Martinique

It is thought that Martinique is a corruption of the Taíno name for the island (Madiana/Madinina, meaning 'island of flowers', or Matinino, 'island of women'), as relayed to Christopher Columbus when he visited the island in 1502.^[10] According to historian Sydney Daney, the island was called Jouanacaëra or Wanakaera by the Caribs, which means 'the island of iguanas'.^[11]

Pre-European contact and early colonial periods

The island was occupied first by Arawaks, then by Caribs. The Arawaks were described as gentle timorous Indians and the Caribs as ferocious cannibal warriors. The Arawaks came from Central America in the 1st century AD and the Caribs came from the Venezuelan coast around the 11th century.

Christopher Columbus charted Martinique (without landing) in 1493, during his first voyage, but Spain had little interest in the territory.^[10] Columbus landed during a later voyage, on 15 June 1502, after a 21-day trade wind passage, his fastest ocean voyage.^[10] He spent three days there refilling his water casks, bathing and washing laundry.^[12]

The indigenous people Columbus encountered called Martinique "Matinino". He was told by indigenous people of San Salvador that "the island of Matinino was entirely populated by women on whom the Caribs descended at certain seasons of the year; and if these women bore sons they were entrusted to the father to bring up."^[13]

On 15 September 1635, Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc, French governor of the island of St. Kitts, landed in the harbour of St. Pierre with 80 to 150 French settlers after being driven off St. Kitts by the English. D'Esnambuc claimed Martinique for the French king Louis XIII and the French "Compagnie des Îles de l'Amérique" (Company of the American Islands), and established the first European settlement at Fort Saint-Pierre (now St. Pierre).^[10] D'Esnambuc died in 1636, leaving the company and Martinique in the hands of his nephew, Jacques Dyel du Parquet, who in 1637 became governor of the island.^[10]

In 1636, in the first of many skirmishes, the indigenous Caribs rose against the settlers to drive them off the island. The French successfully repelled the natives and forced them to retreat to the eastern part of the island, on the Caravelle Peninsula in the region then known as the Capesterre. When the Caribs revolted against French rule in 1658, the governor Charles Houël du Petit Pré retaliated with war against them. Many were killed, and those who survived were taken captive and expelled from the island. Some Caribs fled to Dominica or St. Vincent, where the French agreed to leave them at peace.

After the death of du Parquet in 1658, his widow Marie Bonnard du Parquet tried to govern Martinique, but dislike of her rule led King Louis XIV to take over the sovereignty of the island.^[10] In 1654, Dutch Jews expelled from Portuguese Brazil introduced sugar plantations worked by large numbers of enslaved Africans.^[10]

In 1667, the Second Anglo-Dutch War spilled out into the Caribbean, with Britain attacking the pro-Dutch French fleet in Martinique, virtually destroying it and further cementing British preeminence in the region.^[14] In 1674, the Dutch attempted to conquer the island, but were repulsed.^[10]

The attack on the French ships at Martinique in 1667

Because there were few Catholic priests in the French Antilles, many of the earliest French settlers were Huguenots who sought religious freedom.^[15] Others were transported there as a punishment for refusing to convert to Catholicism, many of them dying en route.^[16] Those who survived were quite industrious and over time prospered, though the less fortunate were reduced to the status of indentured servants. Although edicts from King Louis XIV's court regularly came to the islands to suppress the Protestant "heretics", these were mostly ignored by island authorities until Louis XIV's Edict of Revocation in 1685.^[17]

As many of the planters on Martinique were Huguenots suffering under the harsh strictures of the Revocation, they began plotting to emigrate from Martinique with many of their recently arrived brethren. Many of them were encouraged by the Catholics, who looked forward to their departure and the opportunities for seizing their property. By 1688, nearly all of Martinique's French Protestant population had escaped to the British American colonies or Protestant countries in Europe. The policy decimated the population of Martinique and the rest of the French Antilles and set back their colonisation by decades, causing the French king to relax his policies in the region, which left the islands susceptible to British occupation over the next century.^[18]

Post-1688 period

Under governor of the Antilles Charles de Courbon, comte de Blénac, Martinique served as a home port for French pirates, including Captain Crapeau, Étienne de Montauban, and Mathurin Desmarestz.^[19] In later years, pirate Bartholomew Roberts styled his jolly roger as a black flag depicting a pirate standing on two skulls labeled "ABH" and "AMH" for "A Barbadian's Head" and "A Martinican's Head" after governors of those two islands sent warships to capture Roberts.^[20]

The Battle of Martinique between British and French fleets in 1779

Martinique was attacked or occupied several times by the British, in 1693, 1759, 1762 and 1779.^[10] Excepting a period from 1802 to 1809 following signing of the Treaty of Amiens, Britain controlled the island for most of the time from 1794 to 1815, when it was traded back to France at the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars.^[10][21] Martinique has remained a French possession since then.

Despite the introduction of successful coffee plantations in the 1720s to Martinique, the first coffee-growing area in the Western hemisphere,^[22] as sugar prices declined in the early 1800s, the planter class lost political influence. Slave rebellions in 1789, 1815 and 1822, plus the campaigns of abolitionists such as Cyrille Bissette and Victor Schœlcher, persuaded the French government to end slavery in the French West Indies in 1848.^{[23][24][10][21][25]} Martinique was the first French overseas territory in which the abolition decree came into force, on 23 May of the same year.^[26]

As a result, some plantation owners imported workers from India and China.^[10] Despite the abolition of slavery, life scarcely improved for most Martinicans; class and racial tensions exploded into rioting in southern Martinique in 1870 following the arrest of Léopold Lubin, a trader of African ancestry who retaliated after he was beaten by a Frenchman. After several deaths, the revolt was crushed by French militia.^[27]

20th–21st centuries

On 8 May 1902, Mont Pelée erupted and completely destroyed St. Pierre, killing 30,000 people.^[10] Refugees from Martinique travelled by boat to the southern villages of Dominica, and some of them remained permanently on the island. The only survivor in the town of Saint-Pierre, Auguste Cyparis, was saved by the thick walls of his prison cell.^[28] Shortly thereafter, the capital shifted to Fort-de-France, where it remains today.^[21]

During World War II, the pro-Nazi Vichy government controlled Martinique under Admiral Georges Robert.^[10] German U-boats used Martinique for refuelling and re-supply during the Battle of the Caribbean.^[29] In 1942, 182 ships were sunk in the Caribbean, dropping to 45 in 1943, and five in 1944.^[30] Free French forces took over on the island on Bastille Day, 14 July 1943.^[10][31]

In 1946, the French National Assembly voted unanimously to transform the colony into an Overseas Department of France.^[10] Meanwhile, the post-war period saw a growing campaign for full independence; a notable proponent of this was the author Aimé Césaire, who founded the Progressive Party of Martinique in the 1950s. Tensions boiled over in December 1959 when riots broke out following a racially-charged altercation between two motorists, resulting in three deaths.^[32] In 1962, as a result of this and the global turn against colonialism, the strongly pro-independence OJAM (Organisation de la jeunesse anticolonialiste de la Martinique) was formed. Its leaders were later arrested by the French authorities. However, they were later acquitted.^[32] Tensions rose again in 1974, when gendarmes shot dead two striking banana workers.^[32] However the independence movement lost steam as Martinique's economy faltered in the 1970s, resulting in large-scale emigration.^[33] Hurricanes in 1979–80 severely affected agricultural output, further straining the economy.^[10] Greater autonomy was granted by France to the island in the 1970s–80s^[10]

In 2009, Martinique was convulsed by the French Caribbean general strikes. Initially focusing on cost-of-living issues, the movement soon took on a racial dimension as strikers challenged the continued economic dominance of the Béké, descendants of French European settlers.^[34][35] President Nicolas Sarkozy later visited the island, promising reform.^[36] While ruling out full independence, which he said was desired neither by France nor by Martinique, Sarkozy offered Martiniquans a referendum on the island's future status and degree of autonomy.^[36]

On 2 February 2023, Martinique adopted its independent activist flag, symbolising its three colors of Pan-Africanism.

Mont Pelée and Bay of St Pierre as seen from the Grande Savane trail

Discover more about History related topics

History of Martinique

History of Martinique

This is a page on the history of the island of Martinique.

French West Indies

French West Indies

The French West Indies or French Antilles are the parts of France located in the Antilles islands of the Caribbean:The two overseas departments of: Guadeloupe, including the islands of Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Les Saintes, Marie-Galante, and La Désirade. Martinique The two overseas collectivities of: Saint Martin, the northern half of the island with the same name, the southern half is Sint Maarten, a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Saint Barthélemy

Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus was an explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean sponsored by the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, opening the way for the widespread European exploration and European colonization of the Americas. His expeditions were the first known European contact with the Caribbean and Central and South America.

Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc

Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc

Pierre Belain, sieur d'Esnambuc was a French trader and adventurer in the Caribbean, who established the first permanent French colony, Saint-Pierre, on the island of Martinique in 1635.

Louis XIII

Louis XIII

Louis XIII was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown.

Jacques Dyel du Parquet

Jacques Dyel du Parquet

Jacques Dyel du Parquet was a French soldier who was one of the first governors of Martinique. He was appointed governor of the island for the Compagnie des Îles de l'Amérique in 1636, a year after the first French settlement had been established. In 1650 he purchased Martinique, Grenada and Saint Lucia. He did much to develop Martinique as a colony, including introduction of sugarcane.

Charles Houël du Petit Pré

Charles Houël du Petit Pré

Charles Houël du Petit Pré was a French governor of Guadeloupe from 1643 to 1664. He was also knight and lord.

Dominica

Dominica

Dominica, officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island country in the Caribbean. The capital, Roseau, is located on the western side of the island. It is geographically situated as part of the Windward Islands chain in the Lesser Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. Dominica's closest neighbours are two constituent territories of the European Union, the overseas departments of France, Guadeloupe to the northwest and Martinique to the south-southeast. Dominica comprises a land area of 750 km2 (290 sq mi), and the highest point is Morne Diablotins, at 1,447 m (4,747 ft) in elevation. The population was 71,293 at the 2011 census.

Marie Bonnard du Parquet

Marie Bonnard du Parquet

Marie Bonnard du Parquet was the wife of Jacques Dyel du Parquet, one of the first governors of Martinique, who purchased the island in 1650. When her husband died she tried to act as governor in the name of her children, but was forced out of power. She fell ill and died while returning to France.

Louis XIV

Louis XIV

Louis XIV, also known as Louis the Great or the Sun King, was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His reign of 72 years and 110 days is the longest of any sovereign in history whose date is verifiable. Although Louis XIV's France was emblematic of the Age of Absolutism in Europe, the King surrounded himself with a variety of significant political, military, and cultural figures, such as Bossuet, Colbert, Le Brun, Le Nôtre, Lully, Mazarin, Molière, Racine, Turenne, and Vauban.

Second Anglo-Dutch War

Second Anglo-Dutch War

The Second Anglo-Dutch War or the Second Dutch War was a conflict between England and the Dutch Republic partly for control over the seas and trade routes. England tried to end the Dutch domination of world trade during a period of intense European commercial rivalry, but also as a result of political tensions. After initial English successes, the war ended in a Dutch victory. It was the second of a series of naval wars fought between the English and the Dutch in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Battle of Martinique (1667)

Battle of Martinique (1667)

The Battle of Martinique also known as Harman's Martinican Bonfire was a major naval battle fought in the Caribbean island of Martinique at St Pierre, from 30 June to 7 July 1667 that came towards the end of the Second Anglo-Dutch War. A French merchantile fleet anchored in the bay led by Joseph-Antoine Le Fèvre de la Barre was attacked by an English fleet led by Admiral Sir John Harman. The English were victorious, virtually wiping out the French merchant fleet in the Caribbean, which was unaccompanied by any naval vessels, and enabled them to secure their domination and position in the West Indies despite being at the war's end.

The special territories of the European Union

Like French Guiana, Martinique is a special collectivity^[37] (Unique in French) of the French Republic. It is also an outermost region of the European Union. The inhabitants of Martinique are French citizens with full political and legal rights. Martinique sends four deputies to the French National Assembly and two senators to the French Senate.

On 24 January 2010, during a referendum, the inhabitants of Martinique approved by 68.4% the change to be a "special (unique) collectivity" within the framework of article 73 of the French Republic's Constitution. The new council replaces and exercises the powers of both the General Council and the regional council.

Administrative divisions

A map of Martinique showing the island's four arrondissements

Martinique is divided into four arrondissements and 34 communes. It had also been divided into 45 cantons, but these were abolished in 2015. The four arrondissements of the island, with their respective locations, are as follows:

• Fort-de-France, is the prefecture of Martinique. It takes up the central zone of the island. It includes four communes. In 2019, the population was 152,102.^[8] Besides the capital, it includes the communities of Saint-Joseph and Schœlcher.
• La Trinité, one of the three subprefectures on the island, occupies the northeast region. It has ten communes. In 2019, the population was 75,238.^[8] La Trinité contains the communities of La Trinité, Ajoupa-Bouillon, Basse-Pointe, Le Gros-Morne, Le Lorrain, Macouba, Le Marigot, Le Robert and Sainte-Marie.
• Le Marin, the second subprefecture of Martinique, makes up the southern part of the island and is composed of twelve communes. In 2019, the population was 114,824.^[8] The subprefecture includes the communities of La Marin, Les Anses d'Arlet, Le Diamant, Ducos, Le François, Rivière-Pilote, Rivière-Salée, Sainte-Anne, Sainte-Luce, Saint-Esprit, Les Trois-Îlets, and Le Vauclin.
• Saint-Pierre, is the third subprefecture of the island. It comprises eight communes, lying in the northwest of Martinique. In 2019, the population was 22,344.^[8] Together with Saint-Pierre, its communities include Le Carbet, Case-Pilote-Bellefontaine, Le Morne-Rouge, and Le Prêcheur.

