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Capesterre-Belle-Eau
Capesterre-Belle-Eau
Commune
	The Carbet waterfall, in Capesterre-Belle-Eau
	Location of the commune (in red) within Guadeloupe
	Location of Capesterre-Belle-Eau
	Coordinates: 16°03′N 61°34′W / 16.05°N 61.57°W
Country	France
Overseas region and department	Guadeloupe
Arrondissement	Basse-Terre
Canton	Capesterre-Belle-Eau
Intercommunality	CA Grand Sud Caraïbe
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Jean-Philippe Courtois
Area 1	103.30 km2 (39.88 sq mi)
Population (2021)	17,731
• Density	170/km2 (440/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−04:00 (AST)
INSEE/Postal code	97107 /97130
	1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Capesterre-Belle-Eau (French pronunciation: [kapɛstɛʁ bɛlo]; Guadeloupean Creole: Kapèstè Bèlo) is a commune in the French overseas region and department of Guadeloupe, in the Lesser Antilles. It is located in the south-east of Basse-Terre Island. Capesterre-Belle-Eau covers an area of 103.3 km² (39.884 sq mi). The 1999 population was 19,568. The population density is 189 persons per km². The inhabitants are called Capesterriens.

Etymology

Its name comes from an expression of the navy of the 17th century: cab-be-ground, which indicates a ground exposed to the east wind. The abundance of the cascades, the rivers and the water levels led to the addition of the phrase Belle Eau, hence the name Capesterre-Belle-Eau.

History

Petroglyphs discovered in the rivers of Peru and Bananier show the presence of Native Americans.

On 4 November 1493, Christopher Columbus's second voyage unloaded there. Columbus would have met Amerindians. To commemorate this event, a bust of the navigator was raised in 1916 at the entry of Sainte-Marie.

In the 17th century, Charles Houël gave land to Dutch colonists driven out of Brazil, so that they could grow sugarcane there. After the abolition of chattel slavery in 1848, Indian indentured workers were hired to replace the plantation slaves. They built a temple in the Shangy district.

Near the Bois Debout estate, on a small way leading to an underwood, a flagstone in the Cemetery of the Slaves, requires the visitors to "Honor and Respect" the memory of the slaves. Several tens of unnamed tombs oriented "head towards Africa" are there.

Geography

The town is located at the south-east of the Basse-Terre and is located south of the Capesterre River. Basse-Terre, the capital is 26 km (16 mi) south-west and Pointe-à-Pitre is 35 km (22 mi) north-north-east.

Carbet Falls comprises three cascades.

Climate

Capesterre-Belle-Eau experiences rainfall throughout the year, with a wetter season between July and November that coincides with hurricane season. The city receives 2000–2500 mm of rainfall. Tropical heat brings constant highs of around 32 °C (89 °F) that drop to 20 °C (68 °F) at night.

Trade winds, called alizés, blow from the northeast and often temper the climate.

Economy

The economy is geared towards agriculture, particularly bananas, thanks to the quality of the soil. Farmers cultivate sugar cane, cocoa, vanilla, coffee, pineapples and vegetables of all kinds.

A rum distillery operates there.

Population

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1967	17,912	—
1974	18,143	+0.18%
1982	17,472	−0.47%
1990	19,012	+1.06%
1999	19,568	+0.32%
2007	19,520	−0.03%
2012	19,407	−0.12%
2017	18,270	−1.20%
Source: INSEE^[3]

Education

Public preschools include:^[4]

Ecole maternelle Cayenne
Ecole maternelle Fonds Cacao
Ecole maternelle Ilet Pérou
Ecole maternelle Saint Sauveur
Ecole maternelle Sainte Marie
Ecole maternelle Sarlasonne

Public primary and elementary schools include:^[4]

Ecole primaire Beuve Anatole
Ecole primaire Bananier
Ecole primaire Belair
Ecole primaire Cambrefort
Ecole primaire Amédée Fengarol
Ecole primaire Ilet Pérou
Ecole primaire Joliot-Curie Frédéric
Ecole primaire L'Habituée
Ecole primaire Minatchy Léonce
Ecole primaire Sainte Marie
Ecole élémentaire Alexius de lacroix

Preschool/primary school groups include:^[4]

Groupe scolaire Arsene Monrose

Public junior high schools include:^[5]

Collège Germain Saint-Ruf
Collège Sylviane Telchid

Public senior high schools include:^[5]

LDM de l'automobile Paul Lacave

Personalities

Amédée Fengarol (1905-1951), Guadeloupean politician
Sonny Rupaire, poet
Henry Sidambarom (1863–1952), a Justice of the Peace and defender of the cause of Indian workers in Guadeloupe
Sylviane Telchid, writer and professor