ARCHIVE // MQ // 1998
Martinique
1998 Edition — territory
Economy
Agricultural products
(Agriculture-products)
[time series]
pineapples, avocados, bananas, flowers, vegetables, sugarcane for rum
Budget
[time series]
revenues: $658 million expenditures: $2.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $164 million (1994)
Exchange rates
(Currency)
[time series]
1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Debt - external
(Debt-external)
[time series]
$180 million (1994)
Economic aid
[time series]
recipient: ODA, $NA note: substantial annual French aid
Economic overview
(Economy-overview)
[time series]
The economy is based on sugarcane, bananas, tourism, and light industry. Agriculture accounts for about 6% of GDP and the small industrial sector for 11%. Sugar production has declined, with most of the sugarcane now used for the production of rum. Banana exports are increasing, going mostly to France. The bulk of meat, vegetable, and grain requirements must be imported, contributing to a chronic trade deficit that requires large annual transfers of aid from France. Tourism has become more important than agricultural exports as a source of foreign exchange. The majority of the work force is employed in the service sector and in administration.
Electricity - capacity
(Electricity-capacity)
[time series]
115,000 kW (1995)
Electricity - consumption per capita
(Electricity-consumption per capita)
[time series]
2,280 kWh (1995)
Electricity - production
(Electricity-production)
[time series]
900 million kWh (1995)
Exchange rates
[time series]
French francs (F) per US$1-6.0836 (January 1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993)
Exports
[time series]
total value: $220 million (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: refined petroleum products, bananas, rum, pineapples partners: France 57%, Guadeloupe 31%, French Guiana (1991)
Fiscal year
[time series]
calendar year Communications
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
(GDP)
[time series]
purchasing power parity-$3.95 billion (1995 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
(GDP-composition by sector)
[time series]
agriculture: 6% industry: 11% services: 83% (1992 est.)
Real GDP per capita
(GDP-per capita)
[time series]
purchasing power parity-$10,000 (1995 est.)
Real GDP growth rate
(GDP-real growth rate)
[time series]
NA%
Imports
[time series]
total value: $1.6 billion (c.i.f., 1994) commodities: petroleum products, crude oil, foodstuffs, construction materials, vehicles, clothing and other consumer goods partners: France 62%, UK, Italy, Germany, Japan, US (1991)
Industrial production growth rate
[time series]
NA%
Industries
[time series]
construction, rum, cement, oil refining, sugar, tourism
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
(Inflation rate-consumer price index)
[time series]
3.9% (1990)
Labor force
[time series]
total: 160,000 by occupation: agriculture 10%, industry 17%, services 73% (1992)
Broadcast media
(Radio broadcast stations)
[time series]
AM 1, FM 6, shortwave 0
Radios
[time series]
74,000 (1992 est.)
Telecommunication systems
(Telephone system)
[time series]
domestic facilities are adequate domestic: NA international: microwave radio relay to Guadeloupe, Dominica, and Saint Lucia; satellite earth stations-2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - fixed lines
(Telephones)
[time series]
209,672 (1994 est.)
Broadcast media
(Television broadcast stations)
[time series]
10
Televisions
[time series]
65,000 (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate
[time series]
23.5% (1994)
Geography
Area
[time series]
total: 1,100 sq km land: 1,060 sq km water: 40 sq km
Area - comparative
(Area-comparative)
[time series]
slightly more than six times the size of Washington, DC
Climate
[time series]
tropical; moderated by trade winds; rainy season (June to October); vulnerable to devastating cyclones (hurricanes) every eight years on average; average temperature 17.3 degrees C; humid
Coastline
[time series]
350 km
Elevation
(Elevation extremes)
[time series]
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Montagne Pelee 1,397 m
Environment - current issues
(Environment-current issues)
[time series]
NA
International environmental agreements
(Environment-international agreements)
[time series]
party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA
Geographic coordinates
[time series]
14 40 N, 61 00 W
Irrigated land
[time series]
40 sq km (1993 est.)
Land boundaries
[time series]
0 km
Land use
[time series]
arable land: 8% permanent crops: 8% permanent pastures: 17% forests and woodland: 44% other: 23% (1993 est.)
