Pointe-à-Pitre

Pointe-à-Pitre, town, eastern Guadeloupe (an overseas department of France), on southwestern Grande-Terre Island, in the West Indies. Situated on an ocean channel that separates Grande-Terre Island and Basse-Terre Island, it is the largest town, principal seaport, and leading commercial center of Guadeloupe. Pointe-à-Pitre is the seat of the University Center of Antilles-Guyane (1970) and the Pasteur Institute of Guadeloupe (1948), which has medical-research laboratories. The community was settled by the French in the mid-17th century. Population (2001 estimate) 20,000.