Name	Area (km2)	Population (2019)[8]	Arrondissement	Map
L'Ajoupa-Bouillon	12.3	1,756	La Trinité
Les Anses-d'Arlet	25.92	3,494	Le Marin
Basse-Pointe	27.95	2,823	La Trinité
Bellefontaine	11.89	1,813	Saint-Pierre
Le Carbet	36	3,461	Saint-Pierre
Case-Pilote	18.44	4,455	Saint-Pierre
Le Diamant	27.34	5,511	Le Marin
Ducos	37.69	17,655	Le Marin
Fonds-Saint-Denis	24.28	680	Saint-Pierre
Fort-de-France	44.21	76,512	Fort-de-France
Le François	53.93	15,980	Le Marin
Grand'Rivière	16.6	610	La Trinité
Gros-Morne	54.25	9,689	La Trinité
Le Lamentin	62.32	40,095	Fort-de-France
Le Lorrain	50.33	6,768	La Trinité
Macouba	16.93	1,050	La Trinité
Le Marigot	21.63	3,117	La Trinité
Le Marin	31.54	8,751	Le Marin
Le Morne-Rouge	37.64	4,795	Saint-Pierre
Le Morne-Vert	13.37	1,816	Saint-Pierre
Le Prêcheur	29.92	1,203	Saint-Pierre
Rivière-Pilote	35.78	11,877	Le Marin
Rivière-Salée	39.38	11,874	Le Marin
Le Robert	47.3	21,913	La Trinité
Saint-Esprit	23.46	9,890	Le Marin
Saint-Joseph	43.29	15,883	Fort-de-France
Saint-Pierre	38.72	4,121	Saint-Pierre
Sainte-Anne	38.42	4,444	Le Marin
Sainte-Luce	28.02	9,487	Le Marin
Sainte-Marie	44.55	15,487	La Trinité
Schœlcher	21.17	19,612	Fort-de-France
La Trinité	45.77	12,025	La Trinité
Les Trois-Îlets	28.6	7,242	Le Marin
Le Vauclin	39.06	8,619	Le Marin

Diamant beach, and Diamond Rock, as seen from Dizac beach

Representation of the State

The prefecture of Martinique is Fort-de-France. The three sub-prefectures are Le Marin, Saint-Pierre and La Trinité. The French State is represented in Martinique by a prefect (Stanislas Cazelles since 5 February 2020), and by two sub-prefects in Le Marin (Corinne Blanchot-Prosper) and La Trinité / Saint-Pierre (Nicolas Onimus, appointed on 20 May 2020).

The prefecture was criticized for racism following the publication on its Twitter account of a poster calling for physical distancing against the coronavirus and showing a black man and a white man separated by pineapples.^[38]

Institutions

Former town hall or Mayor's office of Fort-de-France

The President of the Executive Council of Martinique is Serge Letchimy as of 2 July 2021.

The Executive Council of Martinique is composed of nine members (a president and eight executive councilors).^[39]

The deliberative assembly of the territorial collectivity is the Assembly of Martinique, composed of 51 elected members and chaired by Lucien Saliber as of 2 July 2021.^[40]

The advisory council of the territorial collectivity of Martinique is the Economic, Social, Environmental, Cultural and Educational Council of Martinique (Conseil économique, social, environnemental, de la culture et de l'éducation de Martinique), composed of 68 members. Its president is Justin Daniel since 20 May 2021.^[41]

National representation

Martinique has been represented since 17 June 2017, in the National Assembly by four deputies (Serge Letchimy, Jean-Philippe Nilor, Josette Manin and Manuéla Kéclard-Mondésir) and in the Senate by two senators (Maurice Antiste and Catherine Conconne) since 24 September 2017.

Martinique is also represented in the Economic, Social and Environmental Council by Pierre Marie-Joseph since 26 April 2021^[42]

Institutional and statutory evolution of the island

During the 2000s, the political debate in Martinique focused on the question of the evolution of the island's status.^[43] Two political ideologies, assimilationism and autonomism, clashed. On the one hand, there are those who want a change of status based on Article 73 of the French Constitution, i.e., that all French laws apply in Martinique as of right, which in law is called legislative identity, and on the other hand, the autonomists who want a change of status based on Article 74 of the French Constitution, i.e., an autonomous status subject to the regime of legislative specialty following the example of St. Martin and St. Barthelemy.

Since the constitutional revision of 28 March 2003, Martinique has four options:

• First possibility: the status quo,^[44] Martinique retains its status as an Overseas Department and Region, under Article 73 of the Constitution. The DROMs are under the regime of legislative identity. In this framework, the laws and regulations are applicable as of right, with the adaptations required by the particular characteristics and constraints of the communities concerned.
• 

  Old City Hall, Fort-de-France
  Second possibility: if the local stakeholders, and first and foremost the elected representatives, agree, they can, within the framework of Article 73 of the Constitution,^[45] propose an institutional evolution such as the creation of a single assembly (merger of the general council and the regional council). However, the department and the region will remain. The government may propose to the President of the Republic to consult the voters on this issue. In case of a negative answer, nothing will be possible. In case of positive response, the final decision will be taken by the Parliament, which will finally decide whether the reform is carried out by passing an ordinary law.^[46]
• Third possibility: those elected may propose the creation of a new collectivity within the framework of Article 73 of the French Constitution.^[47] This new community will replace the department and the region. It will bring together the competences currently attributed to the General Council and the Regional Council. This community governed by Article 73 is subject to the regime of legislative identity and is therefore not autonomous. It will have as institutions an executive council, a deliberative assembly and an economic and social council.^[48]
• Fourth possibility: if a consensus is reached, the elected representatives may propose to the government a change of status, i.e., the transformation of Martinique into an overseas collectivity (COM).^[49] Indeed, since the constitutional revision of 28 March 2003, the overseas departments may, under Article 74, become an overseas collectivity (COM) like St. Martin and St. Barthélemy.

Unlike the overseas departments, the overseas collectivities are subject to legislative specialization.^[43] The laws and decrees of the Republic apply to them under certain conditions established by the organic law defining their status. The overseas departments have a greater degree of autonomy than the DOMs. They have an executive council, a territorial council and an economic and social council. The prefect is the representative of the French State in the overseas collectivity.

Salines Beach, St Anne peninsula

However, the French Constitution specifies in Article 72-4^[43] that "no change may be made, for all or part of one of the communities mentioned in the second paragraph of Article 72-3, from one of the regimes provided for in Articles 73 and 74, without the prior consent of the electors of the community or part of the community concerned having been obtained, under the conditions provided for in the following paragraph.^[43]

In 2003, a new organization is envisaged, in which the regional and departmental institutions would be merged into a single institution. This proposal was rejected in Martinique (but also in Guadeloupe) by 50.48% in a referendum held on 7 December 2003.^[50]

On 10 January 2010, a consultation of the population was held. Voters were asked to vote in a referendum on a possible change in the status of their territory. The ballot proposed voters to "approve or reject the transition to the regime provided for in Article 74 of the Constitution". The majority of voters, 79.3%, said "no".^[48]

The following 24 January, in a second referendum, 68.4% of the population of Martinique approved the transition to a "single collectivity" under Article 73 of the Constitution, i.e., a single assembly that would exercise the powers of the General Council and the Regional Council.^[47]

New collectivity of Martinique

The project of the elected representatives of Martinique to the government proposes a single territorial community^[46] governed by Article 73 of the Constitution,^[45] whose name is "Territorial Community of Martinique". The single assembly that replaces the General Council and the Regional Council is called the "Assembly of Martinique". The Assembly of Martinique is composed of 51 councilors, elected for a six-year term of office by the proportional representation system (the electoral district is divided into four sections). A majority bonus of 20% is granted to the first place list.

The executive body of this community is called the "executive council",^[51] which is composed of nine executive councilors, including a president. The president of the community of Martinique is the president of the executive council. The executive council is responsible to the Assembly of Martinique, which may overrule it by a motion of constructive censure. Unlike the previous functioning of the General Council and the Regional Council, the Assembly of Martinique is separate from the Executive Council and is headed by a bureau and a president.

Anses d'Arlet and its churchside beach, a landmark of Martinique

The new collectivity of Martinique combines the powers of the general and regional councils, but may obtain new powers through empowerments under Article 73. The executive council is assisted by an advisory council, the Economic, Social, Environmental, Cultural and Educational Council of Martinique.^[51]

The bill was approved on 26 January 2011, by the French Government. The ordinary law was submitted to Parliament during the first half of 2011 and resulted in the adoption of Law No. 2011-884 27 July 2011, on the territorial communities of French Guiana and Martinique.^[51]

Political forces

Political life in Martinique is essentially based on Martinican political parties and local federations of national parties (PS and LR). The following classification takes into account their position with regard to the statutory evolution of the island: there are the assimilationists (in favor of an institutional or statutory evolution within the framework of Article 73 of the French Constitution), the autonomists and the independentists (in favor of a statutory evolution based on Article 74 of the French Constitution).

Indeed, on 18 December 2008, during the congress of Martinique's departmental and regional elected representatives, the thirty-three pro-independence elected representatives (MIM/CNCP/MODEMAS/PALIMA) of the two assemblies voted unanimously in favor of a change in the island's status based on Article 74 of the French Constitution, which allows access to autonomy; this change in status was massively rejected (79.3%) by the population during the referendum of 10 January 2010.^[52]

Defence

The defence of the department is the responsibility of the French Armed Forces. Some 1,400 military personnel are deployed in Martinique and Guadeloupe – centred on the 33e régiment d'infanterie de Marine in Martinique and incorporating a reserve company of the regiment located in Guadeloupe.^[53][54][55]

Five French Navy vessels are based in Martinique, including: the surveillance frigates Ventôse and Germinal, the patrol and support ship Dumont d'Urville, the Confiance-class patrol vessel Combattante and the coastal harbor tug (RPC) Maïtos.^[56][57] The naval aviation element includes Eurocopter AS565 Panther and Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin helicopters able to embark on the Floréal-class frigates as required.^[58][53] One Engins de Débarquement Amphibie – Standards (EDA-S) landing craft is to be delivered to naval forces based in Martinique by 2025. The landing craft is to better support operations in the territory and region.^[59]

About 700 National Gendarmerie are also stationed in Martinique.^[60]

Discover more about Governance related topics

Politics of Martinique

Politics of Martinique

Martinique is an overseas Territorial collectivity of France, with the same political status as regions and departments in mainland France. The administrative centre of Martinique is located in Fort-de-France.

Elections in Martinique

Elections in Martinique

Martinique is a Single territorial collectivity of France. Martinique elects one deputy to the national assembly from each of four constituencies. It elects on regional/départemental level a legislature, called the Assembly of Martinique, by proportional representation from each of the national assembly constituencies.

French Guiana

French Guiana

French Guiana is an overseas department of France located on the northern coast of South America in the Guianas. Bordered by Suriname to the west and Brazil to the east and south, French Guiana covers a land area of 83,534 km2 (32,253 sq mi), and is inhabited by 301,099 people.

European Union

European Union

The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of 4,233,255.3 km2 (1,634,469.0 sq mi) and an estimated total population of nearly 447 million. The EU has often been described as a sui generis political entity combining the characteristics of both a federation and a confederation.

Departmental council (France)

Departmental council (France)

The departmental councils of France are representative assemblies elected by universal suffrage in 98 of the country's 101 departments. Prior to the 2015 French departmental elections they were known as general councils.

Arrondissements of France

Arrondissements of France

An arrondissement is a level of administrative division in France generally corresponding to the territory overseen by a subprefect. As of 2019, the 101 French departments were divided into 332 arrondissements.

Arrondissements of the Martinique department

Arrondissements of the Martinique department

The 4 arrondissements of the Martinique department are:Arrondissement of Fort-de-France, with 4 communes. The population of the arrondissement was 157,449 in 2016. Arrondissement of Le Marin, with 12 communes. The population of the arrondissement was 117,168 in 2016. Arrondissement of Saint-Pierre, with 8 communes. The population of the arrondissement was 22,926 in 2016. Arrondissement of La Trinité, with 10 communes. The population of the arrondissement was 78,937 in 2016.

Communes of the Martinique department

Communes of the Martinique department

The following is a list of the 34 communes of the Martinique overseas department of France.

Cantons of the Martinique department

Cantons of the Martinique department

The following is a list of the 45 former cantons of the Martinique department, an overseas department of France, sorted by arrondissement. The cantons were abolished in 2015, when the Assembly of Martinique replaced the General Council of Martinique and the Regional Council of Martinique.

Communes of France

Communes of France

The communecode: fra promoted to code: fr is a level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communescode: fra promoted to code: fr are analogous to civil townships and incorporated municipalities in the United States and Canada, Gemeindencode: deu promoted to code: de in Germany, comunicode: ita promoted to code: it in Italy, or municipioscode: spa promoted to code: es in Spain. The UK's equivalent are boroughs and/or civil parishes. Communescode: fra promoted to code: fr are based on historical geographic communities or villages and are vested with significant powers to manage the populations and land of the geographic area covered. The communescode: fra promoted to code: fr are the fourth-level administrative divisions of France.

Cantons of France

Cantons of France

The cantons of France are territorial subdivisions of the French Republic's departments and arrondissements.

La Trinité, Martinique

La Trinité, Martinique

La Trinité is a town and commune in the French overseas region and department of Martinique.

Diamond Rock and the Sleeping Woman, the defining landscape of the southwest peninsula

Part of the archipelago of the Antilles, Martinique is located in the Caribbean Sea about 450 km (280 mi) northeast of the coast of South America and about 700 km (435 mi) southeast of the Dominican Republic. It is north of St. Lucia, northwest of Barbados and south of Dominica. The total area of Martinique is 1,128 km² (436 sq mi), of which 40 km² (15 sq mi) is water and the rest land.^[10] Martinique is the 3rd largest island in The Lesser Antilles after Trinidad and Guadeloupe. It stretches 70 km (43 mi) in length and 30 km (19 mi) in width. The highest point is the volcano of Mount Pelée at 1,397 m (4,583 ft) above sea level. There are numerous small islands, particularly off the east coast.

Caravelle Peninsula and Martinique's Atlantic coast, as seen from the Phare de la Caravelle

The Atlantic, or "windward" coast of Martinique is difficult to navigate by ship. A combination of coastal cliffs, shallow coral reefs and cays, and strong winds make the area notoriously hazardous for sea traffic. The Caravelle peninsula clearly separates the north Atlantic and south Atlantic coast.

The Caribbean, or "leeward" coast of Martinique is much more favourable to sea traffic. Besides being shielded from the harsh Atlantic trade winds by the island, the sea bed itself descends steeply from the shore. This ensures that most potential hazards are deep underwater, and prevents the growth of corals.

Pitons du Carbet rainforest, as seen from the Fontaine Didier route in Fort de France

The north of the island is especially mountainous. It features four ensembles of pitons (volcanoes) and mornes (mountains): the Piton Conil on the extreme North, which dominates the Dominica Channel; Mont Pelée, an active volcano; the Morne Jacob; and the Pitons du Carbet, an ensemble of five extinct volcanoes covered with rainforest and dominating the Bay of Fort de France at 1,196 m (3,924 ft). Mont Pelée's volcanic ash has created grey and black sand beaches in the north (in particular between Anse Ceron and Anse des Gallets), contrasting markedly from the white sands of Les Salines in the south.

Grand Anse beach, a haven for sea turtles, southwest peninsula

The south is more easily traversed, though it still features impressive geographic features. Because it is easier to travel to, and due to the many beaches and food facilities throughout this region, the south receives most of the tourism. The beaches from Pointe de Bout, through Diamant (which features right off the coast of Roche de Diamant), St. Luce, the department of St. Anne and down to Les Salines are popular.

