Les Abymes

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.

Les Abymes
Commune
The Main Square in Les Abymes
Location of the commune (in red) within Guadeloupe
Location of Les Abymes
Coordinates: 16°16′N 61°31′W
CountryFrance
Overseas region and departmentGuadeloupe
ArrondissementPointe-à-Pitre
CantonLes Abymes-1, 2 and 3
IntercommunalityCap Excellence
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Éric Jalton
Area
1
81.25 km2 (31.37 sq mi)
Population
 (Jan. 2017)[1]
53,491
 • Density660/km2 (1,700/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−04:00 (AST)
INSEE/Postal code
97101 /97139 and 97142
Elevation0–120 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.

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Abymiens or Abymiennes.[2]

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.[3]

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[3]

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 three cantons:

Les Abymes Town Hall

List of Successive Mayors[4]

FromToNamePartyPosition
19651967Maurice Fleury
19671995Frédéric Jalton
19951995René-Serge Nabajoth
19952008Daniel Marsin
20082026Éric Jalton

(Not all data is known)

Twinning
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in France

Les Abymes has twinning associations with:

Demography

In 2017 the commune had 53,491 inhabitants.

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1954 18,425—    
1961 30,791+7.61%
1967 39,911+4.42%
1974 53,605+4.30%
1982 56,165+0.58%
1990 62,605+1.37%
1999 63,054+0.08%
2007 59,404−0.74%
2012 58,606−0.27%
2017 53,491−1.81%
Source: INSEE[6]

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.[7]

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.[8]

Facilities

Education

There are several educational institutions in the commune:

Public primary level:

  • 15 public preschools[9]
  • 20 public primary schools[9]
  • 2 public elementary schools[9]

Public junior high schools:[10]

  • Collège du Bourg ;
  • Collège du Raizet ;
  • Collège Alexandre-Isaac ; (named after Alexandre Isaac, Senator)
  • Collège Saint-John-Perse ;
  • Collège Excellence-Sportive ;

Public sixth-form colleges/senior high schools:[10]

  • LGT Baimbridge
  • Lycée Jardin-d’Essai - General sixth-form/high school and technological high school
  • LGT Félix Proto
  • LPO Chevalier de Saint-Georges

Private primary level:

  • 3 private primary schools[9]
  • 1 private elementary school[9]

Private secondary schools under contract:[11]

  • Lycée La Persévérance - private school for general and technological education
  • Lycée Professionnel esthétique/coiffure

The Apprentice Training School for the Chamber of Crafts of Guadeloupe.

Former schools??

  • Lycée Général Providence - General sixth-form/high school and technological high school

The commune also hosts the headquarters of the Rector of the Académie de la Guadeloupe ("Academy of Guadeloupe"). A new building is under construction in the Dothémare-Providence ZAC scheduled for completion in the first quarter 2015.[12]

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.[13] 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.[14]

Culture
  • The Sonis Cultural Centre
  • The Renée Élie Hall at Chazeau
  • The Joseph Théodore Faustin Hall
  • A Multiplex Cinema at the "Family Plaza Complex" (under construction, expected completion June 2015)
  • The Félix-Proto Community Centre (under construction, expected completion end of 2015)

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

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

  • A Revenue Office on Rue Frédéric (1932)[15]
  • The former Town Hall on Rue du Général Delacroix (1933)[16]
  • A Sepulchral Monument on Rue du Général Delacroix (1932)[17]
  • The Joseph Ricou Hospital on Rue de l'Hôpital (1931)[18]
  • The Market in the Place du Marché (1931)[19]
  • The War Memorial (1937)[20]
  • The Petrelluzzi House at Morne-Fleuri (20th century)[21]
  • The Mamiel Dwelling (19th century)[22]
Other sites of interest
  • The mangroves
  • The Taonaba Mangrove House
  • The Perrin and Belle Plaine Channel
  • A Memorial from 1889 for the centenary of the French Revolution
  • The Abymes, Land of convergence Monument at the entry to the town showing the location of different communities on the island.
  • La Mulâtresse Solitude (1772–1802), a statue erected in 1999 in the Baimbridge district in memory of resistance against slavery, by the sculptor Jacky Poulier.
  • A Statue of Nelson Mandela erected in 2014 at the Petit-Pérou roundabout in memory of the President of South Africa, by the sculptor Jean Moisa[23]

Religious heritage
The Church of the Immaculate Conception

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

  • The Parish Church of the Immaculate Conception (1930)[24]
  • A Presbytery at Rue Schoelcher (1932)[25]
Other religious sites of interest
  • A Hindu Temple
  • A Calvary

Sports
Sports Facilities
  • The Stade René Serge Nabajoth (capacity: 7,500 people)
  • Inter-communal Swimming Pool at Dugazon
  • Tennis
  • Golf (9 holes)
  • The Centre of Sports Resources, expertise, and performance (CREPS) of Antilles Guyana is located in the commune, on an area of 9 hectares on the site of the old Darboussier stadium.
Sports Clubs
  • Jeunesse Sportive Abymienne, football and Handball
  • Le Siroco, football
  • Jeunesse Evolution, football
  • La Juventa, football
  • la MJC Abymes, football, Basketball
  • JCA (Jeunesse Cycliste des Abymes), cycling
  • CSCA (Convergence Sportive Cycliste des Abymes), cycling
  • VO2C (Vélo d'Or du Centre de la Caraïbe), cycling
  • AS Police, cycling
  • BRUC (Boisripeaux Rugby Club), rugby

Notable people linked to the commune

See also

References
  1. "Populations légales 2017". INSEE. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  2. Inhabitants of Guadaloupe (in French)
  3. Google Maps
  4. List of Mayors of France (in French)
  5. National Commission for Decentralised cooperation (in French)
  6. Historique des populations communales, INSEE
  7. 2013 World Travel Awards Archived 2014-11-29 at the Wayback Machine, Air Caraïbes. Retrieved on 23 November 2014.
  8. First stone for the Family Plaza Complex on France-Antilles on 10 January 2014. (in French)
  9. "LISTE DES ECOLES PUBLIQUES ET PRIVEES SOUS CONTRAT." Académie de la Guadeloupe. Retrieved on 10 March 2018.
  10. "Établissements du 2nd degré PUBLIC 2017-2018." Académie de la Guadeloupe. Retrieved on 10 March 2018.
  11. "Etablissements du 2nd degré privé sous contrat 2017-2018."Académie de la Guadeloupe. Retrieved on 10 March 2018.
  12. Works: Large building sites of 2014 on France-Antilles on 6 January 2014. (in French)
  13. CHU Pointe-à-Pitre/Les Abymes official website (in French)
  14. Polyclinic of Guadeloupe website Archived 2013-08-21 at Archive.today (in French)
  15. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA97102003 Revenue Office (in French)
  16. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA97102006 Town Hall (in French)
  17. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA97102005 Sepulchral Monument (in French)
  18. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA97102007 Joseph Ricou Hospital (in French)
  19. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA97102002 Market (in French)
  20. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA97100045 War Memorial (in French)
  21. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA97100025 Petrelluzzi House (in French)
  22. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA97100019 Mamiel Dwelling (in French)
  23. Inauguration of the first statue of Nelson Mandela in France on France-Antilles on 11 March 2014 (in French)
  24. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA97102053 Parish Church of the Immaculate Conception (in French)
  25. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA97102004 Presbytery (in French)
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