2000 Edition

Background

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

Area

land

1,060 sq km

total

1,100 sq km

water

40 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly more than six times the size of Washington, DC

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

Elevation extremes

highest point

Montagne Pelee 1,397 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

Environment - current issues

NA

Geographic coordinates

14 40 N, 61 00 W

Irrigated land

40 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

8%

forests and woodland

44%

other

23% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

8%

permanent pastures

17%

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 hazards

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

Natural resources

coastal scenery and beaches, cultivable land

Terrain

mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano

Age structure

0-14 years: 23% (male 48,578; female 47,283) 15-64 years: 67% (male 137,724; female 139,241) 65 years and over: 10% (male 18,508; female 23,182) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

16.1 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

6.38 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Infant mortality rate

7.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

French, Creole patois

Life expectancy at birth

female

77.46 years (2000 est.)

male

79.03 years

total population

78.25 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

93% (1982 est.)

male

92%

total population

93%

Nationality

adjective

Martiniquais

noun

Martiniquais (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

-0.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

414,516 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

0.96% (2000 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 5%

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: 0.8 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.8 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Administrative divisions

none (overseas department of France)

Capital

Fort-de-France

Constitution

28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Country name

conventional long form

Department of Martinique

conventional short form

Martinique

local long form

Departement de la Martinique

local short form

Martinique

Data code

MB

Dependency status

overseas department of France

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (overseas department of France)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas department of France)

Executive branch

cabinet

NA

chief of state

President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995); Prefect Jean-Francois CORDET (since NA)

elections

French president elected by popular vote for a seven-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)

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

Government type

NA

Independence

none (overseas department of France)

International organization participation

FZ, WCL, WFTU

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel

Legal system

French legal system

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)

election results

General Council - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; 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

elections

General Council - last held NA March 1994 (next to be held NA 2000); Regional Assembly - last held on 15 March 1998 (next to be held by March 2004)

note

Martinique elects 2 seats to the French Senate; elections last held NA September 1998 (next to be held September 2001); 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 1 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR 2, PS 1, independent 1

National holiday

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

Political parties and leaders

Combat Worker ; Martinique Communist Party or PCM ; Martinique Forces ; Martinique Independence Movement or MIM [Alfred MARIE-JEANNE]; Martinique Patriots or PM ; Martinique Progressive Party or PPM ; Martinique Socialist Party or PMS ; Movement for a Liberated Martinique ; National Council of Popular Committees ; Rally for Democratic Martinique ; Rally for the Republic or RPR ; Republican Party or PR [Jean BAILLY]; Socialist Federation of Martinique or FSM ; Union for French Democracy or UDF ; Union for the Renewal of Ste. Marie

Political pressure groups and leaders

Association for the Protection of Martinique's Heritage (ecologist) ; Caribbean Revolutionary Alliance or ARC; Central Union for Martinique Workers or CSTM ; Frantz Fanon Circle; League of Workers and Peasants; Proletarian Action Group or GAP; Socialist Revolution Group or GRS

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

pineapples, avocados, bananas, flowers, vegetables, sugarcane

Budget

expenditures

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

revenues

$900 million

Currency

1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes

Debt - external

$180 million (1994)

Economic aid - recipient

$NA; note - substantial annual aid from France

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 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.

Electricity - consumption

1 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

1.075 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (1998)

Exchange rates

euros per US$1 - 0.9867 (January 2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.65 (January 1999), 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995)

Exports

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

Exports - commodities

refined petroleum products, bananas, rum, pineapples

Exports - partners

France 45%, Guadeloupe 28% (1997)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $4.24 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

6%

industry

11%

services

83% (1997 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $10,700 (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

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)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.9% (1990)

Labor force

170,000 (1997)

Labor force - by occupation

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

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

24% (1997)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

NA

Radio broadcast stations

AM 0, FM 14, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

82,000 (1997)

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 - main lines in use

155,000 (1994)

Telephones - mobile cellular

NA

Television broadcast stations

11 (plus nine repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

66,000 (1997)

Airports

2 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

1 over 3,047 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

NA km

total

2,724 km (1994)

unpaved

NA km

Merchant marine

none (1999 est.)

Ports and harbors

Fort-de-France, La Trinite

Railways

0 km

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of France

Military branches

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

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

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

MAURITANIA