overseas department of France consisting of two islands ( Basse-Terre & Grande-Terre) and five island dependencies in the Leeward Islands: 658 sq mi (1,704 sq km); pop. 387,000; cap. Basse-Terre
See Guadeloupe in American Heritage Dictionary 4
(gwŏdˈl-o͞opˌ, gwŏdˌl-o͞opˈ)
An overseas department of France comprising the islands of Grande-Terre and Basse-Terre and smaller islands in the Leeward Islands of the West Indies. Inhabited by Arawaks and later by Caribs (15th century), the islands were discovered by Columbus in 1493 and colonized by the French in 1635. Basse-Terre is the capital. Population: 453,000.