CATEGORIES
◆ COMMUNICATIONS(6 fields)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 1, FM 6, shortwave 0
Radios
74,000 (1992 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)
Telephones
209,672 (1994 est.)
Television broadcast stations
10
Televisions
65,000 (1993 est.)
◆ ECONOMY(22 fields)
Agriculture - products
pineapples, avocados, bananas, flowers, vegetables, sugarcane for rum
Budget
revenues: $620 million expenditures: $2.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $170 million (1992)
Currency
1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Debt - external
$180 million (1994)
Economic aid
recipient: ODA, $NA note: substantial annual French aid
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 - capacity
NA kW
Electricity - consumption per capita
NA kWh
Electricity - production
NA kWh
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)
Exports
total value: $220 million (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: refined petroleum products, bananas, rum, pineapples partners: France 57%, Guadeloupe 31%, French Guiana (1991)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity - $3.95 billion (1995 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 6% industry: 11% services: 83% (1992 est.)
GDP - per capita
purchasing power parity - $10,000 (1995 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
NA%
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)
Industrial production growth rate
NA%
Industries
construction, rum, cement, oil refining, sugar, tourism
Inflation rate - consumer price index
3.9% (1990)
Labor force
total: 160,000 by occupation: agriculture 10%, industry 17%, services 73% (1992)
Unemployment rate
23.5% (1993)
◆ GEOGRAPHY(17 fields)
Area
total : 1,100 sq km land: 1,060 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
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Montagne Pelee 1,397 m
Environment - current issues
NA
Environment - international agreements
party to: NA signed, but not ratified: 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% permanent crops: 8% permanent pastures: 17% forests and woodland: 44% other : 23% (1993 est.)
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
◆ GOVERNMENT(20 fields)
Administrative divisions
none (overseas department of 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
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
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) 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
National capital
Fort-de-France
National holiday
National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Political parties and leaders
Rally for the Republic or RPR [Andre LESUEUR]; Union for a Martinique of Progress or UMP; Martinique Progressive Party or PPM [Ernest WAN-AJOUHU]; Socialist Federation of Martinique or FSM [Jean CRUSOL]; Martinique Communist Party or PCM [George ERICHOT]; Martinique Patriots or PM; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Miguel LAVENTURE]; Martinique Independence Movement or MIM [Alfred MARIE-JEANNE]; Republican Party or PR [Jean BAILLY]
Political pressure groups and leaders
Proletarian Action Group or GAP; Alhed Marie-Jeanne Socialist Revolution Group or GRS; Caribbean Revolutionary Alliance or ARC; Central Union for Martinique Workers or CSTM [Marc PULVAR]; Frantz Fanon Circle; League of Workers and Peasants; Parti Martiniquais Socialiste or PMS; Association for the Protection of Martinique's Heritage (ecologist)
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
◆ MILITARY(2 fields)
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of France
Military branches
French forces (Army, Navy, Air Force), Gendarmerie
◆ PEOPLE(15 fields)
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.)
Birth rate
16.69 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate
5.88 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Ethnic groups
African and African-white-Indian mixture 90%, white 5%, East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese less than 5%
Infant mortality rate
7 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Languages
French, Creole patois
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 78.98 years male: 76.21 years female: 81.83 years (1997 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 93% male: 92% female: 93% (1982 est.)
Nationality
noun: Martiniquais (singular and plural) adjective: Martiniquais
Net migration rate
-0.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Population
402,984 (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate
1.07% (1997 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 5%
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.)
Total fertility rate
1.81 children born/woman (1997 est.)
◆ TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES(2 fields)
Disputes - international
none
Illicit drugs
transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and Europe MAURITANIA
◆ TRANSPORTATION(7 fields)
Airports
2 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total : 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1996 est.)
Highways
total: 2,724 km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km (1994)
Merchant marine
none
Ports and harbors
Fort-de-France, La Trinite
Railways
0 km