Martinique

Satellite view
Satellite view

Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, having a total area of 1,128 km². It is an overseas department of France. As with the other overseas departments, Martinique is also one of the twenty-six regions of France (being an overseas region) and an integral part of the Republic. As part of France, Martinique is part of the European Union, the currency used is the euro. Its official language is French, although almost all of its inhabitants also speak Antillean Creole (Créole Martiniquais). Martinique is pictured on all euro banknotes, on the reverse at the bottom of each note, right of the Greek ΕΥΡΩ (EURO) next to the denomination.

Contents
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Overview

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History

Martinique's indigenous people were Carib indians. Christopher Columbus saw the island in 1493 but he didn't set foot on it until 1502 during his fourth voyage. However, Spaniards did not colonize the island. The first European to inhabit the island was the Frenchman Pierre Belan d'Esnambuc who founded a settlement on the island in 1635. His nephew Jacques-Dyel du Parquet bought the island and developed a rich and wealthy colony. The island became a part of the French crown in 1658. Sugar, cocaine and coffee were the first crops to be grown on the island. Black slaves were brought to the island from West Africa.

The Dutch and English navy tried to occupy the island and brought large amounts of drugs including cocaine and heroin and their most profitable cash crop opium.[citation needed]

The island was under Britain's command during the Seven Years' War from 1762 to 1763; during the French Revolutionary Wars from 1794 to 1802; and again during the Napoleonic wars from 1809 to 1814.

Napoleon's wife, Joséphine, was born on Martinique.

Slavery was banned in 1848. People from India and China were brought to work the farms.

During WWII the island was controlled by the Vichy regime from 1940-1943; later it was under the Free French Forces.

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Culture

As an overseas départment of France, Martinique's culture blends French and Caribbean influences. The city of Saint-Pierre (destroyed by a volcanic eruption), was often referred to as the Paris of the Lesser Antilles. Following French custom, many businesses close at midday, then reopen later in the afternoon. The official language is French, although many Martinicans speak Antillean Creole. Based in French, Martinique's Creole also incorporates elements of English, Spanish, Portuguese, and African languages. Originally passed down through oral storytelling traditions, it continues to be used more often in speech than in writing.

Most of Martinique's population is descended from African slaves brought to work on sugar plantations during the colonial era. Today, the island enjoys a higher standard of living than most other Caribbean countries. The finest French products are easily available, from Chanel fashions to Limoges porcelain. Studying in France is common for young adults. For the French, Martinique has been a vacation hotspot for many years, attracting both upper-class and more budget-conscious travelers.

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Miscellaneous topics

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External links and references

Unofficial flag of Martinique.
Unofficial flag of Martinique.
 French overseas departments and territories
Departments1
Guadeloupe  ·  French Guiana  ·  Martinique  ·  Réunion

Overseas communities2
Mayotte  (collectivité départementale)  ·  French Polynesia  (pays d'outre-mer)  ·  Saint-Pierre and Miquelon  (collectivité territoriale)  ·  Wallis and Futuna  (territoire)

Special status
New Caledonia

Uninhabited lands
French Southern Territories  (Amsterdam Island · Saint-Paul Island · Crozet Islands · Kerguelen Islands · Adélie Land)  ·  Clipperton  ·  Scattered islands in the Indian Ocean

1 These overseas departments are also overseas regions. Guadeloupe currently includes Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin which in 2003 voted to become separate collectivités d'outre-mer ; the change will be implemented in early 2007.
2 Each overseas community has its own status (indicated in brackets).
Countries in the Caribbean
Independent nations
Commonwealth Realms: Antigua and Barbuda • Bahamas • Barbados • Grenada • Jamaica • Saint Kitts and Nevis • Saint Lucia • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Commonwealth republics: Dominica • Trinidad and Tobago
Other republics: Cuba • Dominican Republic & Haiti (both on Hispaniola)

Dependencies
British: Anguilla ∙ British Virgin Islands ∙ Cayman Islands ∙ Montserrat ∙ Turks and Caicos Islands • Dutch: Aruba & Netherlands Antilles •
French: Guadeloupe & Martinique • U.S.: Navassa Island ∙ Puerto Rico ∙ U.S. Virgin Islands
La Francophonie
Members: Belgium • Benin • Bulgaria • Burkina Faso • Burundi • Cambodia • Cameroon • Canada • New Brunswick • Quebec • Ontario • Cape Verde • Central African Republic • Chad • Comoros • Côte d'Ivoire • Cyprus • Democratic Republic of the Congo • Djibouti • Dominica • Egypt • Equatorial Guinea • France • French Guiana • Gabon • Ghana • Guadeloupe • Guinea • Guinea-Bissau • Haiti • Laos • Lebanon • Madagascar • Mali • Martinique • Mauritania • Mauritius • Morocco • Niger • Republic of the Congo • Romania • Rwanda • Saint Lucia • São Tomé and Príncipe • Senegal • Seychelles • Saint-Pierre and Miquelon • Switzerland • Togo • Tunisia • Ukraine • Vanuatu • Vietnam

Observers: Armenia • Austria • Croatia • Czech Republic • Georgia • Hungary • Lithuania • Mozambique • Poland • Serbia • Slovakia • Slovenia • Ukraine
Régions of France

Alsace • Aquitaine • Auvergne • Bourgogne • Bretagne • Centre • Champagne-Ardenne • Corsica • Franche-Comté • Île-de-France • Languedoc-Roussillon • Limousin • Lorraine • Midi-Pyrénées • Nord-Pas de Calais • Basse-Normandie • Haute-Normandie • Pays de la Loire • Picardie • Poitou-Charentes • Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur • Rhône-Alpes

Overseas Régions: French Guiana • Guadeloupe • Martinique • Réunion

Outlying territories of European countries

Territories under European sovereignty but closer to continents other than Europe
(see inclusion criteria for further information)

Denmark

Arctic

Grønland (Kalaallit Nunaat)

France

Atlantic
and Caribbean

Guadeloupe (Guadeloupe, Saint-Barthélemy et Saint-Martin) • Martinique • Saint-Pierre et Miquelon

Indian Ocean

Mayotte • Réunion • Îles Éparses (Bassas da India, Île Europa, Île Juan da Nova, Îles Glorieuses, Île Tromelin)

Pacific

Île de Clipperton • Nouvelle-Calédonie (Kanaky) • Polynésie française (Îles Marquises, l'Archipel des Tuamotu, l'Archipel de la Société) • Wallis et Futuna

South America

Guyane française

Southern Ocean

Terres australes et antarctiques françaises (Îles Amsterdam et Saint-Paul, l'Archipel Crozet, Îles Kerguelen)

Italy

Mediterranean

Pantelleria • Isole Pelagie (Lampedusa, Linosa, Lampione)

Netherlands

Caribbean

Aruba • Nederlandse Antillen (Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten)

Norway

Southern Ocean

Bouvetøya

Portugal

Atlantic

Arquipélago dos Açores • Arquipélago da Madeira

Spain

North Africa

Ceuta • Melilla • Plazas de soberanía menores (Chafarinas, Vélez de la Gomera, Alhusemas)

Atlantic

Islas Canarias

United Kingdom

Atlantic
and Caribbean

Anguilla • Bermuda • British Virgin Islands • Cayman Islands • Falkland Islands • Montserrat • Saint Helena (Ascension, Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha, Gough) • Turks and Caicos Islands

Indian Ocean

British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago)

Pacific

Pitcairn Islands (Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, Oeno)

Southern Ocean

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Coordinates:

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