Relief

The terrain is mountainous on this island of volcanic origin. The oldest areas correspond to the volcanic zones at the southern end of the island and towards the peninsula of La Caravelle to the east. The island developed over the last 20 million years according to a sequence of movements and volcanic eruptions to the north.

The volcanic activity is due to the subduction fault located here, where the South American Plate slides beneath the Caribbean Plate.^[61] Martinique has eight centres of volcanic activity. The oldest rocks are andesitic lavas dated to about 24 million years ago, mixed with tholeiitic magma containing iron and magnesium. Mount Pelée, the island's most dramatic feature, formed about 400,000 years ago.^[62] Pelée erupted in 1792, 1851, and twice in 1902.^[28] The eruption of 8 May 1902, destroyed Saint-Pierre and killed 28,000 people in 2 minutes; that of 30 August 1902, killed nearly 1,100, mostly in Le Morne-Rouge and Ajoupa-Bouillon.^[63][64]

The east coast, coast of the wind or of the islands, has been called in the Caribbean "cabesterre". This term in Martinique designates more specifically the area of La Caravelle. This windward coast, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, is directly exposed to the trade winds and the sea bottom. The northern part of the Grand River in Sainte-Marie is basically surrounded by cliffs, with very few mooring points; access to maritime navigation is limited to inshore fishing with small traditional Martinique boats.

Flora and fauna

The Trou d'eau of the Pitons du Carbet forest, Rivière du Lorrain, as seen from the Trace des Jésuites trail

Beach of Anse Grosse Roche, St Anne peninsula

The Jamaican fruit bat can be found throughout the island

The northern end of the island catches most of the rainfall and is heavily forested, featuring species such as bamboo, mahogany, rosewood and West Indian locust. The south is drier and dominated by savanna-like brush, including cacti, Copaiba balsam, logwood and acacia.

Anole lizards and fer-de-lance snakes are native to the island. Mongooses (Urva auropunctata), introduced in the 1800s to control the snake population, have become a particularly cumbersome introduced species^[65] as they prey upon bird eggs and have exterminated or endangered a number of native birds, including the Martinique trembler, white-breasted trembler and White-breasted Thrasher.^[21] Bat species include the Jamaican fruit bat, the Antillean fruit-eating bat, the Little yellow-shouldered bat, Davy's naked-backed bat, the Greater bulldog bat, Schwartz's myotis, and the Mexican free-tailed bat.

Beaches

Martinique has many beaches:^[66] those in the south of the island are of white sand, unlike those in the north which are of volcanic origin and therefore of black or gray sand.

Most of the beaches are wild, without services and without surveillance, but some are organized and give the possibility to do sports and activities related to the sea.

Hydrography

Due to the island's geographic and morphological characteristics, it has short and torrential rivers. The Lézarde, 30 km long, is the longest on the island.

Major urban areas

The most populous urban unit is Le Robert, which covers 11 communes in the southeastern part of the department. The three largest urban units are:^[67]

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Geography of Martinique

Geography of Martinique

The French Overseas Department of Martinique is a Caribbean island belonging to the Lesser Antilles group in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Cuba and north of Trinidad and Tobago. It is part of the French West Indies. It lies near the Tropic of Cancer between 14° 26' and 14°53' latitude north and 63° 9' and 63° 34' longitude west. At most some 50 miles long and 22 miles wide, Martinique covers an area of 425 square miles. Its coastline is so indented that no part of the island is more than seven miles from the sea.

Archipelago

Archipelago

An archipelago, sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands.

Antilles

Antilles

The Antilles is an archipelago bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the south and west, the Gulf of Mexico to the northwest, and the Atlantic Ocean to the north and east.

Caribbean Sea

Caribbean Sea

The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles starting with Cuba, to the east by the Lesser Antilles, and to the south by the northern coast of South America. The Gulf of Mexico lies to the northwest.

Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with Haiti, making Hispaniola one of only two Caribbean islands, along with Saint Martin, that is shared by two sovereign states. The Dominican Republic is the second-largest nation in the Antilles by area at 48,671 square kilometers (18,792 sq mi), and third-largest by population, with approximately 10.7 million people, down from 10.8 million in 2020, of whom approximately 3.3 million live in the metropolitan area of Santo Domingo, the capital city. The official language of the country is Spanish.

Barbados

Barbados

Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of 432 km2 (167 sq mi) and has a population of about 287,000. Its capital and largest city is Bridgetown.

Dominica

Dominica

Dominica, officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island country in the Caribbean. The capital, Roseau, is located on the western side of the island. It is geographically situated as part of the Windward Islands chain in the Lesser Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. Dominica's closest neighbours are two constituent territories of the European Union, the overseas departments of France, Guadeloupe to the northwest and Martinique to the south-southeast. Dominica comprises a land area of 750 km2 (290 sq mi), and the highest point is Morne Diablotins, at 1,447 m (4,747 ft) in elevation. The population was 71,293 at the 2011 census.

Trinidad

Trinidad

Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies 11 km (6.8 mi) off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmost island in the West Indies. With an area of 4,768 km2 (1,841 sq mi), it is also the fifth largest in the West Indies.

Mount Pelée

Mount Pelée

Mount Pelée or Mont Pelée is an active volcano at the northern end of Martinique, an island and French overseas department in the Lesser Antilles Volcanic Arc of the Caribbean. Its volcanic cone is composed of stratified layers of hardened ash and solidified lava. Its most recent eruption was in 1932.

Subduction

Subduction

Subduction is a geological process in which the oceanic lithosphere and some continental lithosphere is recycled into the Earth's mantle at convergent boundaries. Where the oceanic lithosphere of a tectonic plate converges with the less dense lithosphere of a second plate, the heavier plate dives beneath the second plate and sinks into the mantle. A region where this process occurs is known as a subduction zone, and its surface expression is known as an arc-trench complex. The process of subduction has created most of the Earth's continental crust. Rates of subduction are typically measured in centimeters per year, with rates of convergence as high as 11 cm/year.

South American Plate

South American Plate

The South American Plate is a major tectonic plate which includes the continent of South America as well as a sizable region of the Atlantic Ocean seabed extending eastward to the African Plate, with which it forms the southern part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

Caribbean Plate

Caribbean Plate

The Caribbean Plate is a mostly oceanic tectonic plate underlying Central America and the Caribbean Sea off the northern coast of South America.

Dillon's distellery

In 2014, Martinique had a total GDP of 8.4 billion euros. Its economy is heavily dependent on tourism, limited agricultural production, and grant aid from mainland France.^[10]

Historically, Martinique's economy relied on agriculture, notably sugar and bananas, but by the beginning of the 21st century this sector had dwindled considerably. Sugar production has declined, with most of the sugarcane now used for the production of rum.^[10] Banana exports are increasing, going mostly to mainland France. Chlordecone, a pesticide used in the cultivation of bananas before a ban in 1993, has been found to have contaminated farming ground, rivers and fish, and affected the health of islanders. Fishing and agriculture has had to stop in affected areas, having a significant effect on the economy.^[68] The bulk of meat, vegetable and grain requirements must be imported. This contributes to a chronic trade deficit that requires large annual transfers of aid from mainland France.^[10]

All goods entering Martinique are charged a variable "sea toll" which may reach 30% of the value of the cargo and provides 40% of the island's total revenue. Additionally the government charges an "annual due" of 1–2.5% and a value added tax of 2.2–8.5%.^[69]

Exports and imports

Exports of goods and services in 2015 amounted to €1,102 million (€504 million of goods), of which more than 20% were refined petroleum products (SARA refinery located in the town of Le Lamentin), €95.9 million of agricultural, forestry, fish and aquaculture products, €62.4 million of agri-food industry products and €54.8 million of other goods.

Imports of goods and services in 2015 were €3,038 million (of which €2,709 million were goods), of which approximately 40% were crude and refined petroleum products, €462.6 million were agricultural and agri-food products, and €442.8 million were mechanical, electrical, electronic and computer equipment.

Tourism

Les Salines, a wide sand beach at the southeastern end of the island

Tourism has become more important than agricultural exports as a source of foreign exchange.^[10] Most visitors come from mainland France, Canada and the US.^[10] Roughly 16% of the total businesses on the island (some 6,000 companies) provide tourist-related services.^[69]

Agriculture

Banana

Banana cultivation is the main agricultural activity, with more than 7,200 hectares cultivated, nearly 220,000 tons produced and almost 12,000 jobs (direct + indirect) in 2006 figures. Its weight in the island's economy is low (1.6%), however it generates more than 40% of the agricultural value added.^[70]

Sugarcane Cultivation

Rum

Rum, and particularly agricultural rum, accounted for 23% of agri-food value added in 2005 and employed 380 people on the island (including traditional rum). The island's production is about 90,000 hl of pure alcohol in 2009, of which 79,116 hl of pure alcohol is agricultural rum (2009).^[71]

Sugarcane

In 2009, sugarcane cultivation occupied 4,150 hectares, or 13.7% of agricultural land. The area under cultivation has increased by more than 20% in the last 20 years, a rapid increase explained by the high added value of the rum produced and the rise in world sugar prices. This production is increasingly concentrated, with farms of more than 50 hectares accounting for 6.2% of the farms and 73.4% of the area under production. Annual production was about 220,000 tons in 2009, of which almost 90,000 tons went to sugar production, and the rest was delivered to agricultural rum distilleries.^[72]

Pineapples

Pineapples used to be an important part of agricultural production, but in 2005, according to IEDOM, they accounted for only 1% of agricultural production in value (2.5 million euros compared to 7.9 million in 2000).

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Euro

Euro

The euro is the official currency of 20 of the 27 member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 344 million citizens as of 2023. The euro is divided into 100 cents.

Rum

Rum

Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is usually aged in oak barrels. Rum is produced in nearly every sugar-producing region of the world, such as the Philippines, where Tanduay is the largest producer of rum globally.

Banana

Banana

A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus Musa. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", distinguishing them from dessert bananas. The fruit is variable in size, color, and firmness, but is usually elongated and curved, with soft flesh rich in starch covered with a rind, which may be green, yellow, red, purple, or brown when ripe. The fruits grow upward in clusters near the top of the plant. Almost all modern edible seedless (parthenocarp) bananas come from two wild species – Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana. The scientific names of most cultivated bananas are Musa acuminata, Musa balbisiana, and Musa × paradisiaca for the hybrid Musa acuminata × M. balbisiana, depending on their genomic constitution. The old scientific name for this hybrid, Musa sapientum, is no longer used.

Ethanol

Ethanol

Ethanol is an organic compound. It is an alcohol with the chemical formula C2H6O. Its formula can also be written as CH3−CH2−OH or C2H5OH. Ethanol is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid with a characteristic wine-like odor and pungent taste. It is a psychoactive recreational drug, and the active ingredient in alcoholic drinks.

Sugarcane

Sugarcane

Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of tall, perennial grass that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sucrose, which accumulates in the stalk internodes. Sugarcanes belong to the grass family, Poaceae, an economically important flowering plant family that includes maize, wheat, rice, and sorghum, and many forage crops. It is native to the warm temperate and tropical regions of India, Southeast Asia, and New Guinea. Grown in tropical and subtropical regions, sugarcane is the world's largest crop by production quantity, totaling 1.9 billion tonnes in 2020, with Brazil accounting for 40% of the world total. Sugarcane accounts for 79% of sugar produced globally. About 70% of the sugar produced comes from Saccharum officinarum and its hybrids. All sugarcane species can interbreed, and the major commercial cultivars are complex hybrids.

Pineapple

Pineapple

The pineapple is a tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae.

The A1 highway (972) in Fort-de-France

Transport

Martinique's main and only airport with commercial flights is Martinique Aimé Césaire International Airport. It serves flights to and from Europe, the Caribbean, Venezuela, the United States, and Canada.^[28] See List of airports in Martinique.

Fort-de-France is the major harbour. The island has regular ferry service to Guadeloupe, Dominica and St. Lucia.^[21][28] There are also several local ferry companies that connect Fort-de-France with Pointe du Bout.^[21]

The road network is extensive and well-maintained, with freeways in the area around Fort-de-France. Buses run frequently between the capital and St. Pierre.^[21]

Roads

In 2019, Martinique's road network consisted of 2,123 km:^[73]

• 7 km of highway (A1 between Fort-de-France and Le Lamentin) ;
• 919 km of departmental and national roads
• 

  Lighthouse of La Caravelle, Martinique
  1,197 km of communal roads.

In proportion to its population, Martinique is the French department with the highest number of vehicle registrations.^[74]

In 2019, 19,137 new vehicles were registered in Martinique, i.e. 42 new vehicles were purchased per 1,000 inhabitants (+14 in 5 years), to the great benefit of dealers.^[75]

Public transport

The public entity "Martinique Transport" was created in December 2014. This establishment is in charge of urban, intercity passenger (cabs), maritime, school and disabled student transport throughout the island, as well as the bus network.^[74]

The first exclusive right-of-way public transport line in Martinique (TCSP), served by high service level buses between Fort-de-France and Le Lamentin airport, was put into service on 13 August 2018. Extensions to Schœlcher, Robert and Ducos are planned.

Ports

Given the insular nature of Martinique, its supply by sea is important. The port of Fort-de-France is the seventh largest French port in terms of container traffic.^[76] After 2012, it became the Grand Port Maritime Port (GPM) of Martinique, following the State's decision to modernize port infrastructures of national interest.

Air services

The island's airport is Martinique Aimé Césaire International Airport. It is located in the municipality of Le Lamentin. Its civilian traffic (1,696,071 passengers in 2015) ranks it thirteenth among French airports, behind those of two other overseas departments (Guadeloupe – Pôle Caraïbes de Pointe-à-Pitre Airport, Guadeloupe, and La Réunion-Roland-Garros Airport).^[77] Its traffic is very strongly polarized by metropolitan France, with very limited (192,244 passengers in 2017) and declining international traffic.

Former Martinique Plantation train (030-T-Corpet)

Railroads

At the beginning of the 20th century, Martinique had more than 240 km of railways serving the sugar factories (cane transport). Only one tourist train remains in Sainte-Marie between the Saint-James house and the banana museum.^[76]

Communications

The country code top-level domain for Martinique is .mq, but .fr is often used instead. The country code for international dialling is 596. The entire island uses a single area code (also 596) for landline phones and 696 for cell phones. (596 is dialled twice when calling a Martinique landline from another country.)^[78]

Mobile telephony

There are three mobile telephone networks in Martinique: Orange, SFR Caraïbe and Digicel. The arrival of Free, in partnership with Digicel, was planned for 2020.45

According to Arcep, by mid-2018, Martinique is 99% covered by 4G.^[79]

Television

The DTT package includes 10 free channels: 4 national channels of the France Télévisions group, the news channel France 24, Arte and 4 local channels Martinique 1re, ViàATV, KMT Télévision. Zouk TV stopped broadcasting in April 2021 and will be subsequently replaced by Zitata TV, whose broadcasting is delayed following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Viewers in Martinique do not have free access to other free national channels in the DTT package in mainland France (TF1 group, M6 group, etc.).

