Martinique

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

2 (2000)

Internet country code

.mq

Internet users

5,000 (2000)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 0, FM 14, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

82,000 (1997)

Telephone system

general assessment: 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

170,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular

15,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations

11 (plus nine repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

66,000 (1997)

Agriculture - products

pineapples, avocados, bananas, flowers, vegetables, sugarcane

Budget

revenues: $900 million expenditures: $2.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $140 million (1996) (1996)

Currency

euro (EUR); French franc (FRF)

Currency code

EUR; FRF

Debt - external

$180 million (1994) (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, which employs more than 11,000 people, 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

1.046 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - production

1.125 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%

Exchange rates

euros per US dollar - 1.1324 (January 2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997)

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 - $4.39 billion (1997 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 6% industry: 11% services: 83% (1997 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $11,000 (1997 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) (1990)

Labor force

170,000 (1997) (1997)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 10%, industry 17%, services 73% (1997) (1997)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

27.2% (1998) (1998)

Area

total: 1,100 sq km water: 40 sq km land: 1,060 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

Geography - note

the island is dominated by Mount Pelee, which on 8 May 1902 erupted and completely destroyed the city of Saint Pierre, killing 30,000 inhabitants

Irrigated land

30 sq km (1998 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 9.43% permanent crops: 11.32% other: 79.25% (1998 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

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 short form: Martinique local long form: Departement de la Martinique

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 Michel CADOT (since 21 June 2000) elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-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 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

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 2000 (next to be held NA 2006); 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 - left-wing candidates 13, PPM 11, RPR 6, right-wing candidates 5, PCM 3, UDF 3, PMS 2, independents 2; 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 2001 (next to be held September 2004); 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, first round - 9 June 2002, second round - 16 June 2002 (next to be held June 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP-RPR 1, PMS 1, MIM 1, left-wing candidate 1

National holiday

Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

Political parties and leaders

Martinique Communist Party or PCM [Pierre SUEDILLE]; Martinique Independence Movement or MIM [Alfred MARIE-JEANNE]; Martinique Progressive Party or PPM [Camille DARSIERES]; note - may no longer be in existence; Martinique Socialist Party or PMS [Ernest WAN-AJOUHU]; Movement of Democrats and Ecologists for a Sovereign Martinique or Modemas [Garcin MALSA]; Rally for the Republic or RPR [Michel CHARLONE]; Socialist Revolution Group or GRS [Philippe PIERRE-CHARLES]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Jean MAREN]

Political pressure groups and leaders

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Colonized by France in 1635, the island has subsequently remained a French possession except for three brief periods of foreign occupation.

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of France

Military branches

no regular indigenous military forces; French Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force), Gendarmerie

Age structure

0-14 years: 23% (male 49,261; female 47,843) 15-64 years: 66.8% (male 140,616; female 141,460) 65 years and over: 10.2% (male 19,274; female 23,823) (2002 est.)

Birth rate

15.37 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate

6.4 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Ethnic groups

African and African-white-Indian mixture 90%, white 5%, East Indian, Chinese less than 5%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA%

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

7.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Languages

French, Creole patois

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 78.56 years female: 77.92 years (2002 est.) male: 79.19 years

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

-0.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Population

422,277 (July 2002 est.)

Population growth rate

0.89% (2002 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: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.79 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and Europe

Airports

2 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Highways

total: 2,105 km (2000) paved: NA km unpaved: NA km

Merchant marine

none (2002 est.)

Ports and harbors

Fort-de-France, La Trinite

Railways

0 km (2002)

Waterways

none