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This article is an import from the CIA World Factbook 2002. It's a starting point for creating a real Wikitravel country article according to our country article template. Please plunge forward and edit the Martinique article.

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

[edit] Geography

Location 

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Trinidad and Tobago

Geographic coordinates 

14 40 N, 61 00 W

Map references 

Central America and the Caribbean

Area 

total: 1,100 sq km
water: 40 sq km
land: 1,060 sq km

Area - comparative 

slightly more than six times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries 

0 km

Coastline 

350 km

Maritime claims 

exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM

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: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Montagne Pelee 1,397 m

Natural resources 

coastal scenery and beaches, cultivable land

Land use 

arable land: 9.43%
permanent crops: 11.32%
other: 79.25% (1998 est.)

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

[edit] People

Population 

422,277 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure 

0-14 years: 23% (male 49,261; female 47,843)
15-64 years: 66.8% (male 140,616; female 141,460)
65 years and over: 10.2% (male 19,274; female 23,823) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate 

0.89% (2002 est.)

Birth rate 

15.37 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate 

6.4 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate 

-0.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio 

at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate 

7.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth 

total population: 78.56 years
female: 77.92 years (2002 est.)
male: 79.19 years

Total fertility rate 

1.79 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate 

NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS 

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths 

NA

Nationality 

noun: Martiniquais (singular and plural)
adjective: Martiniquais

Ethnic groups 

African and African-white-Indian mixture 90%, white 5%, East Indian, Chinese less than 5%

Religions 

Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 5%

Languages 

French, Creole patois

Literacy 

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93%
male: 92%
female: 93% (1982 est.)

[edit] Government

Country name 

conventional long form: Department of Martinique
conventional short form: Martinique
local short form: Martinique
local long form: Departement de la Martinique

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 

28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system 

French legal system

Suffrage 

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch 

chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995); Prefect Michel CADOT (since 21 June 2000)
elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; the presidents of the General and Regional Councils are elected by the members of those councils
head of government: President of the General Council Claude LISE (since 22 March 1992); President of the Regional Council Alfred MARIE-JEANNE (since NA March 1998)
cabinet: NA

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: General Council - last held NA March 2000 (next to be held NA 2006); Regional Assembly - last held on 15 March 1998 (next to be held by March 2004)
election results: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - left-wing candidates 13, PPM 11, RPR 6, right-wing candidates 5, PCM 3, UDF 3, PMS 2, independents 2; note - the PPM won a plurality; Regional Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RPR-UDF 14, MIM 13, PPM 7, left parties 4, PMS 3
note: Martinique elects 2 seats to the French Senate; elections last held NA September 2001 (next to be held September 2004); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PPM 2; Martinique also elects 4 seats to the French National Assembly; elections last held, first round - 9 June 2002, second round - 16 June 2002 (next to be held June 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP-RPR 1, PMS 1, MIM 1, left-wing candidate 1

Judicial branch 

Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel

Political parties and leaders 

Martinique Communist Party or PCM [Pierre SUEDILLE]; Martinique Independence Movement or MIM [Alfred MARIE-JEANNE]; Martinique Progressive Party or PPM [Camille DARSIERES]; note - may no longer be in existence; 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 

FZ, 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

[edit] 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. The majority of the work force is employed in the service sector and in administration.

GDP 

purchasing power parity - $4.39 billion (1997 est.)

GDP - real growth rate 

NA%

GDP - per capita 

purchasing power parity - $11,000 (1997 est.)

GDP - composition by sector 

agriculture: 6%
industry: 11%
services: 83% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line 

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share 

lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 

3.9% (1990) (1990)

Labor force 

170,000 (1997) (1997)

Labor force - by occupation 

agriculture 10%, industry 17%, services 73% (1997) (1997)

Unemployment rate 

27.2% (1998) (1998)

Budget 

revenues: $900 million
expenditures: $2.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $140 million (1996) (1996)

Industries 

construction, rum, cement, oil refining, sugar, tourism

Industrial production growth rate 

NA%

Electricity - production 

1.125 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source 

fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption 

1.046 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports 

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports 

0 kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products 

pineapples, avocados, bananas, flowers, vegetables, sugarcane

Exports 

$250 million f.o.b. (1997)

Exports - commodities 

refined petroleum products, bananas, rum, pineapples

Exports - partners 

France 45%, Guadeloupe 28% (1997)

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% (1997)

Debt - external 

$180 million (1994) (1994)

Economic aid - recipient 

$NA; note - substantial annual aid from France

Currency 

euro (EUR); French franc (FRF)

Currency code 

EUR; FRF

Exchange rates 

euros per US dollar - 1.1324 (January 2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997)

Fiscal year 

calendar year

[edit] Communications

Telephones - main lines in use 

170,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular 

15,000 (1997)

Telephone system 

general assessment: domestic facilities are adequate
domestic: NA
international: microwave radio relay to Guadeloupe, Dominica, and Saint Lucia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

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 

5,000 (2000)

[edit] Transportation

Railways 

0 km (2002)

Highways 

total: 2,105 km (2000)
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km

Waterways 

none

Ports and harbors 

Fort-de-France, La Trinite

Merchant marine 

none (2002 est.)

Airports 

2 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways 

total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways 

total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2002)

[edit] Military

Military branches 

no regular indigenous military forces; French Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force), Gendarmerie

Military - note 

defense is the responsibility of France

[edit] Transnational Issues

Disputes - international 

none

Illicit drugs 

transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and Europe