Viewers in the French overseas territories also do not have free access to the public service cultural channel Culturebox, which is not broadcast locally on DTT.^[80]

The French-language satellite package Canal+ Caraïbes is available in the territory.

Telephone and Internet

In early 2019, Orange put into service "Kanawa", a new submarine cable linking Martinique to French Guiana.

Martinique is also connected by other submarine cables: ECFS (en), Americas-2 (en) and Southern Caribbean Fiber.^[81]

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Caribbean

Caribbean

The Caribbean is a subregion of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea and its islands, the nearby coastal areas on the mainland may also be included. The region is southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and the North American mainland, east of Central America, and north of South America.

List of airports in Martinique

List of airports in Martinique

This is a list of airports in Martinique, sorted by location.

Fort-de-France

Fort-de-France

Fort-de-France is a commune and the capital city of Martinique, an overseas department and region of France located in the Caribbean. It is also one of the major cities in the Caribbean.

Domicile (law)

Domicile (law)

In law and conflict of laws, domicile is relevant to an individual's "personal law", which includes the law that governs a person's status and their property. It is independent of a person's nationality. Although a domicile may change from time to time, a person has only one domicile, or residence, at any point in their life, no matter what their circumstances. Domicile is distinct from habitual residence, where there is less focus on future intent.

Country code top-level domain

Country code top-level domain

A country code top-level domain (ccTLD) is an Internet top-level domain generally used or reserved for a country, sovereign state, or dependent territory identified with a country code. All ASCII ccTLD identifiers are two letters long, and all two-letter top-level domains are ccTLDs.

.mq

.mq

.mq is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Martinique.

.fr

.fr

.fr is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) in the Domain Name System of the Internet for France. It is administered by AFNIC. The domain includes all individuals and organizations registered at the Association française pour le nommage Internet en coopération (AFNIC).

List of country calling codes

List of country calling codes

Country calling codes, country dial-in codes, or international subscriber dialing (ISD) codes are telephone number prefixes for reaching telephone subscribers in foreign countries or areas via international telecommunication networks. Country codes are defined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in ITU-T standards E.123 and E.164. The prefixes enable international direct dialing (IDD).

4G

4G

4G is the fourth generation of broadband cellular network technology, succeeding 3G and preceding 5G. A 4G system must provide capabilities defined by ITU in IMT Advanced. Potential and current applications include amended mobile web access, IP telephony, gaming services, high-definition mobile TV, video conferencing, and 3D television.

France 24

France 24

France 24 is a French state-owned international news television network based in Paris. Its channels broadcast in French, English, Arabic, and Spanish and are aimed at the overseas market.

COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified in an outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019. Attempts to contain it there failed, allowing the virus to spread to other areas of Asia and later worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on 30 January 2020, and a pandemic on 11 March 2020. As of 10 March 2023, the pandemic had caused more than 676 million cases and 6.88 million confirmed deaths, making it one of the deadliest in history.

Digital terrestrial television

Digital terrestrial television

Digital terrestrial television is a technology for terrestrial television in which land-based (terrestrial) television stations broadcast television content by radio waves to televisions in consumers' residences in a digital format. DTTV is a major technological advance over the previous analog television, and has largely replaced analog which had been in common use since the middle of the 20th century. Test broadcasts began in 1998 with the changeover to DTTV beginning in 2006 and is now complete in many countries. The advantages of digital terrestrial television are similar to those obtained by digitising platforms such as cable TV, satellite, and telecommunications: more efficient use of limited radio spectrum bandwidth, provision of more television channels than analog, better quality images, and potentially lower operating costs for broadcasters.

Population

Martinique had a population of 364,508 as of January 2019. The population has been decreasing by 0.9% per year since 2013.^[82] There are an estimated 260,000 people of Martinican origin living in mainland France, most of them in the Paris region. Emigration was highest in the 1970s, causing population growth to almost stop, but it is comparatively light today.^[10]

Ethnic groups

The population of Martinique is mainly of African descent generally mixed with European, Amerindian (Carib), Indian (descendants of 19th-century Tamil and Telugu immigrants from South India), Lebanese, Syrian or Chinese. Martinique also has a small Syro-Lebanese community, a small Indian community, a small but increasing Chinese community, and the Béké community, descendants of the first European settlers.^[10]

The Béké population represents around 1% of Martinique's population,^[83] mostly of noble ancestry or members of the old bourgeoisie. In addition to the island population, the island hosts a mainland French community, most of which live on the island on a temporary basis (generally from 3 to 5 years).

Religion

Cathédrale Saint Louis

About 90% of Martiniquans are Christian, predominantly Roman Catholic as well as smaller numbers of various Protestant denominations.^[10] There are much smaller communities of other faiths such as Islam, Hinduism and the Baháʼí Faith.

The island has 49 parishes^[84] and several historic places of worship, such as the Saint-Louis Cathedral of Fort de France,^[85] the Sacred Heart Church of Balata,^[86] and the Co-Cathedral of Our Lady of Assumption, Saint-Pierre.^[87]

Catholic Church

Catholic Christians follow the Latin rite, with parishes in each municipality and village of the territory.^[88] The island has the following places of worship classified as historic monuments:

• Saint-Louis Cathedral (Cathédrale Saint Louis) in Fort-de-France, erected in 1850 by a bull of Pope Pius IX, is currently the seat of the archdiocese of Saint-Pierre and Fort-de-France since 1967.
• Church of the Sacré-coeur (Sacred Heart) in Balata
• Cathedral of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption (Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption) in Saint-Pierre de la Martinique. The former church of Mouillage, located on the corner of Victor Hugo Street and Dupuy Street, in the Mouillage district of Saint-Pierre, was completed in 1956.
• Our Lady of the Assumption Church, in Sainte-Marie, a town in Martinique, dates to 1658.

The Archdiocese of Saint-Pierre and Fort-de-France (Latin: archidioecesis Sancti Petri et Arcis Gallicae seu Martinicensis) is an ecclesiastical circumscription of the Catholic Church in the Caribbean, based in Saint-Pierre and Fort-de-France, on the island of Martinique. The archdiocese of Saint-Pierre and Fort-de-France is metropolitan and its suffragan dioceses are Basse-Terre and Pointe-à-Pitre and Cayenne.

Languages

Multilingual welcome sign in Fort-de-France. Kontan wè zot is Martiniquan Creole for "Happy to see you."

The official language of Martinique is French, which is spoken by most of the population. The department was integrated into France in 1946, and consequently became French.^[89] Most residents also speak Martinican Creole (Martinique Creole, Kréyol Mat'nik, Kreyòl), a form of Antillean Creole closely related to the varieties spoken in neighboring English-dominated islands of Saint Lucia and Dominica. Martiniquan Creole is based on French, Carib and African languages with elements of English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Also, unlike other varieties of French creole, such as Mauritian Creole, Martinican Creole is not readily understood by speakers of Standard French due to significant differences in grammar, syntax, vocabulary and pronunciation. It continues to be used in oral storytelling traditions and other forms of speech and to a lesser extent in writing.

French and Creole are in a diglossic situation in Martinique,^[90][91] where French is used in official dialogue and Martinican Creole is used in casual or familial contexts.^[91] Creole was a spoken language with a developed "oraliture"; it wasn't until the mid 20th century that Martinican Creole began to be written.^[91] Since then, decreolization of the language has taken place via the adoption of Standard French features, mostly unconsciously, but some speakers have noticed that they do not speak Creole like their parents once did.^[91]

Being an overseas department of France, the island has European, French, Caribbean, Martinican, black and Creole markers of identity, all being influenced by foreign factors, social factors, cultural factors and, as a reportedly important marker, linguistic practices.^[89] Martinican and Creole identities are specifically asserted through encouragement of Creole and its use in literature, in a movement known as Créolité, that was started by Patrick Chamoiseau, Jean Bernabé and Raphaël Confiant.^[89][92] Martinican Creole used to be a shameful language, and it wasn't until the 1970s that it has been revalorized through literature and increasing code switching.^[89][91][92] People now speak Martinican Creole more often and in more contexts.^[92]

Speaking Creole in public schools was forbidden until 1982, which is thought to have discouraged parents from using Creole in the home.^[93] In collaboration with GEREC (Groupe d'Etudes et de Recherches en Espace Créolophone) Raphaël Confiant created KAPES KREYOL^[90] (CAPES for Creole, Certificat d'aptitude au professorat de l'enseignement du second degré), which is an aptitude exam that allowed Creole teachers in secondary school.^[91] This debuted 9 February 2001.^[90] Recently, the education authority, Académie de la Martinique, launched "Parcours Creole +" in 2019, a project trialling bilingual education of children in French and Martinican Creole. Rather than being a topic to be learned itself, Creole became a language that classes were taught in, such as arts, math, physical activity, etc.^[94]

Though Creole is normally not used in professional situations, members of the media and politicians have begun to use it more frequently as a way to redeem national identity and prevent cultural assimilation by mainland France.

Linguistic features of Martinican Creole

Martinican Creole has general locative marking (GLM, also called general locative adposition, goal/source (in)difference and motion-to=motion-from). This means that source locations, final locations and static entity locations are expressed morphologically identically.^[95] Some West African languages that are possibly contributors to Martinican Creole also present GLM.^[95] Martinican Creole locative marking exists in 3 morphological types, including:

1. spatial prepositions as free morphemes;
   • These include "an" (in), "adan" (inside), "douvan" (in front), "anba" (under) and "anlè" (on).
2. spatial morphemes "a-", "an(n)-", and "o(z)-" bound to the noun on their right;
   • Only bare lexemes that depict certain locations will take on these particles
3. phonologically null locative markers
   • In ambiguous sentences, these are added to polysyllabic city names^[95]

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Demographics of Martinique

Demographics of Martinique

This is a list of the demographics of Martinique, a Caribbean island and an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France.

Baháʼí Faith

Baháʼí Faith

The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people. Established by Baháʼu'lláh, it initially developed in Iran and parts of the Middle East, where it has faced ongoing persecution since its inception. The religion is estimated to have 5–8 million adherents, known as Baháʼís, spread throughout most of the world's countries and territories.

African diaspora

African diaspora

The African diaspora is the worldwide collection of communities descended from native Africans or people from Africa, predominantly in the Americas. The term most commonly refers to the descendants of the West and Central Africans who were enslaved and shipped to the Americas via the Atlantic slave trade between the 16th and 19th centuries, with their largest populations in Brazil, the United States, and Haiti. However, the term can also be used to refer to the descendants of North Africans who immigrated to other parts of the world. Some scholars identify "four circulatory phases" of this migration out of Africa. The phrase African diaspora gradually entered common usage at the turn of the 21st century. The term diaspora originates from the Greek διασπορά which gained popularity in English in reference to the Jewish diaspora before being more broadly applied to other populations.

Indo-Martiniquais

Indo-Martiniquais

Indo-Martiniquais are an ethnic group of Martinique, compromising approximately 10% of the population of the island. The Indo-Martiniquais are descendants of indentured labourers of the nineteenth century from India of primarily Tamil and of other Indian origin. They are primarily most concentrated in the northern communes of Martinique, where the main plantations are located. The Indo-Martiniquais speak Antillean a French-based creole.

Tamils

Tamils

The Tamil people, also known as Tamilar, or simply Tamils, are a Dravidian ethno-linguistic group who trace their ancestry mainly to India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu, union territory of Puducherry and to Sri Lanka. Tamils who speak the Tamil Language and are born in Tamil clans are considered Tamilians. Tamils constitute 5.9% of the population in India, 15% in Sri Lanka, 7% in Malaysia, 6% in Mauritius, and 5% in Singapore.

Syria

Syria

Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a Western Asian country located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It is a unitary republic that consists of 14 governorates (subdivisions), and is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east and southeast, Jordan to the south, and Israel and Lebanon to the southwest. Cyprus lies to the west across the Mediterranean Sea. A country of fertile plains, high mountains, and deserts, Syria is home to diverse ethnic and religious groups, including the majority Syrian Arabs, Kurds, Turkmens, Assyrians, Circassians, Armenians, Albanians, Greeks, and Chechens. Religious groups include Muslims, Christians, Alawites, Druze, and Yazidis. The capital and largest city of Syria is Damascus. Arabs are the largest ethnic group, and Sunni Muslims are the largest religious group. Syria is the only country that is governed by Ba'athists, who advocate Arab socialism and Arab nationalism. Syria is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Lebanese people

Lebanese people

The Lebanese people are the people inhabiting or originating from Lebanon. The term may also include those who had inhabited Mount Lebanon and the Anti-Lebanon Mountains prior to the creation of the modern Lebanese state. The major religious groups among the Lebanese people within Lebanon are Shia Muslims (27%), Sunni Muslims (27%), Maronite Christians (21%), Greek Orthodox Christians (8%), Melkite Christians (5%), Druze (5.2%), Protestant Christians (1%). The largest contingent of Lebanese, however, comprise a diaspora in North America, South America, Europe, Australia and Africa, which is predominantly Maronite Christian.

Overseas Chinese

Overseas Chinese

Overseas Chinese refers to people of Chinese birth or ethnicity who reside outside Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. As of 2011, there were over 40.3 million overseas Chinese.

Béké

Béké

Béké or beke is an Antillean Creole term to describe a descendant of the early European, usually French, settlers in the French Antilles.

Bourgeoisie

Bourgeoisie

The bourgeoisie is an elite aristocratic social class, equivalent to the upper class. They are distinguished from, and traditionally contrasted with, the proletariat by their wealth and intelligentsia, as well as their great cultural and financial capital. They are sometimes divided into a petty, middle, large, upper, and ancient bourgeoisie and collectively designated as "the bourgeoisie".

Hinduism in Martinique

Hinduism in Martinique

Hinduism is followed in Martinique by a small number of Indo-Martiniquais. As of 2007, Hinduism constituted 0.3% of the population of Martinique.

Christians

Christians

Christians are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words Christ and Christian derive from the Koine Greek title Christós (Χριστός), a translation of the Biblical Hebrew term mashiach (מָשִׁיחַ). While there are diverse interpretations of Christianity which sometimes conflict, they are united in believing that Jesus has a unique significance. The term Christian used as an adjective is descriptive of anything associated with Christianity or Christian churches, or in a proverbial sense "all that is noble, and good, and Christ-like." It does not have a meaning of 'of Christ' or 'related or pertaining to Christ'.

