Les Abymes

Les Abymes

The Main Square in Les Abymes

Location of the commune (in red) within Guadeloupe
Coordinates: 16°16′N 61°31′W / 16.27°N 61.52°W / 16.27; -61.52Coordinates: 16°16′N 61°31′W / 16.27°N 61.52°W / 16.27; -61.52
Country France
Overseas region and department Guadeloupe
Arrondissement Pointe-à-Pitre
Canton Les Abymes 1 through 5
Intercommunality Cap Excellence
Government
 • Mayor (2008-2020) Éric Jalton
Area1 81.25 km2 (31.37 sq mi)
Population (2013)2 58,644
 • Density 720/km2 (1,900/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code 97101 / 97139 and 97142
Elevation 0–120 m (0–394 ft)

1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Les Abymes (French pronunciation: ​[lɛz‿a.bim]) is the most populated commune in the French overseas region and department of Guadeloupe, in the Lesser Antilles. It is located on the west side of the island of Grande-Terre, and is part of the metropolitan area of Pointe-à-Pitre, the largest urban area in Guadeloupe.

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Abymiens or Abymiennes.[1]

Geography

Les Abymes is located some 3 km north-east of Pointe-à-Pitre, 7 km east of Baie Mahault, and 10 km south-west of Morne-à-l'Eau. Access to the commune is by Route nationale N1 from Baie-Mahault in the west which passes along the southern border of the commune and continues south as the N4. The N5 branches off the N1 and goes north-east through the centre of the commune and continues north-east to Morne-a-L'eau. The N11 branches off the N5 on the south-east of the town and continues north-west then west rejoining the N1. The D106 road also goes north from the commune to Vieux Bourg. The Route du Palais Royal passes north-east through the commune to join the N5. The Route de Chazeau branches from the Route du Palais Royal and goes north-east to Doubs.[2]

Access to the Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport is from the N11.

Les Abymes is integrated into the urban area of Pointe-à-Pitre and, like the rest of the island, has a tropical climate.

Localities and hamlets

  • Bauzon
  • Baimbridge
  • Bazin
  • Beau-Soleil
  • Besson
  • Boisripeau
  • Boisvin
  • Boisvinière
  • Boricaud
  • Bouliqui
  • Caduc
  • Caraque
  • Céligny
  • Chauvel
  • Chazeau
  • Coma
  • David
  • Deravinières
  • Doubs
  • Dugazon
  • Gaoza
  • Grand-Camp
  • Léonie
  • Masselas
  • Morne-Fleuri
  • Nérée
  • Papin
  • Petit-Pérou
  • Pointe-d'Or
  • Quatre Chemins
  • Le Raizet

Neighbouring communes and villages[2]

 Morne-à-l'Eau Doubs
Baie-Mahault Le Moule
   Les Abymes  
Pointe-à-Pitre Le Gosier/Sainte-Anne

History

The islands have been occupied since pre-Columbian times. Some remains have been found in the Dothémare area but the most remarkable were those found in Belle Plaine where surveys conducted by the Direction régionale des affaires culturelles (DRAC) in 2006 revealed the existence of a sizeable town dated from 1000 and 1200 AD (Troumassoid culture).

The first village, located a few kilometres from the current urban centre, was founded in 1691. It consisted of a few houses and experienced some development through the cultivation of sugar cane, cocoa, and coffee. A Parish Church was built in Les Abymes in 1726.

