1996 Edition

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

Location

14 40 N, 61 00 W -- Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Trinidad and Tobago Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly more than six times the size of Washington, DC

land area

1,060 sq km

total area

1,100 sq km

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

Coastline

350 km

Environment

current issues

NA

international agreements

NA

natural hazards

hurricanes, flooding, and volcanic activity (an average of one major natural disaster every five years)

Geographic coordinates

14 40 N, 61 00 W

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

60 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

10%

forest and woodland

26%

meadows and pastures

30%

other

26%

permanent crops

8%

Location

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

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural resources

coastal scenery and beaches, cultivable land

Terrain

mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano

highest point

Montagne Pelee 1,397 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 23% (male 46,851; female 45,300) 15-64 years: 67% (male 132,161; female 135,707) 65 years and over: 10% (male 16,542; female 22,590) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

16.92 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

5.85 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

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

Infant mortality rate

7.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

French, Creole patois

Life expectancy at birth

female

81.68 years (1996 est.)

male

76.07 years

total population

78.81 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1982 est.)

female

93%

male

92%

total population

93%

Nationality

adjective

Martiniquais

noun

Martiniquais (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

-0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

399,151 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

1.1% (1996 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 5%

Sex ratio

all ages

0.96 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

at birth

1.04 male(s)/female

under 15 years

1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

1.81 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Administrative divisions

none (overseas department of France)

Capital

Fort-de-France

Constitution

28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Data code

MB

Diplomatic representation in US

none (overseas department of France)

Executive branch

chief of state

President (of France) Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995); Prefect Jean-Francois CORDET (since NA) was appointed by the French Ministry of the Interior

head of government

President of the General Council Claude LISE (since 22 March 1992); President of the Regional Council Emile CAPGRAS (since 22 March 1992);

Flag

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

French National Assembly

elections last held 21 March 1993 (next to be held NA June 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (4 total) RPR 2, UDF 1, PPM 1

French Senate

elections last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (2 total) UDF 1, PPM 1

General Council

elections last held NA March 1994 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (44 total) number of seats by party NA; note - the PPM won a plurality

Independence

none (overseas department of France)

International organization participation

FZ, WCL, WFTU

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Legal system

French legal system

Legislative branch

unicameral General Council and a unicameral Regional Assembly

Name of country

conventional long form

Department of Martinique

conventional short form

Martinique

local long form

Departement de la Martinique

local short form

Martinique

National holiday

National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)

Other political or pressure groups

Proletarian Action Group (GAP); Alhed Marie-Jeanne Socialist Revolution Group (GRS); Caribbean Revolutionary Alliance (ARC); Central Union for Martinique Workers (CSTM), Marc PULVAR; Frantz Fanon Circle; League of Workers and Peasants; Parti Martiniquais Socialiste (PMS); Association for the Protection of Martinique's Heritage (ecologist)

Political parties and leaders

Rally for the Republic (RPR), Alex URSULET; Union for a Martinique of Progress (UMP); Martinique Progressive Party (PPM), Aime CESAIRE; Socialist Federation of Martinique (FSM), Jean CRUSOL; Martinique Communist Party (PCM), George ERICHOT; Martinique Patriots (PM); Union for French Democracy (UDF), Miguel LAVENTURE; Martinique Independence Movement (MIM), Alfred MARIE-JEANNE; Republican Party (PR), Jean BAILLY

Regional Assembly

elections last held on 22 March 1992 (next to be held by March 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (41 total) RPR-UDF 16, MIM 9, PPM 9, PCM 5, independents 2

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

overseas department of France

US diplomatic representation

none (overseas department of France)

Agriculture

pineapples, avocados, bananas, flowers, vegetables, sugarcane for rum

Budget

expenditures

$2.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992 est.)

revenues

$657 million

Currency

1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes

Economic aid

note

French aid $600 million (1989-93); EU aid $137 million

recipient

ODA, $NA

Economic 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 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. Banana workers launched protests late in 1992 because of falling banana prices and fears of greater competition in the European market from other producers.

Electricity

capacity

113,100 kW

consumption per capita

1,677 kWh (1993)

production

761 million kWh

Exchange rates

French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.0056 (January 1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992), 5.6421 (1991)

Exports

$218 million (f.o.b., 1993)

commodities

refined petroleum products, bananas, rum, pineapples

partners

France 57%, Guadeloupe 31%, French Guiana (1991)

External debt

$180 million (1994)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $3.95 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

6%

industry

11%

services

83% (1992 est.)

GDP per capita

$10,000 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

NA%

Illicit drugs

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

Imports

$1.76 billion (c.i.f., 1993)

commodities

petroleum products, crude oil, foodstuffs, construction materials, vehicles, clothing and other consumer goods

partners

France 62%, UK, Italy, Germany, Japan, US (1991)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.9% (1990)

Labor force

121,600

by occupation

agriculture 10%, industry 17%, services 73% (1992)

Unemployment rate

32.1% (1990)

Branches

French forces (Army, Navy, Air Force), Gendarmerie

Defense note

defense is the responsibility of France

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 6, shortwave 0

Radios

74,000 (1992 est.)

Telephone system

domestic facilities are adequate

domestic

NA

international

microwave radio relay to Guadeloupe, Dominica, and Saint Lucia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones

159,000 (1990 est.)

Television broadcast stations

10

Televisions

65,000 (1993 est.) Defense

Airports

total

2

with paved runways over 3 047 m

1

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

1 (1995 est.)

Highways

paved

1,300 km

total

1,690 km

unpaved

390 km

Merchant marine

none

Ports

Fort-de-France, La Trinite

Railways

0 km