MARIE GALANTE  , an island in the French West Indies . It lies in 15° 55' N. and 61° 17' W., 16 m . S.E. of Guadeloupe, of which it is a dependency . It is nearly circular in shape and 55 sq. m. in area . A rocky limestone plateau, rising in the east to a height of 675 ft., occupies the centre of the island, and from it the land descends in a series of well-wooded terraces to the sea . The shores are rocky, there are no harbours, and the roadstead off Grand Bourg is difficult of access, owing to the surrounding reefs . The climate is healthy and the soil rich; sugar, coffee and cotton being the chief products . The largest town is Grand Bourg (pop . 6901) on the south-west coast . The island was discovered by Columbus in 1493, and received its name from the vessel on which he was sailing . The French who settled here in 1648 suffered numerous attacks both from the Dutch and the British, but since 1766, except for a short period of British rule in the early part of the 19th century, they have held undisturbed possession .