Basse-Terre, << `bahs` TAIR >> (pop. 10,226), is the capital of Guadeloupe, a French overseas region and department in the Lesser Antilles island chain. It lies on the southwestern coast of the island of Basse-Terre. The city has a commercial dock; French colonial architecture, including a cathedral; and a botanical garden. Fort Saint-Charles, also called Fort Louis Delgrès, in the southern part of the town, dates back to the 1640’s, when the French began settling there.