Martinique dancers in traditional dress

As an overseas département of France, Martinique's culture blends French and Caribbean influences. The city of Saint-Pierre (destroyed by a volcanic eruption of Mount Pelée), was often referred to as the "Paris of the Lesser Antilles". Following traditional French custom, many businesses close at midday to allow a lengthy lunch, then reopen later in the afternoon.

Today, Martinique has a higher standard of living than most other Caribbean countries. French products are easily available, from Chanel fashions to Limoges porcelain. Studying in the métropole (mainland France, especially Paris) is common for young adults. Martinique has been a vacation hotspot for many years, attracting both upper-class French and more budget-conscious travelers.

Cuisine

Martinique has a hybrid cuisine, mixing elements of African, French, Carib Amerindian and Indian subcontinental traditions. One of its most famous dishes is the Colombo (compare kuzhambu (Tamil: குழம்பு) for gravy or broth), a unique curry of chicken (curry chicken), meat or fish with vegetables, spiced with a distinctive masala of Tamil origins, sparked with tamarind, and often containing wine, coconut milk, cassava and rum. A strong tradition of Martiniquan desserts includes cakes made with pineapple, rum, and a wide range of local ingredients.

Literature

Schoelcher Library

Sisters Jeanne Nardal and Paulette Nardal were involved in the creation of the Négritude movement. Yva Léro was a writer and painter who co-founded the Women's Union of Martinique. Marie-Magdeleine Carbet wrote with her partner under the pseudonym Carbet.

Aimé Césaire is perhaps Martinique's most famous writer; he was one of the main figures in the Négritude literary movement.^[96] René Ménil was a surrealist writer who founded the journal Tropiques with Aimé and Suzanne Césaire and later formulated the concept of Antillanité. Other surrealist writers of that era included Étienne Léro and Jules Monnerot, who co-founded the journal Légitime Défense with Simone Yoyotte and Ménil. Édouard Glissant was later influenced by Césaire and Ménil, and in turn had an influence on Patrick Chamoiseau, who founded the Créolité movement with Raphaël Confiant and Jean Bernabé. Raphaël Confiant was a poetry, prose and non-fiction writer who supports Creole and tries to bring both French and Creole (Martinican and Guadeloupean) together in his work.^[90] He is specifically known for his contribution to the Créolité movement.

Frantz Fanon, a prominent critic of colonialism and racism, was also from Martinique.

Music

Martinique has a large popular music industry, which gained in international renown after the success of zouk music in the later 20th century. Zouk's popularity was particularly intense in France, where the genre became an important symbol of identity for Martinique and Guadeloupe.^[97] Zouk's origins are in the folk music of Martinique and Guadeloupe, especially Martinican chouval bwa, and Guadeloupan gwo ka. There's also notable influence of the pan-Caribbean calypso tradition and Haitian kompa.

Symbols and flags

As a part of the French Republic, the French tricolour is in use and La Marseillaise is sung at national French events. When representing Martinique outside of the island for sport and cultural events the civil flag is 'Ipséité' and the anthem is 'Lorizon'.^[98] Martinique's civil ensign is the cross of St Michael (white cross with four blue quarters with one snake in each), which is the official civil ensign of Martinique (it also used to be the civil ensign of Saint Lucia). A coat of arms adaptation of the civil ensign (also called the "snake flag") was used in an unofficial but formal context such as by the Gendarmerie until 2018. Pro-independence activists also have their own flag, using red, black and green.

• 

  The Ipséité is a civil flag, designed for use in international cultural and sporting events to represent the territory.

• 

  Flag sometimes used by Martinique in taekwondo competitions.

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  Civil ensign of Martinique, a St Michael cross with white snakes. Also called the 'snake flag' of Martinique. Its use is sometimes controversial.

• 

  Also called ‘red, green and black’, this flag is used by the independence movement.

• 

  Flag of the High Council of Martinique (Collectivité Territoriale de la Martinique).

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Culture of Martinique

Culture of Martinique

As an overseas départment of France, Martinique's culture is French and Caribbean. Its former capital, Saint-Pierre, was often referred to as the Paris of the Lesser Antilles. The official language is French, although many Martinicans speak a Creole patois. 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.

Caribbean

Caribbean

The Caribbean is a subregion of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea and its islands, the nearby coastal areas on the mainland may also be included. The region is southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and the North American mainland, east of Central America, and north of South America.

Lesser Antilles

Lesser Antilles

The Lesser Antilles are a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. Most of them are part of a long, partially volcanic island arc between the Greater Antilles to the north-west and the continent of South America. The islands of the Lesser Antilles form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea where it meets the Atlantic Ocean. Together, the Lesser Antilles and the Greater Antilles make up the Antilles. The Lesser and Greater Antilles, together with the Lucayan Archipelago, are collectively known as the West Indies.

Chanel

Chanel

Chanel is a French luxury fashion house founded in 1910 by Coco Chanel in Paris. Chanel specializes in women's ready-to-wear, luxury goods, and accessories and licenses its name and branding to Luxottica for eyewear. Chanel is well known for its No. 5 perfume and "Chanel Suit". Chanel is credited for revolutionizing haute couture and ready-to-wear by replacing structured, corseted silhouettes with more functional garments that women still found flattering.

Limoges porcelain

Limoges porcelain

Limoges porcelain is hard-paste porcelain produced by factories in and around the city of Limoges, France beginning in the late 18th century, but does not refer to a particular manufacturer. By about 1830, Limoges, which was close to the areas where suitable clay was found, had replaced Paris as the main centre for private porcelain factories, although the state-owned Sèvres porcelain near Paris remained dominant at the very top of the market. Limoges has maintained this position to the present day.

Culture of India

Culture of India

Indian culture is the heritage of social norms and technologies that originated in or are associated with the ethno-linguistically diverse India. The term also applies beyond India to countries and cultures whose histories are strongly connected to India by immigration, colonisation, or influence, particularly in South Asia and Southeast Asia. India's languages, religions, dance, music, architecture, food and customs differ from place to place within the country.

Kuzhambu

Kuzhambu

Kuḻambu, is a common dish in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lankan cuisines, and is a tamarind based dish that can include a variety of meat, vegetables, and in some cases, dal.

Coconut milk

Coconut milk

Coconut milk is an opaque, milky-white liquid extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of coconut milk are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food ingredient used in Southeast Asia, Oceania, South Asia, and East Africa. It is also used for cooking in the Caribbean, tropical Latin America, and West Africa, where coconuts were introduced during the colonial era.

Cassava

Cassava

Manihot esculenta, commonly called cassava, manioc, or yuca, is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates. Though it is often called yuca in parts of Spanish America and in the United States, it is not related to yucca, a shrub in the family Asparagaceae. Cassava is predominantly consumed in boiled form, but substantial quantities are used to extract cassava starch, called tapioca, which is used for food, animal feed, and industrial purposes. The Brazilian farinha, and the related garri of West Africa, is an edible coarse flour obtained by grating cassava roots, pressing moisture off the obtained grated pulp, and finally drying it.

Jeanne Nardal

Jeanne Nardal

Jeanne "Jane" Nardal was a French writer, philosopher, teacher, and political commentator from Martinique. She and her sister, Paulette Nardal, are considered to have laid the theoretical and philosophical groundwork of the Négritude movement, a cultural, political, and literary movement, which first emerged in 1930s, Paris and sought to unite Black intellectuals in the current and former French colonies. The term "Négritude" itself was coined by Martiniquan writer-activist Aimé Césaire, one of the three individuals formally recognized as the "fathers" of the cultural movement, along with Senegalese poet Léopold Senghor and French Guianese writer Léon Damas. It was not until relatively recently, however, that the women involved in the Négritude movement, including Jane and Paulette Nardal, began to receive the recognition they were due.

Marie-Magdeleine Carbet

Marie-Magdeleine Carbet

Marie-Magdeleine Carbet, the pen name Anna Marie-Magdeleine, was an Afro-Martiniquais writer and educator. She and her lesbian partner co-wrote poems, stories and songs under the joint pseudonym Carbet, which left them free to explore sensitive topics, usually forbidden to women. She won several literary prizes from French cultural organizations.

Aimé Césaire

Aimé Césaire

Aimé Fernand David Césaire was a French poet, author, and politician. He was "one of the founders of the Négritude movement in Francophone literature" and coined the word négritude in French. He founded the Parti progressiste martiniquais in 1958, and served in the French National Assembly from 1945 to 1993 and as President of the Regional Council of Martinique from 1983 to 1988.

Louis Achille Stadium

Association football

The Martinique national football team^[99] is affiliated with CONCACAF,^[99] but not FIFA,^[100] so it does not play in World Cup Qualifiers, but can play friendly matches and CONCACAF tournaments such as the CONCACAF Nations League and Gold Cup.^[100] Since Martiniquais people are French citizens, they may choose to represent France in international competitions. Several French players also have had roots in Martinique although they were born or raised in France. Among the most famous include Thierry Henry, Eric Abidal, Raphaël Varane, Sylvain Wiltord and Loïc Rémy, all of whom represented France on multiple occasions and in Henry's case won the European Golden Boot twice. Henry and Varane also have won a FIFA World Cup each.

Martinique has its own soccer league known as the Ligue de Football de Martinique.^[101] The Martinique men's soccer championship, known as the Regional 1 (R1)^[102] – Trophée Gérard Janvion, is a premier local soccer competition in the territory. It is held annually in the form of a championship between fourteen amateur clubs between the months of September and May. The competition is organized by the Martinique Football League and, although the clubs in the league are affiliated with the French Football Federation, there is no promotion to the French national championships.

At the end of the twenty-six-day (two-stage) championship, the top four teams qualify for the Ligue Antilles, while the bottom three are relegated to the lower division, the Régionale 2.^[103]

Surf

153rd International Surfing Championship, Basse-Pointe, Martinique

The Martinique Surf Pro^[104] is an international surfing competition held every year in April in Basse-Pointe (Martinique).^[105] It was created in 2015 by two Martinicans, Nicolas Ursulet and Nicolas Clémenté^[106] and is organized by the Caribbean Surf Project (CSP).51 It is the only Caribbean competition in the World Surf League, the world surfing championship. It is part of the World Qualifying Series calendar, the entry league to the WSL's elite circuit, the Championship Tour.^[107]

Regattas

Le Tour de Yoles Rondes de Martinique is an annual sailing regatta,^[108] the island's largest sporting event, which takes place in late July and early August and is very popular with spectators.^[109]

The event is organized by the Fédération des yoles rondes. Crews circumnavigate Martinique on a 180-kilometer course over eight stages. The race begins with a prologue time trial from the starting town.

The time trial determines the starting order of the first ten boats, and the time between starts is determined by the advantage of each boat over the next during the prologue; all Boats below the top ten start simultaneously. The next seven legs circumnavigate the island. The leg around the southern part of the island, starting in the commune of Le Diamant, passing through Sainte-Anne and finishing in Le François, is known as the Défi de l'Espace Sud (Southern Challenge Zone).

Tour des Yoles

Handball

The Martinique Handball Championship, organized by the Martinique Handball League,^[110] concludes with the Poule des As (play-off) which determines the Martinique champion in the women's and men's categories. The Poule des As is a very popular event in Martinique, the pavilions are filled for the finals held at the Palais des Sports de Lamentin.

The highest division is the Pré-Nationale, equivalent to the Pré-Nationale (or even the Nationale 3) in metropolitan France. The champions of the Poule des As come every year to Metropolitan France to play in the finals of the French Handball Championships of N1, N2 and N3 Women, N2 and N3 Men Metropolitan/Ultra Marines.

The winners (female and male) of the Martinique Handball Cup, receive a reward of 10 000 Euros. The main players of the Martinique Handball Championship in recent years have been: Katty Piejos, Cédric Sorhaindo, Joël Abati.

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FIFA

FIFA

The Fédération internationale de football association is the international governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded in 1904 to oversee international competition among the national associations of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, its membership now comprises 211 national associations. These national associations must each also be members of one of the six regional confederations into which the world is divided: CAF (Africa), AFC, UEFA (Europe), CONCACAF, OFC (Oceania) and CONMEBOL.

CONCACAF

CONCACAF

The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football, abbreviated as CONCACAF, is one of FIFA's six continental governing bodies for association football. Its 41 member associations represent countries and territories mainly in North America, including the Caribbean and Central America, and, for geopolitical reasons, three nations from the Guianas subregion of South America—Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. The CONCACAF's primary functions are to organize competitions for national teams and clubs, and to conduct the World Cup and Women's World Cup qualifying tournaments.

CONCACAF Nations League

CONCACAF Nations League

The CONCACAF Nations League is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the member associations of CONCACAF, the regional governing body of North America. The tournament takes place on dates allocated for international friendlies on the FIFA International Match Calendar. A one-time qualifying tournament took place from September 2018 to March 2019 and the inaugural tournament began in September 2019.

CONCACAF Gold Cup

CONCACAF Gold Cup

The CONCACAF Gold Cup is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the continental champion of North America, which includes Central America and the Caribbean. The Gold Cup is held every two years. The tournament succeeded the CONCACAF Championship (1963–1989), with its inaugural edition being held in 1991.

France national football team

France national football team

The France men's national football team represents France in men's international football matches. It is governed by the French Football Federation, the governing body for football in France. It is a member of UEFA in Europe and FIFA in global competitions. The team's colors and imagery reference two national symbols: the French red-white-blue tricolour and Gallic rooster. The team is colloquially known as Les Bleus. They play home matches at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis and train at INF Clairefontaine in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines.

Eric Abidal

Eric Abidal

Eric Sylvain Abidal is a French former professional footballer who played as a left-back or centre-back.

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup

The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested among the senior men's national teams of the 211 members by the sport's global governing body - Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). The tournament has been held every four years since the inaugural tournament in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946 when it was not held because of the Second World War. The reigning champions are Argentina, who won their third title at the 2022 tournament.

French Football Federation

French Football Federation

The French Football Federation is the governing body of football in France. It was formed in 1919 and is based in the capital, Paris. The FFF was a founding member of FIFA and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the game of football in France, both professional and amateur. The French Football Federation is a founding member of UEFA and joined FIFA in 1907 after replacing the USFSA, who were founding members.

Caribbean

Caribbean

The Caribbean is a subregion of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea and its islands, the nearby coastal areas on the mainland may also be included. The region is southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and the North American mainland, east of Central America, and north of South America.

Championship

Championship

In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.

Le Tour de Yoles Rondes de Martinique

Le Tour de Yoles Rondes de Martinique

Le Tour de la Martinique des Yoles Rondes is an annual sailing regatta on Martinique. The island's largest sporting event, it takes place in late July and early August and is popular with spectators.

Circumnavigation

Circumnavigation

Circumnavigation is the complete navigation around an entire island, continent, or astronomical body. This article focuses on the circumnavigation of Earth.

