Islands of the Small Earth

Small Archipelago of the Guadeloupe made up of two small islands (Ground Top and Ground of Bottom) closed by a coral Reef, located at ten kilometers in the south of the Point of the Castles and Désirade.

Administration

Petite Ground is attached to the commune of Désirade.

History

The island of the small ground made up of two islets ground of top and ground of bottom covers a surface of one hundred fifty hectares and changes the oldest culminating headlight of the Guadeloupe to thirty five measure with the top of the sea. She was discovered by Christophe Colomb but was occupied by the colonists that as from the 18th century because of an absence of water. Let us announce however that Arawaks and the Caribbean Indians constituted the first population of this island between 500 and 1500 ap J.C. The economy was articulated around the breeding, of fishing, the trade and the culture of cotton made possible thanks to the recovery of rainwater in cisterns.

Fauna and Flora

From 1972, the human occupation leaves room to a population mainly made up of Iguanes West-Indian (not less than nine thousand five hundred individuals), of Migratory birds and Tortues driven out before for its eggs, its grease and its carapace. The beliefs lent even to its penis virtues aphrodisiacs. the richness of fauna is supplemented by a large variety of fish species and larvae protected from the swell by the Lagon and the coral Récif. In parallel, the flora is very abundant there and as examples, the GaÏac formerly used for the manufacture of or pulley billiard balls of navy or the not flowering Agape that once in its life are protected species t-pieces there. Thus, for ecological reasons, to control the tourist multitude and for a better conservation of this fauna and this flora, the island of the small ground is classified natural reserve since September 1998.

Tourist places

Mainly populated iguanas and of Bernard the hermit, this archipelago coral attracts many tourists and plungers, allured by his natural aquarium and his side " Robinson Crusoé ".

The site being protected, the shuttles (catamaran or motor boat at the beginning of Saint-François) are however limited to two per day.

One can visit small the " headlight of the end of the monde" , reconverted today in museum of fauna and the flora.

External bonds

Conservatory of the littoral: Islands of the Small Earth
Natural reserve of the islands of the Small Earth
Ministry for the culture: Headlight of the islet of Small-Ground
Seen satellite via Google Maps

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