La Désirade
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Guadeloupe, with La Désirade in the northeast
La Désirade is an island and a commune in the French département d'outre-mer Guadeloupe.
The island is located about 8 km off the coast of Grande-Terre, the eastern half of the island of Guadeloupe. Its coordinates are . La Désirade is 11 km long and 2 km wide. It has a land area of 22.12 km² (8.5 sq. miles), and a population of 1,620 inhabitants, as of the 1999 census (down from 1,682 in 1974). The population density in 1999 was 73 inh. per km². Most residents live in the settlements of Baie-Mahault and Grande Anse.
La Désirade was discovered in 1493 by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage, and was the site of a leper colony until 1958.
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