Below is a list of notable people born in Martinique, with at least one parent or grandparent born in Martinique, or who are living or have lived in Martinique.

Painters and sculptors

• Victor Anicet^[111]
• Jean-François Boclé^[112]
• Hector Charpentier^[113][114]
• Henri Guédon^[115]
• René Louise^[116]
• Joseph René-Corail, also known as Khokho^[117]

Film-makers, screenwriters, directors and actors

Viktor Lazlo (Paris Book Fair 2011).

• Lucien Jean-Baptiste
• Alex Descas
• Viktor Lazlo
• Darling Légitimus
• Chris Macari
• Euzhan Palcy
• Stéfi Celma
• Cathy Rosier

Singers, musicians or music groups

Jocelyne Béroard at the Mons International Film Festival (May 2007). She was made Officier des l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2020 and National Order of the Legion of Honor in 2014.

Joeystarr at Art Rock 2007, Saint-Brieuc (February 2011).

Kalash, rapper and singer of Dancehall and Trap.

• Paulo Albin : author, composer and performer, lead singer in La Perfecta
• Jenny Alpha : actress and singer
• Jocelyne Béroard : author and part of the group Kassav' and first woman to receive a double gold record for the sales of her album Siwo in the Antilles. She was made Officer of l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2020 and National Order of the Legion of Honor in 2014.
• Mino Cinelu : musician
• Cyril Cinélu : winner of Star Académy 2006
• Miss Dominique : singer
• Gibson Brothers : a disco/salsa band from Sainte-Marie
• Christina Goh : singer and songwriter of blues-chanson réaliste music
• JoeyStarr : rapper, producer and actor
• Simon Jurad : author, composer, performer (former guitarist of La Perfecta)
• Lord Kossity : rapper and dancehall singer. In 1998, he recorded the hit Ma Benz with Kool Shen and JoeyStarr on Suprême NTM's album, which made him a household name in France.^[118][119]
• Philippe Lavil : singer, author, composer and performer
• Kalash : rapper - his hit "Mwaka Moon" featuring rapper Damso has more than 200 million views on YouTube.^[120]
• Tiitof : rapper and trap music artist.
• Viktor Lazlo : actress and singer
• Princess Lover : zouk singer^[121]
• Malavoi : band mixing French Antillean music with modern influences from across the Americas
• Edmond Mondésir : author, composer and singer of Bèlè music
• La Perfecta : a band which played music including cadence and compas most active in the 1970s and 80's.
• Ronald Rubinel : author, composer, performer and producer of zouk.^[122][123]
• Dédé Saint Prix : singer and traditional musician playing chouval bwa
• Shy'm : French R'n'B singer and dancer
• Axel Tony : singer
• Lynnsha : singer, author, composer and performer of zouk
• Eddy Marc : zouk singer^[124]
• Stacy: zouk singer, nominee for Best New International Act at the BET Awards 2020.^[125]

Sports personalities

Athletics / Parathletics

• Marie-José Pérec
• Coralie Balmy
• Ghislaine Barnay
• Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos
• Mandy François-Elie^[126]
• Max Morinière
• Hermann Panzo
• Ronald Pognon

Basketball

• Marielle Amant
• Leslie Ardon
• Sandrine Gruda
• Ronny Turiaf

Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos is the 2019 European Artistic Gymnastics all-around champion, a two time European champion on floor exercise (2018, 2019), and the 2021 European champion on the balance beam

Coralie Balmy, freestyle swimmer, at the parade of French medallists of the 2012 Olympics (August 2012).

Wendie Renard at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup (July 2011).

Ronny Turiaf at a New York Knicks practice (October 2010).

Football

• Stéphane Abaul
• Fabrice Abriel
• Nicolas Anelka
• Johan Audel
• Jean-Sylvain Babin
• Mickaël Biron
• Garry Bocaly
• Patrick Burner
• Manuel Cabit
• Florian Chabrolle
• Daniel Charles-Alfred
• Paul Chillan
• Jérémie Porsan-Clémenté
• Gaël Clichy
• Charles-Édouard Coridon
• Mathias Coureur
• Sébastien Crétinoir
• Jordy Delem
• Didier Domi
• Julio Donisa
• Gaël Germany
• Joan Hartock
• Thierry Henry
• Christophe Hérelle
• Daniel Hérelle
• Steeven Langil
• Peter Luccin
• Kévin Parsemain
• Patrick Percin
• Frédéric Piquionne
• David Regis
• Loïc Rémy
• Wendie Renard
• Fabrice Reuperné
• Emmanuel Rivière
• Franck Tanasi
• Kévin Théophile-Catherine
• Raphaël Varane
• Sylvain Wiltord
• Axel Witsel
• Jonathan Zebina

Handball

• Joël Abati
• Mathieu Grébille
• Cédric Sorhaindo

Judo

• Amandine Buchard
• Kayra Sayit

Tennis

• Gaël Monfils

Volleyball

• Frantz Granvorka

Politics

Contemporary political figures

Serge Letchimy, President of the Executive Council of Martinique since 2 July 2021, President of the Regional Council of Martinique from 2010 to 2015, Mayor of Fort-de-France from 2001 to 2010 and President of the Martinican Progressive Party since 2005

Pierre-Marie Pory-Papy, Abolitionist and anti-slavery Member of Parliament from 1848 to 1849 and 1871-1874

• Maurice Antiste, Senator and former mayor of François
• David Zobda, Mayor of Lamentin, vice-president of CACEM and member of the Executive Council of Martinique
• Didier Laguerre, Mayor of Fort-de-France, CACEM and Councillor to the Assembly of Martinique
• Yann Monplaisir, Mayor of Saint-Joseph,1st vice-president of the Territorial Authorities of Martinique
• André Lesueur, Mayor of Rivière-Salée and former Conseiller régional of Martinique
• Serge Letchimy, President of the Executive Council of Martinique since 2021, member of the National Assembly of France representing the island of Martinique's 3rd constituency since June 2007
• Josette Manin, Member of Parliament for Martinique, Councillor to the Assembly of Martinique and former President of the General Council of Martinique
• Bruno Nestor Azerot, Mayor of Sainte-Marie, President of CAP Nord Martinique and Councillor to the Assembly of Martinique ^[127]
• Jean-Philippe Nilor, Deputy and Councillor to the Assembly of Martinique
• Luc-Louison Clémenté, Mayor of Schoelcher and President of the CACEM^[128]
• Justin Pamphile, Mayor of Le Lorrain, Councillor to the Assembly of Martinique, President of the Association of Mayors of Martinique
• Nicaise Monrose, Mayor of Sainte-Luce, vice-president of CAESM and member of the Executive Council of Martinique^[129]
• Arnaud René-Corail, Mayor of Les Trois-Ilets, vice-president of CAESM and member of the Executive Council of Martinique
• Marie-Thérèse Casimirius, Mayor of Basse-Pointe, First Vice-president of CAP Nord Martinique and member of the Executive Council of Martinique
• Manuéla Kéclard-Mondésir, Member of Parliament for Martinique
• Lucien Saliber, President of the Assembly of Martinique, 4th Vice President of CAP Nord Martinique, Municipal Councillor of Le Morne-Vert and former mayor of Le Morne-Vert
• Jenny Dulys-Petit, Mayor of Le Morne Rouge and Councillor to the Assembly of Martinique
• Audrey Pulvar, former journalist and politician, Deputy Mayor of Paris and Regional Councillor for Île-de-France, Member of the Standing Committee.
• Karine Jean-Pierre, political advisor, White House Press Secretary.
• Cédric Pemba-Marine was born in Hauts-de-Seine in France, of Martinican origin, and mayor of Le Port-Marly since 2020.^[130]

Politicians of Martinique

Cyrille Bissette deputy from 1849 to 1851 and one of the fathers of the abolition of slavery in Martinique

• Pierre Aliker, doctor and mayor of Fort-de-France
• Josephine Buoneparte, born Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie^[131] was Empress of the French and Queen consort of Italy
• Cyrille Bissette, deputy and one of the fathers of the abolition of slavery in Martinique
• Auguste-François Perrinon, Abolitionist Member of Parliament
• Pierre-Marie Pory-Papy, first black Martinician to become a lawyer, a mayor of Saint-Pierre and Abolitionist Member of Parliament^[132]
• Victor Mazuline, first black Martinican elected Member of Parliament
• Léopold Bissol, deputy and one of the founders of the communist movement in Martinique and the CGT Martinique union
• Aimé Césaire, Deputy Mayor of Fort-de-France and President of the Regional Council
• Camille Darsières, Member of Parliament and President of the Regional Council
• Louis Delgrès, known for the anti-Slavery proclamation signed with his name, dated 10 May 1802, and leading resistance on Guadeloupe to reoccupation and thus the reinstitution of slavery by Napoleonic France in 1802.
• Alcide Delmont, Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies of the nineteenth and nineteenth century, in the government of André Tardieu^[133]
• Ernest Deproge, Member of Parliament for Martinique (1882-1898), President of the General Council and a controversial figure of French colonization^[134]
• Osman Duquesnay, Mayor of Fort-de-France and Member of Parliament ^[135]
• François Duval, Senator from 1968 to 1977, Mayor of François and President of the General Council
• Georges Gratiant, Mayor of Lamentin and President of the General Council^[136]
• Marius Hurard, deputy and founder of the secular school in Martinique^[137]
• Joseph Lagrosillière, deputy and founder of the socialist movement in Martinique^[138]
• Pierre-Alexandre Le Camus, Count of Fürstenstein (born in Martinique in 1774, died in 1824 in Le Chesnay), Secretary of State and foreign minister to Kingdom of Westphalia.
• Henry Lémery, Justice Minister in the government of Gaston Doumergue, Martinician appointed minister in a French government.
• Émile Maurice, Mayor of Saint-Joseph and President of the General Council
• Camille Petit, deputy and founder of the Gaullist movement in Martinique
• Pierre Petit, Mayor of Le Morne-Rouge and Member of Parliament
• Marie-Joseph Pernock served in the National Assembly from 1966 to 1967.
• Michel Renard, Mayor of Marigot and Deputy
• Victor Sévère, Deputy Mayor of Fort-de-France
• Paul Symphor, President of the General Council 1947-1948 and Senator
• Victor Schœlcher (died 1893), deputy of Martinique, 1848-1849 and 1871–1875, known for having acted in favor of the definitive abolition of slavery in France, via the decree of abolition of 1848
• Emmanuel Véry-Hermence 1902–1966, member of the National Assembly

Martinican writers and intellectuals

Aimé Césaire poet, playwright and author of Cahier d'un retour au pays natal. He is one of the founders of Négritude

Édouard Glissant, novelist, poet, essayist and philosopher, he won the Prix Renaudot in 1958, the Prix Puterbaugh in the United States in 1989 and the Prix Roger Caillois in 1991. Edouard Glissant is the founder of the literary movement L'Antillanité and the philosophical concept "Le Tout Monde"

René Ménil, Philosopher, essayist, and winner of the Frantz Fanon prize in 1999. In 1932, he was amongst Martinique literary figures engaged in publishing Légitime Défense^[139]

Patrick Chamoiseau, novelist awarded the Prix Goncourt in 1992 for his novel Texaco and Commander of the ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2010. He is a co-founder of the literary movement, Créolité

René Maran, novelist awarded the Prix Goncourt in 1921 for his novel Batouala

Raphaël Confiant, novelist and cofounder of the literary movement Créolité. He has won several literary prizes including the prix Novembre in 1991 for his novel Eau de café, the Shibusawa-Claudel Prize in Japan, the Antigone Prize, the Caribbean Literary Prize, the Carbet Prize and the Casa de las Américas Prize in Cuba.

A non-exhaustive list of the main novelists, poets, playwrights, essayists, sociologists, economists and historians from Martinique:

