Martinique
Department of Martinique conventional short form: Martinique local long form: Departement de la Martinique local short form: Martinique
NAIndependence none (overseas department of France)
Martinique as the 2001 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 108 fields, one of 17 editions from 1990 to 2006.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Colonized by France in 1635, the island has subsequently remained a French possession except for three brief periods of foreign occupation.
Geography
Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Trinidad and Tobago
16 fieldsClimate
- 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
Land use
arable land: 8% permanent crops: 8% permanent pastures: 17% forests and woodland: 44% other: 23% (1993 est.)
Natural hazards
hurricanes, flooding, and volcanic activity (an average of one major natural disaster every five years)
People
18 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2001 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 23.1% (male 49,016; female 47,653) 15-64 years: 66.77% (male 139,106; female 140,291) 65 years and over: 10.13% (male 18,893; female 23,495) (2001 est.)
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 (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 78.41 years male: 79.11 years female: 77.69 years (2001 est.)
Ethnic groups
African and African-white-Indian mixture 90%, white 5%, East Indian, Chinese less than 5%
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 93% male: 92% female: 93% (1982 est.)
Government
NA; President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995)
19 fieldsGeneral Council or Conseil General, 4 seatsone dot, one seat
Country name
conventional long form: Department of Martinique conventional short form: Martinique local long form: Departement de la Martinique local short form: Martinique
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
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 - 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
Political parties and leaders
- Martinique Independence Movement or MIM [Alfred MARIE-JEANNE];
- Martinique Progressive Party or PPM [Camille DARSIERES];
- Martinique Socialist Party or PMS [Ernest WAN-AJOUHU];
- Rally for the Republic or RPR [Michel CHARLONE];
- Union for French Democracy or UDF (replaced by Martinique Forces of Progress) [Jean MAREN]
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]
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
Economy
The economy is based on sugarcane, bananas, tourism, and light industry.
32 fieldsElectricity
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.
Budget
revenues: $900 million expenditures: $2.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $140 million (1996)
Imports - commodities
petroleum products, crude oil, foodstuffs, construction materials, vehicles, clothing and other consumer goods
Exchange rates
euros per US dollar - 1.0659 (January 2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996)
Communications
10 fieldsTelephone 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)
Transportation
8 fieldsNetworkskm
Military
French forces (Army, Navy, Air Force), Gendarmerie
2 fieldsTransnational Issues
2 fieldsCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Martinique.” The World Factbook 2001. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/martinique/2001.