It was erected in 1850, as the Diocese of Guadeloupe and Basse-Terre, on territory split off from the then
Apostolic Prefecture of Îles de la Terre Ferme (an Antillian missionary jurisdiction, which was promoted to diocese of
Martinique and meanwhile became the
Archdiocese of Fort-de-France), its present Metropolitan. The bishopric was renamed in 1951 to the present name, Diocese of Basse-Terre. Also on 19 July 1951, it was united with the thus suppressed diocese of
Pointe-à-Pitre (on
Grande Terre, which still has its former cathedral of St. Peter and Paul), so its incumbents' (rarely used) full title is bishop of Basse-Terre-Pointe-à-Pitre. ==Bishops==