• Jacques Adélaïde-Merlande : Historian. In 2000, he was awarded an honorary degree by the University of the West Indies. He is the author of "Histoire générale des Antilles et des Guyanes, des Précolombiens à nos jours" and directed the publication of volumes 3 and 4 of the "Historial antillais" series.^[140][141]
• Alfred Alexandre : a writer, he won the Prix des Amériques insulaires et de la Guyane in 2006 for his novel "Bord de canal".^[142] In 2020, he won the Prix Carbet de la Caraïbe et du Tout-Monde for his collection of poems "The walk of Leïla Khane".
• Sabine Andrivon-Milton : historian, founder of the Association for the Military History of Martinique and Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur, she is the author of "La Martinique pendant la Grande Guerre" a collection of poems and songs, and "Anatole dans la tourmente du Morne Siphon".^[143]
• Jean Bernabé : a writer, linguist and author of several novels including Le Bailleur d'étincelle and Le Partage des ancêtres
• Daniel Boukman : writer, he won the Carbet Prize in 1992, writing Et jusqu'à la dernière pulsation de nos veines, Délivrans, and Chants pour hâter la mort du temps des Orphées ou Madinina île esclave^[144]
• Roland Brival : writer, awarded the prix RFO du livre in 2000 and chevalier de l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2013^[145]
• Guy Cabort-Masson : novelist, who won the Prix de la Fondation Frantz Fanon in 1998 for La Mangrove mulâtre, Martinique, comportements et mentalité^[146]
• Nicole Cage-Florentiny : novelist who won the prix Casa de las Américas 1996 (Cuba) for Arc-en-Ciel, l'espoir, also writing C'est vole que je vole and a bilingual collection of poems, Dèyè pawol sé lanmou / Par-delà les mots l'amour^[147]
• Mayotte Capécia : novelist born in Le Carbet in 1916, the author of two major novels "I Am a Martinican Woman" and "The White Negress". She won the France-Antilles prize for "Je suis martiniquaise" in 1949
• Marie-Magdeleine Carbet : a novelist, whose best-known work is a volume of poetry titled "Rose de ta grâce". She received the Prix littéraire des Caraïbes in 1970
• Paule Cassius de Linval, writer, storyteller and poet. In 1961, his collection of tales "Mon pays à travers les légendes" won the prix Montyon^[148]
• Aimé Césaire : poet and playwright and father of the concept of négritude, Cahier d'un retour au pays natal, Discourse on Colonialism, The Tragedy of King Christophe
• Suzanne Césaire : author of Léo Frobénius et le problème des civilisations and Aurore de la liberté
• Patrick Chamoiseau : novelist awarded the prix Goncourt in 1992 for Texaco, Chronique des sept misères, Une enfance créole ^[149]
• Nadia Chonville : Sociologist and novelist. She is the author of the fantasy novel "Rose de Wégastrie".^[150]
• Raphaël Confiant : novelist awarded the prix Antigone and the prix Novembre for his work Eau de café, Adèle et la Pacotilleuse, La Panse du chacal
• Jean Crusol : economist and author of Les Antilles Guyane et la Caraïbe : coopération et globalisation, Le tourisme et la Caraïbe and L'enjeu des petites Économies insulaires^[151]
• Camille Darsières : and author of : Des origines de la nation martiniquaise, Joseph Lagrosillière, socialiste colonial
• Marie-Reine de Jaham, novelist, made officer of the ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2013, awarded the Prix littéraire des Caraïbes in 1997 and author of the best-selling novel "La Grande Béké"
• Édouard de Lépine : historian and essayist, Sur la Question dite du Statut de la Martinique, Questions sur l'histoire antillaise : trois essais sur l'abolition, l'assimilation, l'autonomie, Dix semaines qui ébranlèrent la Martinique :
• Tony Delsham : a journalist and best selling novelist in the Antilles; he is author of Xavier : Le drame d'un émigré antillais, Papa, est-ce que je peux venir mourir à la maison? and "Tribunal des femmes bafouées".^[152]
• Georges Desportes : novelist, poet and essayist, the author of : Cette île qui est la nôtre, Sous l'œil fixe du soleil and Le Patrimoine martiniquais, souvenirs et réflexions.^[153]
• Suzanne Dracius : novelist awarded the prix de la Société des Poètes français Jacques Raphaël-Leygues in 2010 : Negzagonal et Moun le Sid, and in 2009 Prix Fetkann Maryse Condé in the poetry category for Exquise déréliction métisse^[154]
• Miguel Duplan, a writer and teacher, he won the Prix Carbet de la Caraïbe in 2007 for his novel "L'Acier". He is also the author of the following novels "Le Discours profane" and "Un long silence de Carnaval".
• Victor Duquesnay : Martinican poet. His best-known works are "Les Martiniquaises" and "Les Chansons des Isles".^[155]
• Jude Duranty : writer in French and Martinican Creole. He is the author of "Zouki ici danse", de "La fugue de Sopaltéba" and "Les contes de Layou".^[156]
• Frantz Fanon : essayist, author of Black Skin, White Masks and The Wretched of the Earth
• Georges Fitt-Duval : poet, author of the following collections of poems : "Salut ma patrie", "Floralies-florilèges" and "Environnement, tropiques rayonnants".^[157]
• Édouard Glissant : novelist awarded the prix Renaudot in 1958. He is the author of La Lézarde, La Case du commandeur. In 1992, Edouard Glissant was a finalist for the Nobel prize in Literature, but it was the St. Lucian poet and playwright Derek Walcott who won by one vote.
• Gilbert Gratiant : a pioneer of literature Martinican Creole, writing : Fab' Compè Zicaque, Poèmes en vers faux, Sel et Sargasses.^[158]
• Simonne Henry-Valmore : ethno-psychoanalyst and essayist. She won the prix Frantz Fanon in 1988 for "Dieu en exil". She co-wrote "Aimé Césaire, le nègre inconsolé" with Roger Toumson in 1992, then "objet perdu" in 2013.^[159]
• Fabienne Kanor, novelist, awarded the Prix RFO du livre in 2007 for her novel "Humus". In 2014, she won the Prix Carbet De la Caraïbe for her novel "Faire l'aventure".
• Viktor Lazlo : novelist, singer and actor
• Étienne Léro : co-author of the literary journal Légitime défense and the journal Tropiques
• Yva Léro : novelist, Yva Léro authored "La Plaie", "Peau d'ébène" and "Doucherie".
• Georges-Henri Léotin : novelist in French and Martinician Creole. He is the author of "Memwè la tè", "Mango vèt", and "Bèlè li sid".^[160]
• Marie-Hélène Léotin, historian and executive advisor to the Territorial Collectivity of Martinique in charge of Heritage and Culture, she is the author of "Habiter le monde, Martinique 1946-2006" ;^[161]
• Térèz Léotin : writer in French and Martinican Creole. She is the author of the novels "Le génie de la mer", "La panthère" et "Un bonheur à crédit".^[162]
• André Lucrèce : sociologist and writer author of La pluie de Dieu, Civilisés et énergumènes, and Société et modernité^[163]
• J. Q. Louison : poet and author of the fantasy novel series Le Crocodile assassiné, Le Canari brisé and L'Ère du serpent.^[164]
• Marie-Thérèse Julien Lung-Fou : Martinican writer best known for her collections of "créole tales" published in three volumes in 1979: "Contes mes", "Contes diaboliques, fabliaux" and "Contes animaux, proverbes, titimes ou devinettes". She also wrote the essay entitled "Le Carnaval aux Antilles".^[165]
• Marcel Manville : essayist, and winner of the Frantz Fanon Prize in 1992 for his essay Les Antilles sans fard.^[166]
• René Maran : novelist awarded the prix Goncourt in 1921 for Batouala, Un homme pareil aux autres
• Georges Mauvois : novelist, playwright he won the Casa de las Américas Prize 2004 for Ovando ou Le magicien de Saint-Domingue, Agénor Cacoul, Man Chomil.
• Alfred Melon-Degras, writer, poet and academic. He is the author of"Le silence", "Battre le rappel" and "Avec des si, avec des mains".^[167]
• René Ménil, philosopher and essayist. In 1999, he received the Frantz Fanon Prize for his essay "Antilles déjà jadis".He was also co-founder in 1932 of the journal Légitime Défense and with Aimé Césaire of the cultural review Tropiques in 1941. He is the author of "Tracées : Identité, négritude, esthétique aux Antilles" and "Pour l'émancipation et l'identité du peuple martiniquais". René Ménil, and with Césaire, Fanon and Glissant is one of Martinique's greatest thinkers.
• Monchoachi : the pen name of André Pierre-Louis, a writer in French and Martinician Creole, he won the Carbet Prize and the prix Max-Jacob in 2003. His works include L'Espère-geste, Lakouzémi, Nostrom and Lémistè ^[168]
• Paulette Nardal : co-founder of the journal, La Revue du Monde Noir in 1932 and one of the inspirations of the négritude movement ^[169]
• Jeanne Nardal : Writer, philosopher and essayist, sister of Paulette Nardal
• Armand Nicolas : Martinican historian. He is the author of "Histoire de la Martinique", "La révolution antiesclavagiste de mai 1848 à La Martinique", and "L'Insurrection du Sud à la Martinique, septembre 1870".^[170]
• Gaël Octavia, writer, playwright^[171]
• Xavier Orville : novelist, who won the Frantz Fanon prize in 1993. He wrote Le Corps absent de Prosper Ventura, Le Parfum des belles de nuit.^[172]
• Gilbert Pago : historian and author of "1848 : Chronique de l'abolition de l'esclavage en Martinique", "L'insurrection de Martinique 1870-1871", and "Lumina Sophie dite Surprise (1848-1879) : insurgée et bagnarde".^[173]
• Roger Parsemain : Poet and novelist. He is the author of "L'œuvre des volcans", "l'absence du destin" and "Il chantait des boléros".^[174]
• Eric Pézo, Writer and novelist in French and Martinican Creole, author of the novels : "L'amour sinon rien"; in Martinician Creole, "lanmou épi sé tout", "Marie-Noire", and "Passeurs de rives" and "Lasotjè", a work of poetry.^[175]
• Daniel Picouly : writer, tv host and winner of the Prix Renaudot for L'Enfant Léopard
• Vincent Placoly : winner of the prix Frantz Fanon in 1991. Author of Une journée torride, La vie et la mort de Marcel Gonstran, L'eau-de-mort guildive^[176]
• Alain Rapon, novelist and storyteller. He is the author of the novel "La Présence de l'Absent" and received the Prix littéraire des Caraïbes in 1983. He is also the author of "Ti soleil", "Ti-Fène et la rivière qui chante", "Itinéraire d'un Esprit perdu" and "Danse, petit nègre danse".
• Clément Richer : Martinican novelist and author of "L'homme de la Caravelle". In 1941 and 1948 he was awarded the Prix Paul Flat by the Académie française for his novel "Le dernier voyage de Pembroke" and "La croisière de la Priscilla" and the Prix Marianne in 1939. His novel "Ti Coyo et son requin" has been translated into English, German, Spanish, Danish and Dutch and adapted for film by Italo Calvino as Tiko and the Shark.
• Jean-Marc Rosier : writer in French and Martinican Creole. He won the prix Sonny Rupaire for his novel in Creole, "An lavi chimérik" in 1999, then the prix Carbet de la Caraïbe for his novel "Noirs néons" in 2008 and in the poetry category of the prix Fetkann Maryse Condé for "Urbanîle" in 2015.
• Julienne Salvat : writer, poet, she is the author of Feuillesonge, La lettre d'Avignon
• Juliette Sméralda : sociologist, author of L'Indo-Antillais entre Noirs et Békés, Peau noire cheveu crépu, l'histoire d'une aliénation
• Daniel Thaly : Martinican poet, and librarian of the Schœlcher Library from 1939 to 1945.^[177]
• Raphaël Tardon : writer, author of "La Caldeira" and "Starkenfirst", which received the grand prix littéraire des Antilles in 1948. In 1967, Raphaël Tardon was posthumously awarded the Prix littéraire des Caraïbes in recognition of his life's work.
• Louis-Georges Tin : essayist and academic, the author of Esclavage et réparations : Comment faire face aux crimes de l'histoire and author of a dictionary that documents the history of the treatment of homosexuals in all regions of the world.^[178][179]
• Simone Yoyotte : She was the only woman to participate in producing the literary journal Légitime Défense published in 1932 by young Martinican intellectuals in Paris and considered one of the founding acts of the Négritude movement.
• Joseph Zobel : A novelist, and winner of the Frantz Fanon Prize in 1994. He is the author of : La Rue Cases-Nègres

Other personalities

• Hippolyte Morestin, doctor, associate professor of anatomy and specialist in reconstructive surgery
• Raymond Garcin, neurologist, former member of Académie Nationale de Médecine^[180]
• Georges Le Breton, Doctor of Dental Surgery, former President of the Académie Nationale de Chirurgie dentaire^[181]
• Robert Attuly, Doctor of Law, Judge and former trial judge at the Court of Cassation^[182]
• Harry Roselmack, journalist
• Karine Baste, journalist^[183]
• Manon Tardon, fought with the French Resistance in the Second World War
• Jane Léro, communist and feminist activist and founder of the Union des Femmes de la Martinique (l'UFM; Union of Women of Martinique
• Soa de Muse, drag performer, finalist in first ever season of Drag Race France^[184][185]

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Henri Guédon

Henri Guédon

Henri Guédon was a French percussionist from Martinique. His first band was called La Contesta and he organised it when he was 20. He was awarded a Maracas d'or the first year the awards ran. In 1983, Philippe Langlais invited him to compose a mix of classical and jazz with his orchestra, the resulting composition called Opéra Triangulaire. He was a judo champion 1963-65. Multiple albums fused Antillean rhythms with other music from around the world. Guedon was instrumental in exporting the new sound of 60s and 70s Latin -guaguanco, boogaloo, salsa, descarga - to France and the rest of Europe. When Guedon began placing his percussion instruments at the front of the stage in the style of his great influence Ray Barretto, French audience members found themselves shocked and intrigued. Soon enough, greats like El Conde and Pacheco were touring France. Were it not for Henri Guedon, Europe could have conceivably taken years to move forward from mambo and cha-cha-cha.

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Darling Légitimus

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Chris Macari

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Euzhan Palcy

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Euzhan Palcy is a Martinican-born film director, screenwriter, and producer. Her films are known to explore themes of race, gender, and politics, with an emphasis on the perpetuated effects of colonialism. Palcy's first feature film Sugar Cane Alley (1983) received numerous awards including the César Award for Best First Feature Film. For directing A Dry White Season (1989), she became the first black female director to have a film produced by a major Hollywood studio, that being by MGM.

Cathy Rosier

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Jocelyne Béroard

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La Perfecta

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Martinique is part of the zones not interconnected to the continental metropolitan network (ZNI), which must therefore produce the electricity they consume themselves. For this reason, the ZNI have specific legislation on electricity production and distribution.

Martinique's energy mix is marked by a very strong importance of thermal energy production. At the same time, the island's electricity consumption has decreased slightly. These results can be attributed to the information and awareness-raising efforts of the regions, the Agency for the Environment and Energy Management (ADEME) and energy companies in favor of energy savings, but also to the context of demographic decline of the territory.

Despite these results, the control of the Territory's electricity consumption remains a central issue, given the Territory's low energy potential^[186] compared to other overseas territories, such as Guadeloupe^[187] and Reunion.^[188]

Martinique and its inhabitants are therefore faced with a twofold need: to further strengthen the control of electricity consumption and at the same time develop renewable energies to reduce environmental pollution due to thermal electricity production.

Saut-Gendarme waterfall

Renewable energies

The exploitation of renewable energies in Martinique started late, as the characteristics of the island were previously considered unfavorable for their development. However, the efforts of the population and energy suppliers are moving towards a higher proportion of renewable energies in Martinique's future energy mix.

Article 56 of the Grenelle I Law No. 2009-967 3 August 2009, on the implementation of the Grenelle Environment Forum, sets out the provisions for overseas: in the case of Martinique, the energy objective is to reach 50% renewable energy in final consumption by 2020. Energy autonomy is planned for 2030.

As Martinique's electricity distribution grid is not interconnected with neighboring islands, let alone with the mainland's metropolitan grid, the decree of 23 April 2008, applies to the management of so-called intermittent energies: wind, photovoltaic and marine: any solar and wind power production facility with a capacity exceeding 3 kWp and not equipped with a storage system is liable to be disconnected from the grid by the grid manager once the threshold of 30% of random active power injected into the grid has been reached.

Thus, the achievement of the objectives of the Grenelle I law is subject to the development of Structures with a maximum power of 3 kWp or less, or to the incorporation of storage devices in production facilities.

Water

90% of the water distributed by Martinique's drinking water network comes from Rainwater intakes in five catchment areas. Thus, although there is no shortage of water, the situation becomes very critical in the Lenten period, with abstractions leading to the drying up of several rivers.^[189]

Water resources are abundant but unevenly distributed: Four municipalities (Saint-Joseph, Gros-Morne, le Lorrain and Fort-de-France) provide 85% of Martinique's drinking water.

There is no water catchment in the south of the island. The water consumed in the South comes exclusively from abstractions from the North and the center (mainly from the Blanche River which flows into the Lézarde, the Capot, and the Dumauzé). Thus, 60% of the total is extracted from a single river (the Lézarde and its tributary, the Blanche river). This concentration of abstractions can constitute a risk in a crisis situation, such as a drought for example.^[190]

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Guadeloupe

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Guadeloupe is an archipelago and overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of four inhabited islands—Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Désirade, and the two inhabited Îles des Saintes—as well as many uninhabited islands and outcroppings. It is south of Antigua and Barbuda and Montserrat, north of the Commonwealth of Dominica. The region's capital city is Basse-Terre, located on the southern west coast of Basse-Terre Island; however, the most populous city is Les Abymes and the main centre of business is neighbouring Pointe-à-Pitre, both located on Grande-Terre Island. It had a population of 384,239 in 2019.

