colonization, Marie-Galante has been administratively attached to the district of Pointe-à-Pitre, except during the revolutionary period of 1793–1794. And during this short period, while the rest of the Guadeloupe archipelago remained monarchical, this territory was republican. Marie-Galante Country The term Country (Pays in French) is sometimes used to designate the typical and traditional characters that have developed in the territory of Marie-Galante. Being designated as a country, according to the terms of the Community of Communes of Marie-Galante, should "allow a better definition and affirmation of the uniqueness and specificity of the territory of Marie-Galante, as well as its ethnocultural diversity". Transport The island has an airfield that is not served by any airline. The connection with the islands of Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique and other islands of the Lesser Antilles is made by boat. In 2017, two major competing companies each run about three daily rotations between the seaports of Grand-Bourg, Saint-Louis and the seaport of Bergevin in Pointe-à-Pitre: Valferry and Island Express. Other services are available from Saint-Louis. The crossing takes about one hour. Barges from the autonomous port of Pointe-à-Pitre and other vessels allow the daily transport of goods from the seaport of Folle Anse, which conducts its transatlantic trade with mainland France and the rest of Europe, as well as with other parts of America, including through the port of Pointe-à-Pitre and Jarry. On the island, all common vehicles are allowed. A service of several buses connects daily the three municipalities. There are several cabs and numerous vehicle rental companies (cars and scooters). Energy The municipality of Saint-Louis has a subsidiary of the Pointe-à-Pitre Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and is developing an experimental photovoltaic plant project. A wind farm is installed in the locality of Capesterre, on the site of morne Constant - the place of the island most exposed to prevailing winds - and participates in the objective of energy independence of the island (mainly against fossil fuels) as part of the development of Guadeloupe's electricity system. It consists of twenty-three two-bladed retractable wind turbines with a total installed power of 1,380 kW operated by the company Quadran 5. While in 2017 more than two thirds of the electricity consumed on the island is produced by fossil fuel power plants in Guadeloupe and imported by a submarine cable, the elected officials of Marie-Galante have developed an energy autonomy project based on 100% local renewable energies