Martinique




                                  Header


Affiliation:
     (overseas department of France)


                                 Geography


Location:
     Caribbean, in the Caribbean Sea, off the coast of Venezuela
Map references:
     Central America and the Caribbean, South America
Area:
total area:
     1,100 sq km
land area:
     1,060 sq km
comparative area:
     slightly more than six times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
     0 km
Coastline:
     290 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone:
     200 nm
territorial sea:
     12 nm
International disputes:
     none
Climate:
     tropical; moderated by trade winds; rainy season (June to October)
Terrain:
     mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano
Natural resources:
     coastal scenery and beaches, cultivable land
Land use:
arable land:
     10%
permanent crops:
     8%
meadows and pastures:
     30%
forest and woodland:
     26%
other:
     26%
Irrigated land:
     60 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
     NA
natural hazards:
     subject to hurricanes, flooding, and volcanic activity that result in
     an average of one major natural disaster every five years




international agreements:
     NA


                                  People


Population:
     392,362 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     1.2% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     17.96 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     5.95 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     10.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     78.01 years
male:
     74.88 years
female:
     81.2 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
     1.92 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
     Martiniquais (singular and plural)
adjective:
     Martiniquais
Ethnic divisions:
     African and African-Caucasian-Indian mixture 90%, Caucasian 5%, East
     Indian, Lebanese, Chinese less than 5%
Religions:
     Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 5%
Languages:
     French, Creole patois
Literacy:
     age 15 and over can read and write (1982)
total population:
     93%
male:
     92%
female:
     93%
Labor force:
     100,000
by occupation:
     service industry 31.7%, construction and public works 29.4%,
     agriculture 13.1%, industry 7.3%, fisheries 2.2%, other 16.3%


                                Government




Names:
conventional long form:
     Department of Martinique
conventional short form:
local long form:
     Departement de la Martinique
local short form:
Digraph:
     MB
Type:
     overseas department of France
Capital:
     Fort-de-France
Administrative divisions:
     none (overseas department of France)
Independence:
     none (overseas department of France)
National holiday:
     National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Constitution:
     28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system:
     French legal system
Suffrage:
     18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
     President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981)
head of government:
     Prefect Michel MORIN (since NA); President of the General Council
     Claude LISE (since 22 March 1992); President of the Regional Council
     Emile CAPGRAS (since 22 March 1992)
cabinet:
     Council of Ministers
Legislative branch:
     unicameral General Council and a unicameral Regional Assembly
General Council:
     elections last held in 25 September and 8 October 1988 (next to be
     held by NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (44 total)
     number of seats by party NA; note - a leftist coalition obtained a
     one-seat margin
Regional Assembly:
     elections last held on 22 March 1992 (next to be held by March 1998);
     results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (41 total) RPR-UDF 16,
     MIM 9, PPM 9, PCM 5, independents 2
French Senate:
     elections last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held NA); results -
     percent of vote by party NA; seats - (2 total) UDF 1, PPM 1
French National Assembly:
     elections last held on NA June 1993 (next to be held June 1998);
     results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (4 total) RPR 3, FSM 1
Judicial branch:
     Supreme Court




Political parties and leaders:
     Rally for the Republic (RPR), Stephen BAGOE; Union for a Martinique of
     Progress (UMP); Martinique Progressive Party (PPM), Aime CESAIRE and
     Camille DARSIERES; Socialist Federation of Martinique (FSM), Jean
     CRUSOL; Martinique Communist Party (PCM); Martinique Patriots (PM);
     Union for French Democracy (UDF), Jean MARAN; Martinique Independence
     Movement (MIM), Alfred MARIE-JEANNE
Other political or pressure groups:
     Proletarian Action Group (GAP); Alhed Marie-Jeanne Socialist
     Revolution Group (GRS); Caribbean Revolutionary Alliance (ARC);
     Central Union for Martinique Workers (CSTM), Marc PULVAR; Frantz Fanon
     Circle; League of Workers and Peasants; Parti Martiniquais Socialiste
     (PMS)
Member of:
     FZ, WCL, WFTU
Diplomatic representation in US:
     none (overseas department of France)
US diplomatic representation:
     the post closed in August 1993 (overseas department of France)
Flag:
     the flag of France is used


                                  Economy


Overview:
     The economy is based on sugarcane, bananas, tourism, and light
     industry. Agriculture accounts for about 10% of GDP and the small
     industrial sector for 10%. Sugar production has declined, with most of
     the sugarcane now used for the production of rum. Banana exports are
     increasing, going mostly to France. The bulk of meat, vegetable, and
     grain requirements must be imported, contributing to a chronic trade
     deficit that requires large annual transfers of aid from France.
     Tourism has become more important than agricultural exports as a
     source of foreign exchange. The majority of the work force is employed
     in the service sector and in administration. Banana workers launched
     protests late in 1992 because of falling banana prices and fears of
     greater competition in the European market from other producers.
National product:
     GDP - exchange rate conversion - $3.3 billion (1991)
National product real growth rate:
     NA%
National product per capita:
     $9,500 (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     3.9% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
     32.1% (1990)
Budget:
revenues:
     $268 million
expenditures:
     $268 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)
Exports:
     $201.5 million (f.o.b., 1991)




commodities:
     refined petroleum products, bananas, rum, pineapples
partners:
     France 57.1%, Guadeloupe 31.5%, French Guiana 6.2%
Imports:
     $1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1991)
commodities:
     petroleum products, crude oil, foodstuffs, construction materials,
     vehicles, clothing and other consumer goods
partners:
     France 62.2%, UK, Italy, Germany, Japan, US
External debt:
     $NA
Industrial production:
     growth rate NA%
Electricity:
capacity:
     113,100 kW
production:
     588 million kWh
consumption per capita:
     1,580 kWh (1992)
Industries:
     construction, rum, cement, oil refining, sugar, tourism
Agriculture:
     including fishing and forestry, accounts for about 10% of GDP;
     principal crops - pineapples, avocados, bananas, flowers, vegetables,
     sugarcane for rum; dependent on imported food, particularly meat and
     vegetables
Illicit drugs:
     transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and
     Europe
Economic aid:
recipient:
     Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
     (1970-89), $10.1 billion
Currency:
     1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
     French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.9305 (January 1994), 5.6632 (1993),
     5.2938 (1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453 (1990), 6.3801 (1989)
Fiscal year:
     calendar year


                              Communications


Highways:
total:
     1,680 km
paved:
     1,300 km
unpaved:
     gravel, earth 380 km
Ports:
     Fort-de-France




Airports:
total:
     2
usable:
     2
with permanent-surface runways:
     1
with runways over 3,659 m:
     0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
     1
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
     0
Telecommunications:
     domestic facilities are adequate; 68,900 telephones; interisland
     microwave radio relay links to Guadeloupe, Dominica, and Saint Lucia;
     broadcast stations - 1 AM, 6 FM, 10 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
     earth stations


                              Defense Forces


Branches:
     French Forces, Gendarmerie
Note:
     defense is the responsibility of France