Administration

Les Abymes belongs to the community of communes called Cap Excellence which brings it together with Pointe-à-Pitre and Baie-Mahault. The commune is divided into five districts:

Les Abymes Town Hall

List of Successive Mayors[3]

From To Name Party Position
1965 1967 Maurice Fleury
1967 1995 Frédéric Jalton
1995 1995 René-Serge Nabajoth
1995 2008 Daniel Marsin
2008 2020 Éric Jalton

(Not all data is known)

Twinning

Les Abymes has twinning associations with:[4]

Demography

In 2010 the commune had 58,534 inhabitants. The evolution of the number of inhabitants is known from the population censuses conducted in the commune since 1961. From the 21st century, a census of communes with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants is held every five years, unlike larger communes that have a sample survey every year.[Note 1]

Population Change (See database)
1954 1961 1967 1974 1982 1990 1999 2006 2010
- 30,791 39,911 53,605 56,165 62,605 63,001 60,858 58,534

Sources : Ldh/EHESS/Cassini until 1962, INSEE database from 1968 (population without double counting and municipal population from 2006)

Economy

Most of the economic activity of Les Abymes is related to the presence of the Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport (formerly Aéroport du Raizet). The airline Air Caraïbes has its headquarters in Les Abymes.[5]

Although not a resort, Les Abymes is the second most important economic centre of Guadeloupe after the industrial zone of Jarry. The Milénis shopping centre is located in the commune. The "Family Plaza Complex" including a multiplex cinema, a shopping mall, and a leisure centre is due to open in 2015.[6]

Facilities

Education

There are several educational institutions in the commune:

Junior high schools:

Sixth-form colleges/senior high schools:

The commune also hosts the headquarters of the Rector of the Academy of Guadeloupe. A new building is under construction in the Dothémare-Providence ZAC scheduled for completion in the first quarter 2015.[7]

Health

The University Hospital (CHU) of Pointe-à-Pitre / Les Abymes was the largest on the island in 2013 bringing together some 40 hospital services covering all medical fields with a total capacity of 862 beds with 319 doctors, 120 interns, and 3,000 hospital workers.[8] The hospital is to be rebuilt at Perrin (commencing 2016 for delivery in 2019).

The Polyclinic of Guadeloupe is located at Morne Jolivière and is a private care centre with a total capacity of 110 beds including 20 beds for maternity.[9]

Culture

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

The commune has a number of buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments:

Other sites of interest

Religious heritage

The Church of the Immaculate Conception

The commune has two religious buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments:

Other religious sites of interest

Sports

Sports Facilities
Sports Clubs

Notable people linked to the commune

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Les Abymes.

Notes and references

Notes

  1. ↑ At the beginning of the 21st century, the methods of identification have been modified by Law No. 2002-276 of 27 February 2002, the so-called "law of local democracy" and in particular Title V "census operations" allows, after a transitional period running from 2004 to 2008, the annual publication of the legal population of the different French administrative districts. For communes with a population greater than 10,000 inhabitants, a sample survey is conducted annually, the entire territory of these communes is taken into account at the end of the period of five years. The first "legal population" after 1999 under this new law came into force on 1 January 2009 and was based on the census of 2006.

References

  1. ↑ Inhabitants of Guadaloupe (French)
  2. 1 2 Google Maps
  3. ↑ List of Mayors of France (French)
  4. ↑ National Commission for Decentralised cooperation (French)
  5. ↑ 2013 World Travel Awards, Air Caraïbes. Retrieved on 23 November 2014.
  6. ↑ First stone for the Family Plaza Complex on France-Antilles on 10 January 2014. (French)
  7. ↑ Works: Large building sites of 2014 on France-Antilles on 6 January 2014. (French)
  8. ↑ CHU Pointe-à-Pitre/Les Abymes official website (French)
  9. ↑ Polyclinic of Guadeloupe website (French)
  10. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA97102003 Revenue Office (French)
  11. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA97102006 Town Hall (French)
  12. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA97102005 Sepulchral Monument (French)
  13. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA97102007 Joseph Ricou Hospital (French)
  14. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA97102002 Market (French)
  15. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA97100045 War Memorial (French)
  16. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA97100025 Petrelluzzi House (French)
  17. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA97100019 Mamiel Dwelling (French)
  18. ↑ Inauguration of the first statue of Nelson Mandela in France on France-Antilles on 11 March 2014 (French)
  19. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA97102053 Parish Church of the Immaculate Conception (French)
  20. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA97102004 Presbytery (French)


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