One of two main islands of the French overseas département of Guadeloupe in the Leeward Islands, West Indies; area 848 sq km/327 sq mi; population (1995 est) 169,000. A narrow stretch of water, the Rivière Salée, divides it from Grande-Terre, the other main island. It has an active volcano, Grande Soufrière, rising to 1,484 m/4,870 ft.
White stands for Islam, peace, optimism, light, and love. Red recalls the martyrs of Sudan and the people's struggle. Black stands for Sudan and the Mahdiya revolution of the 1880s. Effective date: 20 May 1970.