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 Match 156   DB Rec# - 7,608  Dataset-WOFACT

Title         :Martinique 
Text          : 
                                   Martinique 
 
                                     Header 
 
Affiliation: 
    (overseas department of France) 
 
                                    Geography 
 
Location: 
    Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Trinidad and Tobago 
Map references: 
    Central America and the Caribbean 
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 
Land boundaries: 
    0 km 
Coastline: 
    290 km 
Maritime claims: 
  exclusive economic zone: 
    200 nm 
  territorial sea: 
    12 nm 
International disputes: 
    none 
Climate: 
    tropical; moderated by trade winds; rainy season (June to October) 


Terrain: 
    mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano 
Natural resources: 
    coastal scenery and beaches, cultivable land 
Land use: 
  arable land: 
    10% 
  permanent crops: 
    8% 
  meadows and pastures: 
    30% 
  forest and woodland: 
    26% 
  other: 
    26% 
Irrigated land: 
    60 sq km (1989 est.) 
Environment: 
  current issues: 
    NA 
  natural hazards: 
    hurricanes, flooding, and volcanic activity (an average of one major natural
 
    disaster every five years) 
  international agreements: 
    NA 
 
                                     People 
 
Population: 
    394,787 (July 1995 est.) 
Age structure: 
  0-14 years: 
    23% (female 44,960; male 46,512) 
  15-64 years: 
    67% (female 134,439; male 130,642) 
  65 years and over: 
    10% (female 22,058; male 16,176) (July 1995 est.) 
Population growth rate: 
    1.1% (1995 est.) 
Birth rate: 
    16.92 births/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Death rate: 
    5.82 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Net migration rate: 
    -0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Infant mortality rate: 
    7.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.) 
Life expectancy at birth: 
  total population: 
    78.67 years 
  male: 
    75.94 years 
  female: 
    81.53 years (1995 est.) 
Total fertility rate: 
    1.81 children born/woman (1995 est.) 
Nationality: 
  noun: 
    Martiniquais (singular and plural) 


  adjective: 
    Martiniquais 
Ethnic divisions: 
    African and African-Caucasian-Indian mixture 90%, Caucasian 5%, East Indian,
 
    Lebanese, Chinese less than 5% 
Religions: 
    Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 5% 
Languages: 
    French, Creole patois 
Literacy: 
    age 15 and over can read and write (1982) 
  total population: 
    93% 
  male: 
    92% 
  female: 
    93% 
Labor force: 
    100,000 
  by occupation: 
    service industry 31.7%, construction and public works 29.4%, agriculture 
    13.1%, industry 7.3%, fisheries 2.2%, other 16.3% 
 
                                   Government 
 
Names: 
  conventional long form: 
    Department of Martinique 
  conventional short form: 
    Martinique 
  local long form: 
    Departement de la Martinique 
  local short form: 
    Martinique 
Digraph: 
    MB 
Type: 
    overseas department of France 
Capital: 
    Fort-de-France 
Administrative divisions: 
    none (overseas department of France) 
Independence: 
    none (overseas department of France) 
National holiday: 
    National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789) 
Constitution: 
    28 September 1958 (French Constitution) 
Legal system: 
    French legal system 
Suffrage: 
    18 years of age; universal 
Executive branch: 
  chief of state: 
    President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981) 
  head of government: 
    Prefect Michel MORIN (since NA); President of the General Council Claude 
    LISE (since 22 March 1992); President of the Regional Council Emile CAPGRAS 
    (since 22 March 1992) 


  cabinet: 
    Council of Ministers 
Legislative branch: 
    unicameral General Council and a unicameral Regional Assembly 
  General Council: 
    elections last held 25 September and 8 October 1988 (next to be held NA); 
    results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (44 total) number of seats by
 
    party NA; note - a leftist coalition obtained a one-seat margin 
  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 
  French Senate: 
    elections last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held NA); results - 
    percent of vote by party NA; seats - (2 total) UDF 1, PPM 1 
  French National Assembly: 
    elections last held NA June 1993 (next to be held NA June 1998); results - 
    percent of vote by party NA; seats - (4 total) RPR 3, FSM 1 
Judicial branch: 
    Supreme Court 
 