Réunion

Réunion

Réunion is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately 679 km (422 mi) east of the island of Madagascar and 175 km (109 mi) southwest of the island of Mauritius. As of January 2023, it had a population of 873,102.

Renewable energy

Renewable energy

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Development economics

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Overseas France

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Photovoltaics

Photovoltaics

Photovoltaics (PV) is the conversion of light into electricity using semiconducting materials that exhibit the photovoltaic effect, a phenomenon studied in physics, photochemistry, and electrochemistry. The photovoltaic effect is commercially used for electricity generation and as photosensors.

Drinking water

Drinking water

Drinking water is water that is used in drink or food preparation; potable water is water that is safe to be used as drinking water. The amount of drinking water required to maintain good health varies, and depends on physical activity level, age, health-related issues, and environmental conditions. Recent work showed that the most important driver of water turnover which is closely linked to water requirements is energy expenditure. For those who work in a hot climate, up to 16 litres (4.2 US gal) a day may be required. Typically in developed countries, tap water meets drinking water quality standards, even though only a small proportion is actually consumed or used in food preparation. Other typical uses for tap water include washing, toilets, and irrigation. Greywater may also be used for toilets or irrigation. Its use for irrigation however may be associated with risks. Water may also be unacceptable due to levels of toxins or suspended solids.

Crisis

Crisis

A crisis is either any event or period that will lead to an unstable and dangerous situation affecting an individual, group, or all of society. Crises are negative changes in the human or environmental affairs, especially when they occur abruptly, with little or no warning. More loosely, a crisis is a testing time for an emergency.

A patient is transferred between aircraft and ambulance at Martinique Aimé Césaire International Airport.

Regional health agency

A regional health agency for Martinique (Agence régionale de santé Martinique) was set up in 2010. It is responsible for applying French health policy in the territory, managing public health and health care regulations.^[191]

Healthcare professionals

As of 1 January 2018, Martinique had a workforce of 1,091 doctors. For each 100,000 people of its population, there was a density of 141 general practitioners, 150 specialists, 53 dentists, 1,156 state certified nurses and 90 pharmacists.^[192] Self-employed doctors are represented by URML Martinique, created under the Hospital, patients, health, territories bill. URML Martinique works in partnership with ARS Martinique, l'Assurance Maladie, the Ministry of Health and Local Authorities to manage regional health policy.^[193]

Health facilities

The University Hospital of Martinique (Le Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Martinique) is a teaching hospital based in Fort-de-France, in an agreement with the University of the French Antilles. It is the largest French- and English-speaking university hospital in the Caribbean, having more than 1600 beds. These include 680 medical, 273 surgical and 100 obstetrics beds, with another 30 in its intensive care unit. The hospital operates a 24-hour emergency service.^[194]

Chlordecone controversy

Actions of the French government

After the discovery of the toxicity of chlordecone, a dangerous insecticide, and the health risks it posed, the French state put in place certain measures to protect the Martinican and Guadeloupean populations, allocating nearly 100 million euros towards the implementation of these measures.^[195] The soils are regularly tested and subjected to strict regulations related to the standards of potability.^[195][196] Martinique is also subject to regular mapping processes to delineate highly contaminated areas. River fishing is also prohibited in order to limit health risks, as rivers represent high-risk contamination areas.^[195]

Since 2008, the French state has developed three action plans establishing strategies to protect local populations, raise awareness regarding the effects of chlordecone, as well as to support the agriculture and fisheries sectors.^[197]

A French parliamentary commission revealed in 2019 that more than 90% of Martinicans have been exposed to chlordecone, which was authorized for use between 1972 and 1993 in the banana plantations of the Antilles. The committee judged the three "Chlordecone Plans" launched by the State since 2008 to be inadequate; recommendations were provided via its rapporteur, Justine Benin MP, to address prevention and research into cleanup methods for a fourth plan, scheduled for 2020.^[198]

The parliamentary commission of inquiry called the French state into question for having authorized the sale of chlordecone as an insecticide, as its toxicity was known, but "responsibilities are shared with economic actors. Firstly, industrialists, but also groups of planters and certain elected officials."^[199]

Health consequences

Chlordecone is known to have harmful effects on human health, with scientific research identifying it as an endocrine disruptor or hormonally-active chemical agent, as well as a probable carcinogen, particularly in relation to increasing chances of prostate cancer occurrence and recurrence.^[197][195] As an endocrine disruptor, chlordecone can also lead to delayed cognitive development in infants, an increased likelihood of pregnancy complications, and may disrupt the reproductive process.^[195]

The chlordecone molecule has physical and chemical characteristics that allow it to remain for several centuries in soil, river-water and groundwater, thus spreading beyond the location of the banana plantations where this insecticide was initially administered.^[195][200] Although chlordecone has not been used since the 1990s, the health risks remain. Chlordecone contamination occurs through contaminated food and drink.^[197]

Local community response

In the streets of Fort-de-France, approximately 5,000 to 15,000 residents of Martinique demonstrated in protest on 27 March 2021, denouncing the possible statute of limitations on a complaint filed by civil parties for the use of chlordecone in causing life endangerment (mise en danger de la vie d'autrui).^[201] The complaint was issued on 23 February 2006.^[201][202]

The French government's actions in response to the historical authorization of chlordecone are often criticized by residents of Martinique and local associations involved in the "Chlordecone Scandal." The lack of information transmitted to the population concerning the danger of chlordecone between 1993 and 2004 is one of the main concerns expressed.^[201]

The civil complaint in 2006 was issued by several associations from the islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe, and was in response to the long-term impacts of government-authorized chlordecone use in polluting the islands' natural environments and affecting the health of inhabitants.^[203]

COVID-19 pandemic

Martinique's first cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) were confirmed in March 2020.^[204] The pandemic has since put provision of health services under significant stress; as of 2 September 2021, Martinique had recorded an excess mortality at all ages, and of all causes since the week beginning 26 July 2021.^[205]

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Martinique Aimé Césaire International Airport

Martinique Aimé Césaire International Airport

Martinique Aimé Césaire International Airport is the international airport of Martinique in the French West Indies. Located in Le Lamentin, a suburb of the capital Fort-de-France, it was opened in 1950 and renamed in 2007, after author and politician Aimé Césaire.

Regional Health Agency

Regional Health Agency

A Regional Health Agency is an administrative public body of the French State responsible for implementing health policy in its region. Created on 1 April 2010, the regional health agencies are governed by Title III of Book IV of the first part of the Public Health Code.

Hospital, patients, health, territories

Hospital, patients, health, territories

Hospital, patients, health, territories is the official name of a French bill presented on 22 October 2008 by Roselyne Bachelot, minister of Health, Youth, Sports and Associative Life. The bill is commonly called bill HPST or bill Bachelot. The bill is the first stage of the Hospital 2012 Plan, launched by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, which aims at revamping of the French health care system. The bill aims at guarantee a better and equal access to care for all French people, whatever their geographic location. This reform needs a complete overhaul of the hospitals organization, which caused strong protests among the staffs.

National Fund for Health Insurance

National Fund for Health Insurance

The National Fund for Health Insurance is the French National health insurance fund. Until 1 January 2018 it was called the National Health Insurance Fund.

Teaching hospital

Teaching hospital

A teaching hospital is a hospital or medical centre that provides medical education and training to future and current health professionals. Teaching hospitals are almost always affiliated with one or more universities and are often co-located with medical schools.

Intensive care unit

Intensive care unit

An intensive care unit (ICU), also known as an intensive therapy unit or intensive treatment unit (ITU) or critical care unit (CCU), is a special department of a hospital or health care facility that provides intensive care medicine.

Chlordecone

Chlordecone

Chlordecone, better known in the United States under the brand name Kepone, is an organochlorine compound and a colourless solid. It is an obsolete insecticide, now prohibited in the western world, but only after many thousands of tonnes had been produced and used. Chlordecone is a known persistent organic pollutant (POP) that was banned globally by the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants in 2009.

Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe is an archipelago and overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of four inhabited islands—Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Désirade, and the two inhabited Îles des Saintes—as well as many uninhabited islands and outcroppings. It is south of Antigua and Barbuda and Montserrat, north of the Commonwealth of Dominica. The region's capital city is Basse-Terre, located on the southern west coast of Basse-Terre Island; however, the most populous city is Les Abymes and the main centre of business is neighbouring Pointe-à-Pitre, both located on Grande-Terre Island. It had a population of 384,239 in 2019.

Rapporteur

Rapporteur

A rapporteur is a person who is appointed by an organization to report on the proceedings of its meetings. The term is a French-derived word.

Justine Benin

Justine Benin

Justine Benin, is a French employment counsellor and politician who briefly served as Secretary of State for the Sea in the government of Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne in 2022. She previously was a deputy in the 15th legislature of the French Fifth Republic for the 2nd constituency of Guadeloupe as part of the Miscellaneous left, affiliated with the Democratic Movement (MoDem).

COVID-19 pandemic in Martinique

COVID-19 pandemic in Martinique

The COVID-19 pandemic in Martinique is part of the ongoing global viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which was confirmed to have reached the French overseas department and region of Martinique on 5 March 2020.

Excess mortality

Excess mortality

In epidemiology, the excess deaths or excess mortality is a measure of the increase in the number deaths during a time period and/or in a certain group, as compared to the expected value or statistical trend during a reference period or in a reference population. It may typically be measured in percentage points, or in number of deaths per time unit.

• In 1887, the artist Paul Gauguin lived in Martinique.^[206] Gauguin painted the tropical landscape and the native women. The Paul Gauguin Interpretation Centre (former Gauguin Museum) is dedicated to his stay on the island.
• In the lyrics of Irving Berlin's 1933 song Heat Wave, the dancer referred to by the title "came from the island of Martinique".
• Various films have been set or filmed on Martinique, notably To Have and Have Not, the 1999 remake of The Thomas Crown Affair,Concorde Affaire '79 and Sugar Cane Alley.
• Mexican writer Caridad Bravo Adams wrote Corazón salvaje (published in 1957), which was set in Martinique.
• Several novelists have use the island as a setting, such as Patrick Chamoiseau (Solibo Magnificent), Jean Rhys (Wide Sargasso Sea), Rex Bestle (Martinique Island) and Carolly Erickson (The Secret Life of Josephine: Napoleon's Bird of Paradise).
• Aimé Césaire's seminal poem Cahier d'un retour au pays natal (Notebook of a Return to the Native Land) envisions the poet's imagined journey back to his homeland Martinique to find it in a state of colossal poverty and psychological inferiority due to the French colonial presence.^[207][208]
• Lafcadio Hearn in 1890 published a travel book titled Two Years in the French West Indies, in which Martinique [Martinique Sketches] is its main topic; his descriptions of the island, people and history are lively observations of life before the Mont Pelée eruption in 1902 that would change the island forever. The Library of America republished his works in 2009 entitled Hearn: American Writings.^[209][210]
• The Island: Martinique by John Edgar Wideman is a travel memoir of an African originated man visiting "a place built on slavery" and a "deeply personal journal of his romance with a Frenchwoman" (2003, National Geographic Society).

Discover more about In popular culture related topics

Irving Berlin

Irving Berlin

Irving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook.

Heat Wave (Irving Berlin song)

Heat Wave (Irving Berlin song)

"Heat Wave" is a popular song written by Irving Berlin for the 1933 musical As Thousands Cheer, and introduced in the show by Ethel Waters.

Concorde Affaire '79

Concorde Affaire '79

Concorde Affaire '79, also known as The Concorde Affair, is a 1979 Italian action thriller directed by Ruggero Deodato and written by Ernesto Gastaldi and Renzo Genta. Released in the same year as The Concorde ... Airport '79 and featuring actor Joseph Cotten, who appeared in Airport '77, the film was an attempt by producers to take advantage of the success of the "Airport" film franchise of the 1970s.

Caridad Bravo Adams

Caridad Bravo Adams

Caridad Bravo Adams was a prolific Mexican writer and the most famous telenovela writer worldwide.

Corazón salvaje (novel)

Corazón salvaje (novel)

Corazón salvaje was a novel written by prolific Mexican writer Caridad Bravo Adams and published in 1957 after it had been adapted to the screen the previous year.

Patrick Chamoiseau

Patrick Chamoiseau

Patrick Chamoiseau is a French author from Martinique known for his work in the créolité movement. His work spans a variety of forms and genres, including novels, essays, children's books, screenplays, theatre and comics. His novel Texaco was awarded the Prix Goncourt in 1992.

Jean Rhys

Jean Rhys

Jean Rhys, was a British novelist who was born and grew up in the Caribbean island of Dominica. From the age of 16, she mainly resided in England, where she was sent for her education. She is best known for her novel Wide Sargasso Sea (1966), written as a prequel to Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre. In 1978, she was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for her writing.

Carolly Erickson

Carolly Erickson

Carolly Erickson is an American author of historical fiction and non-fiction. She lives in Hawaii. In 2008, her book The Tsarina's Daughter won the RT Reader's Choice Award for best Historical Fiction.

Aimé Césaire

Aimé Césaire

Aimé Fernand David Césaire was a French poet, author, and politician. He was "one of the founders of the Négritude movement in Francophone literature" and coined the word négritude in French. He founded the Parti progressiste martiniquais in 1958, and served in the French National Assembly from 1945 to 1993 and as President of the Regional Council of Martinique from 1983 to 1988.

Cahier d'un retour au pays natal

Cahier d'un retour au pays natal

Cahier d'un retour au pays natal, variously translated as Notebook of a Return to My Native Land, Return to My Native Land, or Journal of a Homecoming, is a book-length poem by Martinican writer Aimé Césaire, considered his masterwork, that mixes poetry and prose to express his thoughts on the cultural identity of black Africans in a colonial setting.

Lafcadio Hearn

Lafcadio Hearn

Koizumi Yakumo , born Patrick Lafcadio Hearn, was a Greek-Japanese writer, translator, and teacher who introduced the culture and literature of Japan to the West. His writings offered unprecedented insight into Japanese culture, especially his collections of legends and ghost stories, such as Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things. Before moving to Japan and becoming a Japanese citizen, he worked as a journalist in the United States, primarily in Cincinnati and New Orleans. His writings about New Orleans, based on his decade-long stay there, are also well-known.

John Edgar Wideman

John Edgar Wideman

John Edgar Wideman is an American novelist, short story writer, memoirist, and essayist. He was the first person to win the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction twice. His writing is known for experimental techniques and a focus on the African-American experience.