2003 Edition

Administrative divisions

none (overseas department of France)

Age structure

0-14 years: 22.8% (male 49,310; female 47,908) 15-64 years: 66.9% (male 142,242; female 142,688) 65 years and over: 10.3% (male 19,656; female 24,162) (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

pineapples, avocados, bananas, flowers, vegetables, sugarcane

Airports

2 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

1 (2002)

total

1

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

1

under 914 m

1 (2002) Military Martinique

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

Background

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

Birth rate

14.96 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures

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

revenues

$900 million

Capital

Fort-de-France

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

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

Currency

euro (EUR)

Currency code

EUR

Death rate

6.41 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Debt - external

$180 million (1994)

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)

Disputes - international

none

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, which employs more than 11,000 people, has become more important than agricultural exports as a source of foreign exchange.

Electricity - consumption

1.07 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

1.151 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Montagne Pelee 1,397 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

Environment - current issues

NA

Ethnic groups

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

Exchange rates

euros per US dollar - 1.06 euros per US dollar - 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998)

Executive branch

cabinet

NA

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)

Exports

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

Exports - commodities

refined petroleum products, bananas, rum, pineapples (2001 est.)

Exports - partners

France 45%, Guadeloupe 28% (2000)

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Martinique

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 Martinique

GDP

purchasing power parity - $4.5 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

6%

industry

11%

services

83% (1997 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $10,700 (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

Geographic coordinates

14 40 N, 61 00 W

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 Martinique

Government type

NA

Highways

paved

NA km

total

2,105 km

unpaved

NA km (2000)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA%

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and Europe This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

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)

Independence

none (overseas department of France)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

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

Infant mortality rate

female

10.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

male

4.85 deaths/1,000 live births

total

7.44 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.9% (1990)

International organization participation

FZ, WCL, WFTU

Internet country code

.mq

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

2 (2000)

Internet users

5,000 (2000) Transportation Martinique

Irrigated land

30 sq km (1998 est.)

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel

Labor force

165,900 (1998)

Labor force - by occupation

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

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

9.43%

other

79.25% (1998 est.)

permanent crops

11.32%

Languages

French, Creole patois

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 - 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

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)

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 not later than June 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP-RPR 1, PS 1, MIM 1, left-wing candidate 1 (candidacy of the left-wing candidate was found invalid by the Constitutional Council; new elections will be called)

Life expectancy at birth

female

78.16 years (2003 est.)

male

79.27 years

total population

78.72 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

98.1% (2003 est.) Government Martinique

male

97.4%

total population

97.7%

Location

Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone

200 NM

territorial sea

12 NM

Median age

female

33.3 years (2002)

male

32 years

total

32.7 years

Merchant marine

none (2002 est.)

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of France Transnational Issues Martinique

Military branches

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

National holiday

Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

Nationality

adjective

Martiniquais

noun

Martiniquais (singular and plural)

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

Net migration rate

-0.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

13,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

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]; 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

Population

425,966 (July 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Population growth rate

0.85% (2003 est.)

Ports and harbors

Fort-de-France, La Trinite

Radio broadcast stations

AM 0, FM 14, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

82,000 (1997)

Railways

0 km

Religions

Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 10.5%, Muslim 0.5%, Hindu 0.5%, other 3.5% (1997)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.02 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

under 15 years

1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Telephone system

domestic

NA

general assessment

domestic facilities are adequate

international

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

Telephones - main lines in use

170,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular

15,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations

11 (plus nine repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

66,000 (1997)

Terrain

mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano

Total fertility rate

1.79 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate

27.2% (1998)

Waterways

none