Guadeloupe

Predominantly Catholic, the island nation of Guadeloupe in the eastern Caribbean is a former French Antillean colony that has been considered an overseas department (département d'outremer) of France since 1946. The island's residents are French citizens with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of French nationals, including military duties. Guadeloupeans have stressed that French influences often overpower their African, East Indian, and Amerindian heritage, making their affiliation with France potentially tenuous in the long term. The nation is mostly populated by citizens of African (70%), East Indian (15%), and European (9%) descent, with approximately 400,000 permanent residents. Religiously, Guadeloupeans today are mostly Roman Catholic, with only 10% of the population practicing Protestant, African, or Hindu forms of worship. In Guadeloupe, Catholic practitioners may also adhere ...