Petite Terre Islands
Petite Terre Islands (French: Îles de la Petite Terre, literally "Islands of the Small Land") are two small uninhabited islands located about 10 km (6 mi) to the south-east of the island of Grande-Terre (Guadeloupe), in the Lesser Antilles. They are named Petite Terre ("Small Land") in contrast with the much larger Grande-Terre ("Large Land").
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| Location | Petite Terre Islands, La Désirade, Guadeloupe, France |
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| Coordinates | 16°10′15″N 61°06′33″W |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | 1840  |
| Construction | brick (tower) |
| Automated | 1974 |
| Height | 33 m (108 ft) |
| Shape | cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern atop a 1-storey keeper’s house[1][2] |
| Markings | unpainted (tower), green (lantern) |
| Power source | solar power |
| Heritage | registered historic monument |
| Light | |
| Focal height | 26 m (85 ft) |
| Range | 15 nmi (28 km; 17 mi) |
| Characteristic | Fl(3) W 12s |
The two islands are Terre de Bas island to the southwest and the smaller Terre de Haut island to the northeast. Their combined land area is 1.68 km2 (168 hectares).[3] Terre de Bas island (literally "Low Land" or "Down Land") is so named because it is downwind compared to Terre de Haut island ("Upper Land" island) to its northeast, which first meets the trade winds blowing from the north-east in the Caribbean.
Administratively, the Petite Terre Islands are dependent on the commune (municipality) of La Désirade. The two islands and 842 hectares (2,081 acres) of the sea around them were declared a nature reserve, the National Nature Reserve of Îles de la Petite-Terre.[3]
References
- Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Guadeloupe". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 2016-08-30.
- List of Lights, Buoys and Fog Signals Atlantic Coast. Retrieved 30 August 2016
- (in French) "Îles de la Petite Terre". Les réserves Naturelles de France - les réserves. Réserves Naturelles de France. Retrieved 2010-09-09.
