CATEGORIES
◆ COMMUNICATIONS(8 fields)
Branches
French forces (Army, Navy, Air Force), Gendarmerie
Defense note
defense is the responsibility of France
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
159,000 (1990 est.)
Television broadcast stations
10
Televisions
65,000 (1993 est.) Defense
◆ ECONOMY(21 fields)
Agriculture
pineapples, avocados, bananas, flowers, vegetables, sugarcane for rum
Budget
revenues: $657 million expenditures: $2.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992 est.)
Currency
1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Economic aid
recipient: ODA, $NA note: French aid $600 million (1989-93); EU aid $137 million
Economic 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. Banana workers launched protests late in 1992 because of falling banana prices and fears of greater competition in the European market from other producers.
Electricity
capacity: 113,100 kW production: 761 million kWh consumption per capita: 1,677 kWh (1993)
Exchange rates
French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.0056 (January 1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992), 5.6421 (1991)
Exports
$218 million (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: refined petroleum products, bananas, rum, pineapples partners: France 57%, Guadeloupe 31%, French Guiana (1991)
External debt
$180 million (1994)
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
$10,000 (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate
NA%
Illicit drugs
transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and Europe
Imports
$1.76 billion (c.i.f., 1993) 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 prices)
3.9% (1990)
Labor force
121,600 by occupation: agriculture 10%, industry 17%, services 73% (1992)
Unemployment rate
32.1% (1990)
◆ GEOGRAPHY(14 fields)
Area
total area: 1,100 sq km land area: 1,060 sq km comparative area: 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
Environment
current issues: NA natural hazards: hurricanes, flooding, and volcanic activity (an average of one major natural disaster every five years) international agreements: NA
Geographic coordinates
14 40 N, 61 00 W
International disputes
none
Irrigated land
60 sq km (1989 est.)
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 10% permanent crops: 8% meadows and pastures: 30% forest and woodland: 26% other: 26%
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 resources
coastal scenery and beaches, cultivable land
Terrain
mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Montagne Pelee 1,397 m
◆ GOVERNMENT(23 fields)
Administrative divisions
none (overseas department of France)
Capital
Fort-de-France
Constitution
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Data code
MB
Diplomatic representation in 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) was appointed by the French Ministry of the Interior 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);
Flag
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
French National Assembly
elections last held 21 March 1993 (next to be held NA June 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (4 total) RPR 2, UDF 1, PPM 1
French Senate
elections last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (2 total) UDF 1, PPM 1
General Council
elections last held NA March 1994 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (44 total) number of seats by party NA; note - the PPM won a plurality
Independence
none (overseas department of France)
International organization participation
FZ, WCL, WFTU
Judicial branch
Supreme Court
Legal system
French legal system
Legislative branch
unicameral General Council and a unicameral Regional Assembly
Name of country
conventional long form: Department of Martinique conventional short form: Martinique local long form: Departement de la Martinique local short form: Martinique
National holiday
National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Other political or pressure groups
Proletarian Action Group (GAP); Alhed Marie-Jeanne Socialist Revolution Group (GRS); Caribbean Revolutionary Alliance (ARC); Central Union for Martinique Workers (CSTM), Marc PULVAR; Frantz Fanon Circle; League of Workers and Peasants; Parti Martiniquais Socialiste (PMS); Association for the Protection of Martinique's Heritage (ecologist)
Political parties and leaders
Rally for the Republic (RPR), Alex URSULET; Union for a Martinique of Progress (UMP); Martinique Progressive Party (PPM), Aime CESAIRE; Socialist Federation of Martinique (FSM), Jean CRUSOL; Martinique Communist Party (PCM), George ERICHOT; Martinique Patriots (PM); Union for French Democracy (UDF), Miguel LAVENTURE; Martinique Independence Movement (MIM), Alfred MARIE-JEANNE; Republican Party (PR), Jean BAILLY
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
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Type of government
overseas department of France
US diplomatic representation
none (overseas department of France)
◆ PEOPLE(15 fields)
Age structure
0-14 years: 23% (male 46,851; female 45,300) 15-64 years: 67% (male 132,161; female 135,707) 65 years and over: 10% (male 16,542; female 22,590) (July 1996 est.)
Birth rate
16.92 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate
5.85 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Ethnic divisions
African and African-white-Indian mixture 90%, white 5%, East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese less than 5%
Infant mortality rate
7.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Languages
French, Creole patois
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 78.81 years male: 76.07 years female: 81.68 years (1996 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1982 est.) total population: 93% male: 92% female: 93%
Nationality
noun: Martiniquais (singular and plural) adjective: Martiniquais
Net migration rate
-0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Population
399,151 (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate
1.1% (1996 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 5%
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female all ages: 0.96 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.81 children born/woman (1996 est.)
◆ TRANSPORTATION(5 fields)
Airports
total: 2 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 1 (1995 est.)
Highways
total: 1,690 km paved: 1,300 km unpaved: 390 km
Merchant marine
none
Ports
Fort-de-France, La Trinite
Railways
0 km