Map of Martinique | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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


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

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total area total: 1,100 km²
Land: 1,060 km²
Comparative: slightly more than six times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 290 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; moderated by trade winds; rainy season (June to October)

Terrain: mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano

Elevation

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 km² (1989 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: defense is the responsibility of France


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Population: 394,787 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 1.1% (1995 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Martiniquais (singular and plural)
Adjective: Martiniquais

Ethnic groups: African and African-Caucasian-Indian mixture 90%, Caucasian 5%, East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese less than 5%

Languages: French, Creole patois

Religions: Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 5%

Demographic profile

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.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.1% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 16.92 births/1000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 5.82 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.1 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: NA
Current issues natural hazards: hurricanes, flooding, and volcanic activity (an average of one major natural disaster every five years)
Current issues international agreements: NA

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 7.3 deaths/1000 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.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1982)
Total population: 93%
Male: 92%
Female: 93%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Department of Martinique
Conventional short form: Martinique
Local long form: Departement de la Martinique
Local short form: Martinique

Government type: overseas department of France

Capital: Fort-de-France

Administrative divisions: none (overseas department of France)

Dependent areas

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981)
Head of government: Prefect Michel MORIN (since NA); President of the General Council Claude LISE (since 22 March 1992); President of the Regional Council Emile CAPGRAS (since 22 March 1992)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers

Legislative branch: unicameral General Council and a unicameral Regional Assembly
General Council: elections last held 25 September and 8 October 1988 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (44 total) number of seats by party NA; note - a leftist coalition obtained a one-seat margin
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
French Senate: elections last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (2 total) UDF 1, PPM 1
French National Assembly: elections last held NA June 1993 (next to be held NA June 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (4 total) RPR 3, FSM 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: FZ, WCL, WFTU

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (overseas department of France)
From the us: the post closed in August 1993 (overseas department of France)

Flag description: the flag of France is used

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita: $10,000 (1993 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: 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

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

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 100,000
By occupation serviceindustry: 31.7%
By occupation constructionandpublicworks: 29.4%
By occupation agriculture: 13.1%
By occupation industry: 7.3%
By occupation fisheries: 2.2%
By occupation other: 16.3%

Unemployment rate: 32.1% (1990)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $610 million
Expenditures: $1.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $247 million (f.o.b., 1992)
Commodoties: refined petroleum products, bananas, rum, pineapples
Partners: France 57%, Guadeloupe 31%, French Guiana (1991)

Imports: $1.75 billion (c.i.f., 1992)
Commodoties: petroleum products, crude oil, foodstuffs, construction materials, vehicles, clothing and other consumer goods
Partners: France 62%, UK, Italy, Germany, Japan, US (1991)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $NA

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.2943 (January 1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453 (1990)


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Electricity
Capacity: 113,100 kW
Production: 700 million kWh
Production consumption per capita: 1,677 kWh (1993)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system: 68,900 telephones; domestic facilities are adequate
Local: NA
Intercity: NA
International: interisland microwave radio relay links to Guadeloupe, Dominica, and Saint Lucia; 2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth stations

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 2
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: none

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and Europe