MARTINIQUE
(overseas department of France)
CAPITAL
CITY
Fort-de-France
GEOGRAPHY
Location:
Caribbean,
island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Trinidad and Tobago
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area: total area: 1,100 sq km
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 290 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial
sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical; moderated by trade winds; rainy season
(June to October)
Terrain:
mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano
Natural resources: coastal scenery and beaches, cultivable
land
Land use: arable land: 10% permanent crops: 8% meadows and
pastures: 30% forest and woodland: 26% other: 26% Irrigated land:
60 sq km (1989 est.) Environment: current issues: NA
natural hazards: hurricanes, flooding, and volcanic activity (an
average of one major natural disaster every five years) international
agreements: NA
Population:
394,787 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 23% (female 44,960; male 46,512)
15-64 years: 67% (female 134,439; male 130,642) 65 years and over:
10% (female 22,058; male 16,176) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.1% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 16.92 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 5.82 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995
est.)
Infant mortality rate: 7.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.67 years male:
75.94 years female: 81.53 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.81 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
Noun(and adjective): Martiniquais
Ethnic divisions: African and African-Caucasian-Indian mixture
90%, Caucasian 5%, East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese less than 5%
Languages: French, creole patois
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1982) total
population: 93% male: 92% female: 93%
Labor force: 100,000
by occupation: service
industry 31.7%, construction and public works 29.4%, agriculture
13.1%, industry 7.3%, fisheries 2.2%, other 16.3%
Transportation
Railroads:
total: 0 km;
Highways: total: 1,680 km paved: 1,300 km unpaved: gravel,
earth 380 km
Ports: Fort-de-France, La Trinite
Merchant marine: none
Airports: total: 2 with paved runways over 3,047 m; 1 with
paved runways 914 to 1,523 m;
Communications
Telephone system: 68,900 telephones;
domestic facilities inadequate local: NA
intercity: NA international: interisland microwave radio relay
links to Guadeloupe, Dominica, and Saint Lucia; 2 INTELSAT (Atlantic
Ocean) earth stations
Radio: broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 6, shortwave 0 radios:
NA
Television: broadcast stations: 10 televisions: NA
Defense
Forces Branches:
French Forces, Gendarmerie
Note: defense is responsibility of France
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Government
Names:
Department of Martinique (conventional long form) Martinique (conventional
short form) Departement de la Martinique (local long form) Martinique(
local short form)
Diagraph: MB
Type: overseas department of France
Capital: Fort-de-France
Administrative divisions: none (overseas department of France)
Independence: none (overseas department of France)
National holiday: National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14
July (1789)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system: French legal system
Suffrage: 18 years of age;
Executive branch (chief of state): President Jacques
CHIRAC (since 21 May 1995)
Head of government: Prefect Michel MORIN ;
President of the General Council :Claude LISE ;
President of the Regional Council :Emile CAPGRAS (since
22 March 1992)
cabinet: Council of Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral General Council and unicameral
Regional Council General Council:
Elections: last held NA March 2000 (next to be held by
NA 2004); results: percent of vote by party ,
Regional Council: elections last held on 31 January 1998
;
French Senate: elections last held in September 1995 ;
Martinique elects two representatives; results - percent of vote
by party NA;
Assembly: elections last held on 1998 ; Guadeloupe elects
four representatives; results - percent of vote by party NA;
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
US diplomatic representation: none (overseas department
of France)
Flag: the flag of France is used
Overview:
Economy Overview: The economy is based on sugarcane,
bananas, tourism, and light industry.
Agriculture accounts for about 10% of GDP and the small industrial
sector for 10%. 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.
National
product:
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $3.9
billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate: NA%
National product per capita: $10,000 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.9% (1990)
Unemployment rate: 32.1% (1990)
Budget: revenues: $610 million
Expenditures: $1.3 billion, including capital expenditures
of $NA (1989)
Exports: $247 million (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities: refined petroleum products, bananas, rum,
pineapples, rum
partners: France 62%, UK, Italy, Germany, Japan, US (1991)
Imports: $1.75 billion (c.i.f., 1992)
commodities: petroleum products, crude oil, foodstuffs, construction
materials, vehicles, clothing and other
partners: France 62%, UK, Italy, Germany, Japan, US (1991)
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%;
Electricity: capacity: 113,100 kW, production: 7000 million
kWh, consumption per capita: 1,677 kWh (1993)
Industries: construction, rum, cement, oil refining, sugar,
tourism
Agriculture: including fishing and forestry, accounts for
about 10% of GDP; principal crops - pineapples, avocados, bananas,
flowers, vegetables, sugarcane for rum; dependent on imported
food, particularly meat and vegetables
Economic
aid and recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and
OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $10.1 billion
Currency:
1
€uro (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: 1 EURO (€) = US$1.20 (August 2004)
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Fiscal year: calendar year |
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