DESIRADE, LA

island in the middle of the windward group of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea and a dependency of Guadeloupe, an overseas dpartement of France. It lies 6 miles (10 km) east of the island of Grande-Terre. La Dsirade is made of coral and is roughly oblong in shape, with an area of 27 square miles (70 square km). For more than 200 years, until 1958, it was a leper colony. The population is very poor, living mainly from fishing, working on sailboats, and a little cultivation. Pop. (1990) 1,610.