1988 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1988 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Climate
tropical; moderated by trade winds; rainy season (June to October)
Coastline
290 km
Comparative area
slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Continental shelf
200 meters or to depth of exploitation
Environment
subject to hurricanes, flooding, and volcanic activity that results in an average of one major natural disaster every five years
Ethnic divisions
90% African and African-Caucasian-Indian mixture, 5% Caucasian, less than 5% East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese
Extended economic zone
200 nm
Infant mortality rate
12.6/1,000 (1981)
Labor force
100,000; 31.7% service industry, 29.4% construction and public works, 13.1% agriculture, 7.3% industry, 2.2% fisheries, 16.3% other; 14% unemployed
Land use
10% arable land; 8% permanent crops; 30% meadows and pastures; 26% forest and woodland; 26% other; includes 5% irrigated
Language
French, Creole patois
Life expectancy
68
Literacy
over 70%
Nationality
noun — Martiniquais (sing, and pi.); adjective — Martiniquais
Organized labor
11% of labor force
Population
344,922 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 1.84%
Religion
95% Roman Catholic, 5% Hindu and pagan African
Special notes
northernmost of Windward Islands
Terrain
mountainous with indented coastline
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
1,100 km2; land area: 1,060 km2
Government
Administrative divisions
3 arrondissements; 34 communes, each with a locally elected municipal council
Branches
executive — Prefect appointed by Paris; legislative — popularly elected council of 36 members and a Regional Council, including all members of the local general council and the locally elected deputies and senators to the French parliament; judicial — under jurisdiction of French judicial system
Capital
Fort-de-France
Communists
1,000 estimated
Elections
General Council election normally held every five years; last General Council election took place in June 1981; regional assembly elections held February Political parties and leaders: Rally for the Republic (RPR), Emile Maurice; Progressive Party of Martinique (PPM), Aime Cesaire; Communist Party of Martinique (PCM), Armand Nicolas; Command Party of Martinique (PCM), Leon-Laurent Valere
Government leader
Edward LACROIX, Commissioner (since 1985)
Legal system
French legal system; highest court is a court of appeal based in Martinique with jurisdiction over Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and Martinique
Member of
WFTU
Official name
Department of Martinique
Other political or pressure groups
Proletarian Action Group (GAP); Alhed MarieJeanne Socialist Revolution Group (GRS), Martinique Independence Movement (MIM), Caribbean Revolutionary Alliance (ARC), Central Union for Martinique Workers (CSTM), Marc Pulvar; Frantz Fanon Circle; League of Workers and Peasants
Suffrage
universal over age 18
Type
overseas department and region of France; represented by three deputies in the French National Assembly and two senators in the Senate
Voting strength
RPR, 1 seat in French National Assembly; UDF, 1 seat; Socialist Party, 1 seat
Economy
Agriculture
bananas, pineapples, vegetables, flowers, sugarcane for rum
Aid
bilateral ODA and OOF commitments (1970-81) from Western (non-US) countries, $3.1 billion
Budget
expenditures, $215 million (1981)
Electric power
108,000 kW capacity; 330 million kWh produced, 1,010 kWh per capita (1986)
Exports
$115 million (1983); refined petroleum products, bananas, rum, pineapples
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$1.3 billion, $4,036 per capita (1981)
Imports
$744 million (1983); petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials, vehicles, clothing and other consumer goods
Major industries
construction, rum, cement, oil refining, light industry, tourism
Major trade partners
exports — 56% France (1978); imports— 62% France, 28% EC and franc zone, 4.5% US, 5.5% other (1977)
Monetary conversion rate
6.62 French francs=US$l (November 1986)
Natural resources
scenery, cultivable land
Communications
Railroads
none