CATEGORIES
◆ COMMUNICATIONS(8 fields)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
NA
Radio broadcast stations
AM 0, FM 14, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios
82,000 (1997)
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 - main lines in use
155,000 (1994)
Telephones - mobile cellular
NA
Television broadcast stations
11 (plus nine repeaters) (1997)
Televisions
66,000 (1997)
◆ ECONOMY(31 fields)
Agriculture - products
pineapples, avocados, bananas, flowers, vegetables, sugarcane
Budget
revenues: $900 million expenditures: $2.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $140 million (1996)
Currency
1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Debt - external
$180 million (1994)
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 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 - consumption
1 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (1998)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (1998)
Electricity - production
1.075 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1998)
Exchange rates
euros per US$1 - 0.9867 (January 2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.65 (January 1999), 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995)
Exports
$250 million (f.o.b., 1997)
Exports - commodities
refined petroleum products, bananas, rum, pineapples
Exports - partners
France 45%, Guadeloupe 28% (1997)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity - $4.24 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 6% industry: 11% services: 83% (1997 est.)
GDP - per capita
purchasing power parity - $10,700 (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
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% (1997)
Industrial production growth rate
NA%
Industries
construction, rum, cement, oil refining, sugar, tourism
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3.9% (1990)
Labor force
170,000 (1997)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture 10%, industry 17%, services 73% (1997)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
24% (1997)
◆ GEOGRAPHY(16 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
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)
Capital
Fort-de-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 Jacques CHIRAC of France (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 Alfred MARIE-JEANNE (since NA March 1998) cabinet: NA elections: French president elected by popular vote for a seven-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
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 15 March 1998 (next to be held by March 2004) 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 14, MIM 13, PPM 7, left parties 4, PMS 3 note: Martinique elects 2 seats to the French Senate; elections last held NA September 1998 (next to be held September 2001); 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 1 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR 2, PS 1, independent 1
National holiday
National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Political parties and leaders
Combat Worker [Gerard BEAUJOUR]; Martinique Communist Party or PCM [Armand NICOLAS]; Martinique Forces [Maurice LAOUCHEZ]; Martinique Independence Movement or MIM [Alfred MARIE-JEANNE]; Martinique Patriots or PM [leader NA]; Martinique Progressive Party or PPM [Camille DARSIERES]; Martinique Socialist Party or PMS [Ernest WAN-AJOUHU]; Movement for a Liberated Martinique [Philippe PETIT]; National Council of Popular Committees [Robert SAE]; Rally for Democratic Martinique [Felix HILAIRE-FORTUNE]; Rally for the Republic or RPR [Michel CHARLONE]; Republican Party or PR [Jean BAILLY]; Socialist Federation of Martinique or FSM [Jean CRUSOL]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Jean MAREN]; Union for the Renewal of Ste. Marie [Guy LORDINOT]
Political pressure groups and leaders
Association for the Protection of Martinique's Heritage (ecologist) [Garcin MALSA]; 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; Socialist Revolution Group or GRS [Philippe PIERRE-CHARLES]
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
◆ INTRODUCTION(1 fields)
Background
Colonized by France in 1635, the island has subsequently remained a French possession except for three brief periods of foreign occupation.
◆ 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 48,578; female 47,283) 15-64 years: 67% (male 137,724; female 139,241) 65 years and over: 10% (male 18,508; female 23,182) (2000 est.)
Birth rate
16.1 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate
6.38 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Ethnic groups
African and African-white-Indian mixture 90%, white 5%, East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese less than 5%
Infant mortality rate
7.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Languages
French, Creole patois
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 78.25 years male: 79.03 years female: 77.46 years (2000 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 (2000 est.)
Population
414,516 (July 2000 est.)
Population growth rate
0.96% (2000 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 5%
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.8 children born/woman (2000 est.)
◆ TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES(2 fields)
Disputes - international
none
Illicit drugs
transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and Europe [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]
◆ TRANSPORTATION(7 fields)
Airports
2 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1999 est.)
Highways
total: 2,724 km (1994) paved: NA km unpaved: NA km
Merchant marine
none (1999 est.)
Ports and harbors
Fort-de-France, La Trinite
Railways
0 km