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: 14 40 N, 61 00 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 1,100 km²
Land: 1,060 km²
Water: 40 km²
Comparative: slightly more than six times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 350 km

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

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

Terrain: mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Montagne Pelee 1,397 m

Natural resources: coastal scenery and beaches, cultivable land

Land use
Arable land: 8%
Permanent crops: 8%
Permanent pastures: 17%
Forests and woodland: 44%
Other: 23% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 40 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

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

Geography


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Population: 402,984 (July 1997 est.)
Growth rate: 1.07% (1997 est.)

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

Ethnic groups: African and African-white-Indian mixture 90%, white 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% (male 46,906; female 45,800)
15-64 years: 67% (male 133,500; female 136,773)
65 years and over: 10% (male 16,890; female 23,115) (July 1997 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.07% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 16.69 births/1000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 5.88 deaths/1000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.09 migrant(s)/1000 population (1997 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: NA

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.98 years
Male: 76.21 years
Female: 81.83 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.81 children born/woman (1997 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
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 93%
Male: 92%
Female: 93% (1982 est.)

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: NA

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 of France Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995); Prefect Jean-Francois CORDET (since NA)
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)
Cabinet: NA
Elections: prefect appointed by the president of France 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

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)
Elections: General Council - last held NA March 1994 (next to be held NA 2000); Regional Assembly - last held on 22 March 1992 (next to be held by March 1998)
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 16, MIM 9, PPM 9, PCM 5, independents 2
Note: Martinique elects 2 seats to the French Senate; elections last held 24 September 1995 (next to be held September 1998); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PS 2; Martinique also elects 4 seats to the French National Assembly; elections last held 21 March 1993 (next to be held 25 May-1 June 1997 - special election); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR 3, PS 1

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: FZ, WCL, WFTU

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (overseas department of France)
From the us: none (overseas department of France)

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

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 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $10,000 (1995 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 6%
Industry: 11%
Services: 83% (1992 est.)

Agriculture products: pineapples, avocados, bananas, flowers, vegetables, sugarcane for rum

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

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force
Total: 160,000
By occupation agriculture: 10%
By occupation industry: 17%
By occupation services: 73% (1992)

Unemployment rate: 23.5% (1993)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $620 million
Expenditures: $2.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $170 million (1992)

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
Total value: $220 million (f.o.b., 1994)
Commodities: refined petroleum products, bananas, rum, pineapples
Partners: France 57%, Guadeloupe 31%, French Guiana (1991)

Imports
Total value: $1.6 billion (c.i.f., 1994)
Commodities: 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: $180 million (1994)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.4169 (January 1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992)


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Electricity
Capacity: NA kW
Production: NA kWh
Consumption per capita: NA kWh

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones: 209,672 (1994 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)

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 (1996 est.)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1 (1996 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (1996 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways: 0 km

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