Karu is a constituent republic of Kalina Region.
| Karu Republic | |
|---|---|
| Island of Guadeloupe | |
| Constituent Republic of Vekllei | |
| Part of the Kalina Region | |
| Accession | 1967, as part of West Indies Federation dissolution |
| Area | 230 kmยฒ |
| Capital | Pitera |
| Languages | English, French, Antillean Creole |
| Population | 2,246,392 |
The Karu Republic is a constituent republic of Vekllei in the Caribbean. Shaped like a butterfly, the republic comprises two main islands known as Grande Terre and Basse Terre, meaning “great” and “low lands” respectively. A number of other islands of various sizes surround these two. The republic is south of Antigua and Allia in the Kalina Region island chain, just north of Kabuli.
The island was home to Island Caribs when Columbus discovered it in the late 15th Century, but the Spanish never colonised it. The French arrived in 1653 and named in ‘Karu,’ from a diminuitive version of the Arawak word “Karukera,” meaning island of beautiful waters. The republic lives up to its name, and is famous for its spectacular scenery including volcanic peaks, dazzling wildflowers and waterfalls. The island remained a French colony until just after the Second World War, when it independence movements triumphed and Karu joined the West Indies Federation. It followed the rest of the federation in the uniting with the British Atlantic Territories in 2020, forming Vekllei.
Although English now accompanies French as the medium of instruction, most Karuns speak French or Creole day-to-day. The island is home to a rich, French-Carib fusion culture that is very exotic to many Vekllei people and the island is a popular place of pilgrimage for domestic tourists seeking to tour the country. It is famous for its rum and food, and has a reputation as a land of drink and dancing. Local girls wear a kind of madras costume known as madras et foulard, and both Afro-Carib Jazz and Rumba are popular in clubs.
Most Karuns are Creole of white and black ancestry, but there is also a substantial Karun Mestizo population (French-East Asian) along with Europeans and Tamils. The vast majority are Roman Catholics. They have an easygoing culture, and the republic is not particularly industrious for its size. The Karu economy is dominated by municipal goods and smallholdings, light agriculture, and services. The capital of Pitera has a historic public workshop district that allows local artisans to prototype products in the automatic schema format. The islands of Karu produce a great many tropical fruits and drinks, including bananas and cocoa. In recent years, the cultivation of improved Sea Island cotton has been expanded across the Grande Terre lowlands, supported by local ginning stations. A lot of local agriculture simply supplements the commons economy and represents a local food source.
The University of Karu is a famous and historic collegial university now part of CUWI, but many students seek to study at the main campus of CUWI in Antigua nearby. There are a number of unusual facilities on Basse Terre, including a gravity research complex of the ASRE and the Karu Research Hospital, specialising in tropical diseases. The capital of Pitera is trim and pretty, and with nearly two million inhabitants, very busy.
Trains link the two main islands, and ferry services leave regularly for the peripheral islands and archipelagos. There is an airport outside of the capital, and most large towns are serviced by trams or intercity local railways in the Vekllei fashion. Visitors should start in the capital, where Hotel Meridian has a fine grounds and golf course, before embarking for a series of local inns across the islands in the contemporary tradition.
Public Holidays
- New Year’s Day 1 Jan
- Mardi Gras Feb
- Easter Monday
- Commonwealth Day 1 May
- Ascension Day
- Whit Monday
- Republic Day 14 Jul
- Assumption Day 15 Aug
- All Saints Day 1 Nov
- Armistice Day 1 Nov
- Christmas Day 25 Dec
- Chemicals
- Electronic Components
- Fabric
- Fish
- Fruit
- Glass
- Herbs
- Leather
- Lubricants
- Molasses
- Palm Oil
- Pharmaceuticals
- Plastics
- Salt
- Sea Island Cotton
- Sugar
- Timber
- Vegetables
- Vinegar
- La Soufriรจre Volcano: An active volcano on Basse-Terre, with hiking trails and views of the surrounding rainforest.
- Plage de la Caravelle: A popular beach with white sand and clear waters, ideal for swimming and sunbathing.
- Jardin Botanique de Deshaies: A beautiful botanical garden featuring local flora, tropical birds, and waterfalls.
- Fort Fleur d’รฉpรฉe: Historic fort with underground dungeons and passageways to explore.
- Club Meridian: Thriving rumba club in Pitera, popular with students.
- Cousteau Reserve: A marine reserve near Pigeon Island, famous for diving and snorkelling with coral reefs and abundant marine life.
- Liberation Memorial, Karu: A museum in Pitera dedicated to the history of slavery and the African diaspora in the Caribbean.
- National Gravity Research Establishment: Gravity research facility of the [[ASRE]].
- Cape Terre Coastal Railway: Elevated and winding coastal railway connecting the capital to Grande Terre, with striking views of the mountains and sea.
- [[University of Karu]]: Regional collegial university famous for its performing arts programmes.
- National Gravity Research Establishment ASRE
- Office of Research Ethics SIRO
- Office of Industrial Automation SIRO
- Office of Enterprise SIRO
- Atlantic Karu Store Atlantic Department Company 360
- Hotel Meridian Atlantic Hotel 50
- Hรดtel des Papillons Atlantic Hotel 50
- Atlantic Hotel Training Centre Atlantic Hotel 180
- Cane Works Atlantic Works 900
- Karu Coastal Depot Atlantis 380
- Avro Headquarters & Assembly Avro 900
- Kalinan Section Bureau of Accreditation 110
- Leeward Caribbean Radar & Control District Bureau of Aerospace 210
- Office of Agronomy Bureau of Agriculture 540
- Office of Performance Analysis Bureau of Automatics 460
- Office of Protected Sovereigns & Aboriginal Concerns Bureau of Conservation 240
- Office of Coal Liquefaction Bureau of Hydrocarbons 260
- Office of Licensing & Leases Bureau of Materials 420
- Office of Inspection & Compliance Bureau of Materials 620
- Office of Rehabilitation Bureau of Materials 260
- Office of Geological Surveys Bureau of Materials 340
- Office of Environmental Assessment Bureau of Materials 220
- Office of Undersea Resources Bureau of Oceans 410
- Office of Postal Rail & Aviation Bureau of Post and Telecommunications 2,600
- Office of Product Testing Bureau of Production Surveillance 700
- Office of Equipment Assessment Bureau of Production Surveillance 380
- Office of Vocational & Industrial Education Bureau of Public Education 900
- Office of Statistics & Analysis Bureau of Records and Correspondence 340
- Karu Cane Federation Caribbea Cane 2,200
- Airlink Karu Station Commonwealth Airways 95
- Karu Munitions Works Commonwealth Arsenal 700
- Ferry Kalina Karu Terminal Commonwealth Lines 580
- Karu Exchange Floor Commonwealth Securities Exchange 80
- National Expenditure Research Organisation Commonwealth Treasury 520
- Pitera Metropolitan Railway CommRail 979
- Volcano Line CommRail 301
- Karu Sugar Express CommRail 271
- Karu Rainforest Railway CommRail 230
- Sainte-Anne Holiday Tramway CommRail 169
- Marie-Galante Island Ferry Railway CommRail 286
- Karu Caribbean Station Cosma 220
- Karu Nuclear Generation Establishment General Reactor 180
- Karu Aeromanufacturie Government Aircraft Factories 800
- West End Caribbean Hardwood Estates Greenwood 450
- University of Karu University of Karu
- Method Caribbean Works Method Heavy 900