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General

Full country name: Department of Martinique
Area: 1080 sq km (421 sq mi)
Population: 414,516 (growth rate 1%)
Capital city: Fort-de-France (pop 100,072)
People: African descent (90%) French (5%), plus Indian, Syrian and Lebanese
Language: French, French Creole patois, some English
Religion: Roman Catholic (90%), Seventh Day Adventist, Hindu, Jewish
Government: Overseas department of France
President: Jacques Chirac
GDP: US$4.24 billion
GDP per head: US$10,700
Inflation: 3.9%
Major industries: Construction, rum, cement, oil refining, sugar, bananas, tourism
Major trading partners: France, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, UK, Italy

History

When Columbus landed in 1502, the island to which he gave the name Martinique was peopled by the Carib Indians who called it Matinino or Madinina. They had driven away the Arawaks who, like themselves, had come to the island from South America. The island was claimed by France in 1635 and officially annexed by the King of France in 1674. France and Britain fought over the island until 1815, when it was restored to France. An important date in Martinique's history occurred 150 years ago on May 22, 1848, when slavery was abolished. In 1946, Martinique became a Department of France and in 1974 a Region of France. Historical sites worth seeing include La Pagerie, where Napoléon's Empress Joséphine was born in 1763 (the year that France relinquished rights to Canada in exchange for the French West Indies); Diamond Rock, a 600-ft. pinnacle in the sea manned by the British in 1804 and occupied by them as a sloop of war for 18 months, and St-Pierre, Martinique's principal city until May 8, 1902, when Mt. Pelée Volcano erupted, wiping out the city and its 30,000 people in three minutes.

KEY DATES IN MARTINIQUE'S HISTORY

15 June 1502 - Christopher Columbus lands at Carbet on the Caribbean side of the island.
1635 - First French settlement under Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc.
31 October 1636 - King Louis XIII permits the introduction of slaves to the French West Indies.
1685 - Establishment of Colbert's "Black Code" which, in 60 articles, officially governs the lives of slaves until 1848.
1762 - 1848 Martinique is occupied several times by the British.
22 May 1848 - Abolition of slavery.
08 May 1902 - Eruption of Mt. Pelée destroying St.-Pierre. Fort-de-France becomes the capital.
19 March 1946 - Martinique acquires the status of a French department. Four deputies and 2 senators represent it.
1983 - The Regional Council is established following the French decentralization laws of 1982.

Martinique today

With the exception of two short periods of British occupation, Martinique has followed the same course of history as France since 1635. Its administrative and political structures have been identical to those of the French Departments (states) since 1946, when it officially became a Department itself. It was granted the further status of Region in 1974. Fort-de-France is the administrative and commercial capital of the island.

Geography

Martinique is located in the Lesser Antilles chain and has a total area of 1091 square km. The island is about 80 kilometers long from North to South and at its widest point extends about 35 kilometers from east to west. The island is largely mountainous and is composed of volcanic rock. Its average elevation is more than 900 meters above sea level with the highest point being 1397 meters at Mount Pelee, an active volcano in the north of the island. The central southwest is the only flat land on the island except for the narrow coastal plains. Rivers are numerous but small and few are navigable.

Martinique lies in the heart of the Caribbean Archipelago and is one of the many islands which make up the group of lesser Antilles, or "Breezy Islands."

The waters lapping at its shores are those of the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Caribbean Sea to the west. The island is located 6855 km from Paris (8 hours by plane), and is 440 km from the American continent (4.5 hours by plane, direct flight). The closest two neighboring islands are Dominica (25km to the North) and Saint Lucia (37 km to the South).

Climate

The mean temperature averages 26°C. Two regular, alternating wind currents (East and Northeast) cool the atmosphere. These are the tradewinds, called "les alizés". There is only about a 5° difference between Summer and Winter temperatures.

People & Culture

The racial composition of Martinique is extremely mixed although the mulatto element dominates. French is the official language though a local Creole is widely spoken and Roman Catholicism is the main religion. Martinique has developed its own form of music as the Biguine and the people often dance to the Mazurca or the waltz. Zouk, a more contemporary French west Indies creation draws on the Biguine and other French Caribbean folk forms, with its Carnival-like rhythm and hot dance beat.