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Guide to Martinique

Introduction

Background: Colonized by France in 1635, the island has subsequently remained a French possession except for three brief periods of foreign occupation.

Geography

Location: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
Geographic coordinates: 14 40 N, 61 00 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area: total
Area - comparative: slightly more than six times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 350 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea
Climate: tropical; moderated by trade winds; rainy season (June to October); vulnerable to devastating cyclones (hurricanes) every eight years on average; average temperature 17.3 degrees C; humid
Terrain: mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano
Elevation extremes: lowest point
Natural resources: coastal scenery and beaches, cultivable land
Land use: arable land
Irrigated land: 30 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: hurricanes, flooding, and volcanic activity (an average of one major natural disaster every five years)
Environment - current issues: NA
Geography - note: the island is dominated by Mount Pelee, which on 8 May 1902 erupted and completely destroyed the city of Saint Pierre, killing 30,000 inhabitants

People

Population: 432,900 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years
Median age: total
Population growth rate: 0.76% (2005 est.)
Birth rate: 14.14 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate: 6.44 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth
Infant mortality rate: total
Life expectancy at birth: total population
Total fertility rate: 1.79 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun
Ethnic groups: African and African-white-Indian mixture 90%, white 5%, East Indian, Chinese less than 5%
Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 10.5%, Muslim 0.5%, Hindu 0.5%, other 3.5% (1997)
Languages: French, Creole patois
Literacy: definition

Government

Country name: conventional long form
Dependency status: overseas department of France
Government type: NA
Capital: Fort-de-France
Administrative divisions: none (overseas department of France)
Independence: none (overseas department of France)
National holiday: Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
Constitution: 4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system: French legal system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state
Legislative branch: unicameral General Council or Conseil General (45 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and a unicameral Regional Assembly or Conseil Regional (41 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) elections
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel
Political parties and leaders: Martinique Communist Party or PCM [Georges ERICHOT]; Martinique Independence Movement or MIM [Alfred MARIE-JEANNE]; Martinique Progressive Party or PPM [Pierre SUEDILE]; Martinique Socialist Party or PMS [Ernest WAN-AJOUHU]; Movement of Democrats and Ecologists for a Sovereign Martinique or Modemas [Garcin MALSA]; Rally for the Republic or RPR [Michel CHARLONE]; Socialist Revolution Group or GRS [Philippe PIERRE-CHARLES]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Jean MAREN]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Caribbean Revolutionary Alliance or ARC; Central Union for Martinique Workers or CSTM [Marc PULVAR]; Frantz Fanon Circle; League of Workers and Peasants; Proletarian Action Group or GAP
International organization participation: UPU, WCL, WFTU
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas department of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (overseas department of France)
Flag description: a light blue background is divided into four quadrants by a white cross; in the center of each rectangle is a white snake; the flag of France is used for official occasions

Economy

Economy - overview: The economy is based on sugarcane, bananas, tourism, and light industry. Agriculture accounts for about 6% of GDP and the small industrial sector for 11%. Sugar production has declined, with most of the sugarcane now used for the production of rum. Banana exports are increasing, going mostly to France. The bulk of meat, vegetable, and grain requirements must be imported, contributing to a chronic trade deficit that requires large annual transfers of aid from France. Tourism, which employs more than 11,000 people, has become more important than agricultural exports as a source of foreign exchange.
GDP (purchasing power parity): $6.117 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: NA%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $14,400 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture
Labor force: 165,900 (1998)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 10%, industry 17%, services 73% (1997)
Unemployment rate: 27.2% (1998)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.9% (1990)
Budget: revenues
Agriculture - products: pineapples, avocados, bananas, flowers, vegetables, sugarcane
Industries: construction, rum, cement, oil refining, sugar, tourism
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 1.178 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel
Electricity - consumption: 1.095 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2002)
Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption: 13,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports: NA
Oil - imports: NA
Exports: $250 million f.o.b. (1997)
Exports - commodities: refined petroleum products, bananas, rum, pineapples (2001 est.)
Exports - partners: France 45%, Guadeloupe 28% (2000)
Imports: $2 billion c.i.f. (1997)
Imports - commodities: petroleum products, crude oil, foodstuffs, construction materials, vehicles, clothing and other consumer goods
Imports - partners: France 62%, Venezuela 6%, Germany 4%, Italy 4%, US 3% (2000)
Debt - external: $180 million (1994)
Economic aid - recipient: NA; note - substantial annual aid from France (1998)
Currency (code): euro (EUR)
Currency code: EUR
Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000)
Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 172,000 est (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 319,900 (2002)
Telephone system: general assessment
Radio broadcast stations: AM 0, FM 14, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 82,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 11 (plus nine repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 66,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .mq
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000)
Internet users: 40,000 (2002)

Transportation

Highways: total
Ports and harbors: Fort-de-France, La Trinite, Marin
Airports: 2 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total
Airports - with unpaved runways: total

Military

Military branches: no regular military forces; Gendarmerie
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and Europe
Last updated: 20 October, 2005