hurricanes (June to October); Soufriere is an active volcano
Climate:
subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity
Agricultural:
bananas, sugarcane, tropical fruits and vegetables; cattle, pigs, goats.
Economy:
The economy depends on agriculture, tourism, light industry, and services. It also depends on France for large subsidies and imports. Tourism is a key industry, with most tourists from the US; an increasingly large number of cruise ships visit the islands. The traditional sugarcane crop is slowly being replaced by other crops, such as bananas (which now supply about 50% of export earnings), eggplant, and flowers. Other vegetables and root crops are cultivated for local consumption, although Guadeloupe is still dependent on imported food, mainly from France. Light industry features sugar and rum production. Most manufactured goods and fuel are imported. Unemployment is especially high among the young. Hurricanes periodically devastate the economy.
Industry:
construction, cement, rum, sugar, tourism
Ethnicgroups:
black or mulatto 90%, white 5%, East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese less than 5%
Yellow fever:
A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers over 1 year of age coming from infected areas.
