Pointe-a-Pitre is the largest city of Guadeloupe, an overseas région and département of France located in the Lesser Antilles, of which it is a sous-préfecture, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Pointe-à-Pitre.
Although it is not Guadeloupe's administrative capital (that distinction goes to Basse-Terre), Pointe-à-Pitre is nonetheless the largest city and economic capital of Guadeloupe with a population of 171,773 inhabitants in its urban area in 1999, only 20,948 of whom lived in the city (commune) of Pointe-à-Pitre proper.
The inhabitants are called Pointois.
Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport, Guadeloupe's main international airport, is located 3 km north of downtown Pointe-à-Pitre in the commune of Les Abymes.
Pointe-a-Pitre is situated on the southwest portion of the island of Grande-Terre, facing the Caribbean Sea and is an ideal place in the center of Guadeloupe and is near the Rivière Salée ("Salt River"), which separates Grande-Terre from Basse-Terre Island. The town of Pointe-à-Pitre is surrounded by the communes of Les Abymes, Baie-Mahault and Le Gosier. Pointe-à-Pitre is on a limestone plateau, which was a factor for the construction the the city. The bay, Petit Cul-de-Sac Marin, offers a sheltered port.
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