American University of the Caribbean of Texas) to help place AUC in their temporary Campus. Classes started again on 17 October 1989 for 3 semesters before returning to Montserrat. The Montserrat campus was rebuilt and AUC reopened it for classes in September 1990. Long thought to be dormant, the Soufrière Hills volcano on Montserrat erupted on 18 July 1995, rendering much of the island uninhabitable, including the entire city of Plymouth. Students and faculty were evacuated, and the campus was buried under volcanic ash. AUC reopened its operations in September 1995. 250 students were sent to a temporary location in Belize and 280 students were
Basse-Terre Island 16 communes (municipalities). The population density was . The largest city on Basse-Terre Island is the city of Basse-Terre which had 37,455 inhabitants in its urban area at the 2006 census. The city of Basse-Terre is the prefecture (capital) of Guadeloupe. Despite its name, Basse-Terre Island (literally "Low Land" Island, "Down Land" Island) is the highest island of Guadeloupe, rising to above sea level at the Soufrière volcano. The name of the island is the result of French terminology used in the Caribbean in the 17th century. In the Caribbean, the prevailing winds blow from the northeast (see trade wind),