Îles des Saintes
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The Îles des Saintes are a group of islands within the French overseas department of Guadeloupe. They are located about 15 km south-east of Guadeloupe at and as such belong to the Lesser Antilles. They cover 13 km² and have a population of about 3,000. Only the islands Terre-de-Haut (4.52 km²) and Terre-de-Bas (9.45 km²) are populated, with Terre-de-Haut having the central place and a natural harbour, guarded by the Fort Napoléon. Terre-de-Bas is dominated by agriculture, including coffee, cotton, pepper, and bananas.
There are seven additional, uninhabited islands comprising the Îles des Saintes. They were named originally Los Santos by Christopher Columbus who arrived there on All Saints' Day of 1493. The first French settlers arrived in 1648. Because of their strategically important position, the Îles des Saintes were fought over by the French and the British in the Battle of the Saintes; they have remained under French control since 1816.
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