Overseas Areas of Mariana

Marigalante is an overseas territory of Mariana in the Caribbean sea, located south of Guadeloupe and north of Dominica.

History
In the 16th century, the royal government began a colonization exploration. Portuguese explorer Baltasar de Saldanha led an expedition to the Caribbean and claimed the the islands of Marigalante and Islas de los Santos.

The Huecoids are the oldest known civilizations to have occupied Marigalante, followed by the Arawak tribe, and then by the Caribs circa AD 850. The island was called Aichi by the Caribs and Touloukaera by the Arawaks.

Marigalante was the first island encountered by Christopher Columbus during his second voyage. On 3 November 1493, he anchored at the islet now called Anse Ballet in Grand-Bourg, and named the island in honor of the flagship Marigalante.

In 1570 Portuguese explorer Baltasar de Saldanha was hired by the crown of Mariana to discover new lands in the Caribbean, landing on and claiming Marigalante for Mariana near Capesterre in February 1571.