American University of the Caribbean of Education has determined that the commission’s accreditation standards are comparable to those applicable to U.S. medical schools. Founded by American educator Dr. Paul Tien in 1978, the main campus of the American University of the Caribbean was originally located on the island of Montserrat, but was forced to move to its present location in Sint Maarten after the eruption of the previously dormant Soufriere Hills volcano. While a medical campus was being constructed on Montserrat, AUC started conducting classes under its Montserrat charter in a rented space on the campus of the College of Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati,
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),