                                   Government 
Political parties and leaders: 
    Rally for the Republic (RPR), Stephen BAGOE; Union for a Martinique of 
    Progress (UMP); Martinique Progressive Party (PPM), Aime CESAIRE; Socialist 
    Federation of Martinique (FSM), Michel YOYO; Martinique Communist Party 
    (PCM); Martinique Patriots (PM); Union for French Democracy (UDF), Jean 
    MARAN; Martinique Independence Movement (MIM), Alfred MARIE-JEANNE; 
    Republican Party (PR), Jean BAILLY 
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) 
Member of: 
    FZ, WCL, WFTU 
Diplomatic representation in US: 
    none (overseas department of France) 
US diplomatic representation: 
    the post closed in August 1993 (overseas department of France) 
Flag: 
    the flag of France is used 
 
                                     Economy 
 
Overview: 
    The economy is based on sugarcane, bananas, tourism, and light industry. 
    Agriculture accounts for about 10% of GDP and the small industrial sector 
    for 10%. 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. 
National product: 
    GDP - purchasing power parity - $3.9 billion (1993 est.) 
National product real growth rate: 
    NA% 
National product per capita: 
    $10,000 (1993 est.) 
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 
    3.9% (1990) 
Unemployment rate: 
    32.1% (1990) 
Budget: 
  revenues: 
    $610 million 
  expenditures: 
    $1.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991) 
Exports: 
    $247 million (f.o.b., 1992) 
  commodities: 
    refined petroleum products, bananas, rum, pineapples 
  partners: 
    France 57%, Guadeloupe 31%, French Guiana (1991) 
Imports: 
    $1.75 billion (c.i.f., 1992) 
  commodities: 
    petroleum products, crude oil, foodstuffs, construction materials, vehicles,
 
    clothing and other consumer goods 
  partners: 
    France 62%, UK, Italy, Germany, Japan, US (1991) 
External debt: 
    $NA 
Industrial production: 
    growth rate NA% 
Electricity: 
  capacity: 
    113,100 kW 
  production: 
    700 million kWh 
  consumption per capita: 
    1,677 kWh (1993) 
Industries: 
    construction, rum, cement, oil refining, sugar, tourism 
Agriculture: 
    including fishing and forestry, accounts for about 10% of GDP; principal 
    crops - pineapples, avocados, bananas, flowers, vegetables, sugarcane for 
    rum; dependent on imported food, particularly meat and vegetables 
Illicit drugs: 
    transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and Europe 
 
                                     Economy 
Economic aid: 
  recipient: 
    Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), 
    $10.1 billion 
Currency: 
    1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes 
Exchange rates: 
    French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.2943 (January 1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 
    (1993), 5.2938 (1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453 (1990) 


Fiscal year: 
    calendar year 
 
                                 Transportation 
 
Railroads: 
    0 km 
Highways: 
  total: 
    1,680 km 
  paved: 
    1,300 km 
  unpaved: 
    gravel, earth 380 km 
Ports: 
    Fort-de-France, La Trinite 
Merchant marine: 
    none 
Airports: 
  total: 
    2 
  with paved runways over 3,047 m: 
    1 
  with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 
    1 
 
                                 Communications 
 
Telephone system: 
    68,900 telephones; domestic facilities are adequate 
  local: 
    NA 
  intercity: 
    NA 
  international: 
    interisland microwave radio relay links to Guadeloupe, Dominica, and Saint 
    Lucia; 2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth stations 
Radio: 
  broadcast stations: 
    AM 1, FM 6, shortwave 0 
  radios: 
    NA 
Television: 
  broadcast stations: 
    10 
  televisions: 
    NA 
 
                                 Defense Forces 
 
Branches: 
    French forces (Army, Navy, Air Force), Gendarmerie 
Note: 
    defense is the responsibility of France 

This publication is also available online from the CIA (http://www.odci.gov/cia) as 1995 World Factbook (http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/95fact/index.html).

The printed version of this item can be found under the title:
The World Factbook 1995,
SuDoc No: PREX 3.15:995

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Updated: March 12, 1996