the consumption of soft drinks is very important in Guadeloupe, as well as that of a drink locally nicknamed black beer. In addition, it is not uncommon to see vendors of sugar cane juice or coconut water on the roads. Chaudeau is consumed on special occasions (weddings, baptisms, communions) and is a Guadeloupean-style eggnog eaten with a whipped cake (génoise). The rum, whose consumption is culturally imbricated in the Guadeloupean society, comes in particular from one of the ten distilleries distributed in the Guadeloupean territory and that produce the rums of Guadeloupe.
At Christmas, families and friends gather during the chanté Nwel, an opportunity to sing carols and celebrate. After the vacations, rehearsals begin for the Guadeloupe carnival. Carnival groups parade through the streets every Sunday afternoon until the Carnival festivities in February or March. For example, the groups with skins, the Akiyo group are groups composed only of large percussion and lambi shell instruments. They have the particularity of having no brass instruments in the band, no choreography, they often parade without themed costumes. Since 2014, the Carnival in kabwèt of Marie-Galante has been registered in the inventory of the intangible heritage of France at UNESCO.
Shrove Tuesday is the big party where carnival groups compete in the main town, Basse-Terre, or in Pointe-à-Pitre, for the best costumes, the best music or the best choreography whose theme is imposed by the carnival committees. The next day, on Ash Wednesday, the day that ends the carnival, the mascot king of the carnival nicknamed Vaval is burned, which signals the end of the festivities, everyone parades in black and white (to mark Vaval's mourning), and then the forty days of Lent begin. Most of the population is Catholic and respects this period. But, given the great fondness for festivities, on the "Thursday of Lent" a parade is organized in red and black identical to that of Carnival, with groups of musicians preceded by people parading.
After this period of deprivation, the Easter celebrations take place, during which families usually go camping on the beach and eat traditional and very popular dishes based on crabs: matété (rice cooked with crab), calalou (crabs with wooden leaves accompanied by white rice) or dombrés with crabs (small balls of flour cooked with crab).
Religion
About 80% of the population is Roman Catholic. Guadeloupe is in the diocese of Basse-Terre (et Pointe-à-Pitre). Other major religions include various Protestant denominations. In 1685, the Black Code announced the Christian religion in its Catholic form as the only authorized religion in the French West Indies, thus excluding Jews and the various Protestant groups from practicing their beliefs, and imposed the forced conversion of the newly arrived slaves and the baptism of the older ones.
This was followed by a rapid fashion among the slaves, since this religion offered them a spiritual refuge and allowed them to safeguard some of their African beliefs and customs, thus marking the beginning of a religious syncretism. Since the 1970s, new religions and groups have been 'competing' with the Catholic Church, such as the Evangelical Pentecostal Church, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Bible Students or Jehovah's Witnesses and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Administratively, the territory of Guadeloupe is part of the Diocese of Basse-Terre and Pointe-à-Pitre, attached to the Catholic Church in France. The diocese includes the territories of Guadeloupe, St. Barthélemy and St. Martin and the number of faithful is estimated at 400,000. In 2020 there were 59 priests active in the diocese. The episcopal see is located in Basse-Terre, in the cathedral of Notre-Dame-de-Guadeloupe.
Hinduism, which accompanied the Indians who came to work in Guadeloupe in the mid-19th century, has expanded since the 1980s. The Indian community has its own tradition that comes from India. It is the mayé men, a distorted pronunciation of the name of the Tamil Indian goddess Mariamman. There are no less than 400 temples in the archipelago. Islam made its appearance in the French West Indies in the 1970s, first in Martinique.
According to the president of the Muslim association of Guadeloupe, there are between 2,500 and 3,000 Muslims in the department. The island has two mosques. Judaism has been present in Guadeloupe since the arrival of Dutch settlers expelled from the northeast of present-day Brazil in 1654. There is a synagogue and an Israelite cultural community. Guadeloupeans of Syrian and Lebanese origin practice Catholicism in its Maronite form. Rastafari has been attractive to some young people since the 1970s following its emergence in Jamaica. The quimbois or kenbwa, practiced in Guadeloupe, refer to magical-religious practices derived from Christian and African syncretism.
Demographics
Guadeloupe recorded a population of 402,119 in the 2017 census. The population is mainly Afro-Caribbean. European, Indian (Tamil, Telugu, and other South Indians), Lebanese, Syrians, and Chinese are all minorities. There is also a substantial population of Haitians in Guadeloupe who work mainly in construction and as street vendors. Basse-Terre is the political capital; however, the largest city and economic hub is Pointe-à-Pitre.
The population of Guadeloupe has been decreasing by 0.8% per year since 2013. In 2017 the average population density in Guadeloupe was 240 PD/km2, which is very high in comparison to metropolitan France's average of 119 PD/km2. One third of the land is devoted to agriculture and all mountains are uninhabitable; this lack of space and shelter makes the population density even higher.
The most populous urban unit (agglomeration) is Pointe-à-Pitre-Les Abymes, which covers 11 communes and 65% of the population of the department. The three largest urban units are:
In 2011, life expectancy at birth was recorded at 77.0 years for males and 83.5 for females.
Medical centres in Guadeloupe include: University Hospital Centre (CHU) in Pointe-à-Pitre, Regional Hospital Centre (CHR) in Basse-Terre, and four hospitals located in Capesterre-Belle-Eau, Pointe-Noire, Bouillante and Saint-Claude.
The Institut Pasteur de la Guadeloupe, is located in Pointe-à-Pitre and is responsible for researching environmental hygiene, vaccinations, and the spread of tuberculosis and other mycobacteria.
The relative wealth of Guadeloupe contrasts with the extreme poverty of several islands in the Caribbean region, which makes the community an attractive place for the populations of some of these territories. In addition, other factors, such as political instability and natural disasters, explain this immigration. As early as the 1970s, the first illegal immigrants of Haitian origin arrived in Guadeloupe to meet a need for labour in the agricultural sector; alongside this Haitian immigration, which is more visible because it is more numerous, Guadeloupe has also seen the arrival and settlement of populations from the island of Dominica and the Dominican Republic. In 2005, the prefecture, which represents the State in Guadeloupe, reported figures of between 50,000 and 60,000 foreigners in the department.
Created in 1963 by Michel Debré, Bumidom's objective was to "[...] contribute to the solution of demographic problems in the overseas departments". To this end, its missions were multiple: information for future emigrants, vocational training, family reunification and management of reception centres. At the time, this project was also seen as a means to diminish the influence of the West Indian independence movements, which were gaining strength in the 1960s.
Between 1963 and 1981, an estimated 16,562 Guadeloupeans emigrated to metropolitan France through Bumidom. And the miniseries Le Rêve français (The French Dream) sets out to recount some of the consequences of the emigration of West Indians and Reunionese to France.
An estimated 50,000 Guadeloupeans and Martinicans participated in the construction of the Panama Canal between 1904 and 1914. In 2014, it was estimated that there were between 60,000 and 70,000 descendants of these West Indians living in Panama. Other waves of migration to North America, especially to Canada, occurred at the beginning of the 20th century.
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