Baillif (; ) is a commune of

Guadeloupe Guadeloupe is an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre Island, Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Guadeloupe, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galant ...

, an overseas region and department of

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

located in the

Lesser Antilles The Lesser Antilles is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea, forming part of the West Indies in Caribbean, Caribbean region of the Americas. They are distinguished from the larger islands of the Greater Antilles to the west. They form an arc w ...

. Baillif is a suburb of

Basse-Terre Basse-Terre (, ; ; ) is a communes of the Guadeloupe department, commune in the France, French overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department of Guadeloupe, in the Lesser Antilles. It is also the ''prefectures in France, pref ...

, the

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin word, "''praefectura"'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain inter ...

and the second-largest urban area of Guadeloupe located on

Basse-Terre Island Guadeloupe is an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre Island, Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Guadeloupe, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galant ...

(the western half of Guadeloupe).

History

In 1637, Governor De L'Olive conceded a parcel of land to the Dominican friars, from the Fathers' river to that of Baillif, and today these mark out the boundary of the town. Under the leadership of Father Labat, several fortresses were built in Baillif to protect the region from English invasion. The Dominicans came to preach the good news of Jesus. Following the defeat of

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

in the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

in 1815, the governor of Guadeloupe, the Comte de Linois refused to surrender his position to the Bourbon-appointed governor of the Windward Islands, the Comte de Vaugiraud, and believed the stories of Napoleon's defeat to be propaganda and lies. As such, de Vaugiraud invited the British to invade the island. The ensuing battle on August 8 between the joint Bourbon and British invasion force against the Napoleonic garrison took place at Baillif in which the Napoleonic loyalists where defeated and forced Linois to capitulate. Baillif Airfield

The commune is named after an early inhabitant, Robert Baillif. Baillif traded in the area from 1650 to about 1700. Today, Baillif is often considered to be a suburb of the

of Guadeloupe,

, and with its small regional airfield, it acts as a gateway to the islands in the south. Marie-Yveline Théobald-Ponchateau was elected mayor (maire) of Baillif in 2020.

Geography

Baillif is situated on the south-west coast of

and it covers an area of . It faces the Caribbean Sea. The town is west of Basse-Terre's mountain range. The capital of Guadeloupe,

, is south of Baillif, and Vieux-Habitants, a village, is located north. La riviere de Père flows halfway between Baillif and Basse-Terre.

Climate

Like any other Eastern Caribbean settlement, Baillif experiences quite evenly spread rainfall during the year, with a wetter season between July and November which coincides with hurricane season. Guadeloupe has been struck by many hurricanes which have caused devastation. The town receives below 1500 mm of rainfall. Tropical heat is the norm, bringing constant highs of around 32 °C (89 °F) that drop to 20 °C (68 °F) at night.

Trade wind The trade winds or easterlies are permanent east-to-west prevailing winds that flow in the Earth's equatorial region. The trade winds blow mainly from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisphere, ...

s, called alizés, blow from the northeast and often temper the climate.

Population

The inhabitants are called ''Baillifiens'' in French.

Economy

Baillif has mainly an agricultural sector a. Mixed crops such as bananas, cocoa and coffee are grown. They are shipped to the port or the airport to be transported. Baillif has an airport, Baillif Airport & the runway is and the International Civil Aviation Organization airport code is TFFB & the International Air Transport Association airport code is BBR. Today, an industrial and commercial zone is under development, supplementing the Jarry zone.

Sights

With its small regional airfield, it acts as a gateway to the islands in the south. The airport from 19 October 2019 is now French language only for arriving and departing traffic. At the entry to the market town, there is a 4 m tower as evidence of this historical past called the “Père Labat Tower”. Further while going towards Vieux-Habitants, is the “engraved rocks” of Plessis.

Education

Public preschools and primary schools include:LISTE DES ECOLES PUBLIQUES ET PRIVEES SOUS CONTRAT
" Academy of Guadeloupe . Retrieved on 10 March 2018. * Ecole primaire Saint-Robert * Ecole primaire Bourg 1 Baillif * Ecole maternelle Bourg Baillif Public junior high schools include:Établissements du 2nd degré PUBLIC 2017-2018
." Academy of Guadeloupe . Retrieved on 10 March 2018. * Collège Jean Jaures

Personalities

* Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, (1745–1799), French Composer, Violinist, Fencer, and Colonel of the Légion St.-Georges. * Gratien Candace, (1873–1953), French politician

References

{{Authority control Communes of Guadeloupe