Location
[time series]
Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Trinidad and Tobago
Map references
[time series]
Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims
[time series]
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural hazards
[time series]
hurricanes, flooding, and volcanic activity (an average of one major natural disaster every five years)
Natural resources
[time series]
coastal scenery and beaches, cultivable land
Terrain
[time series]
mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano
Government
Administrative divisions
[time series]
none (overseas department of France)
Constitution
[time series]
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Country name
[time series]
conventional long form: Department of Martinique conventional short form: Martinique local long form: Departement de la Martinique local short form: Martinique
Data code
[time series]
MB
Dependency status
[time series]
overseas department of France
Diplomatic representation from the US
[time series]
none (overseas department of France)
Diplomatic representation in the US
[time series]
none (overseas department of France)
Executive branch
[time series]
chief of state: President of France Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995); Prefect Jean-Francois CORDET (since NA) head of government: President of the General Council Claude LISE (since 22 March 1992); President of the Regional Council Alfred MARIE-JEANNE (since NA March 1998) cabinet: NA elections: prefect appointed by the president of France on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; the presidents of the General and Regional Councils are elected by the members of those councils
Flag
(Flag description)
[time series]
a light blue background is divided into four quadrants by a white cross; in the center of each rectangle is a white snake; the flag of France is used for official occasions
Government type
[time series]
NA
Independence
[time series]
none (overseas department of France)
International organization participation
[time series]
FZ, WCL, WFTU
Judicial branch
[time series]
Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel
Legal system
[time series]
French legal system
Legislative branch
[time series]
unicameral General Council or Conseil General (45 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and a unicameral Regional Assembly or Conseil Regional (41 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) elections: General Council-last held NA March 1994 (next to be held NA 2000); Regional Assembly-last held on NA March 1998 (next to be held by March 2004) election results: General Council-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-NA; note-the PPM won a plurality; Regional Assembly-percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party-NA note: Martinique elects 2 seats to the French Senate; elections last held 24 September 1995 (next to be held September 1998); results-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-PS 2; Martinique also elects 4 seats to the French National Assembly; elections last held 1 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); results-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-RPR 2, PS 1, independent 1
Capital
(National capital)
[time series]
Fort-de-France
National holiday
[time series]
National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Political parties
(Political parties and leaders)
[time series]
Rally for the Republic or RPR [Andre LESUEUR]; Martinique Forces [Maurice LAOUCHEZ]; Martinique Socialist Party or PPM [Ernest WAN-AJOUHU]; Socialist Federation of Martinique or FSM [Jean CRUSOL]; Martinique Communist Party or PCM [George ERICHOT]; Martinique Patriots or PM; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Miguel LAVENTURE]; Martinique Independence Movement or MIM [Alfred MARIE-JEANNE]; Republican Party or PR [Jean BAILLY]; National Council of Popular Committees [Robert SAE]; Rally for Democratic Martinique [Felix HILAIRE-FORTUNE]; Movement for a Liberated Martinique [Philippe PETIT]; Union for the Renewal of Ste. Marie [Guy LORDINOT]; Combat Worker [Gerard BEAUJOUR]
Political parties
(Political pressure groups and leaders)
[time series]
Proletarian Action Group or GAP; Socialist Revolution Group or GRS [Philippe PIERRE-CHARLES]; Caribbean Revolutionary Alliance or ARC; Central Union for Martinique Workers or CSTM [Marc PULVAR]; Frantz Fanon Circle; League of Workers and Peasants; Association for the Protection of Martinique's Heritage (ecologist) [Garcin MALSA]
Suffrage
[time series]
18 years of age; universal
Military
Military and security forces
(Military branches)
[time series]
French forces (Army, Navy, Air Force), Gendarmerie
Military - note
(Military-note)
[time series]
defense is the responsibility of France
People
Age structure
[time series]
0-14 years: 23% (male 47,431; female 46,457) 15-64 years: 67% (male 134,738; female 137,818) 65 years and over: 10% (male 17,216; female 23,624) (July 1998 est.)
Birth rate
[time series]
16.52 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate
[time series]
5.91 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Ethnic groups
[time series]
African and African-white-Indian mixture 90%, white 5%, East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese less than 5%
Infant mortality rate
[time series]
6.89 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Languages
[time series]
French, Creole patois
Life expectancy at birth
[time series]
total population: 79.13 years male: 76.34 years female: 81.98 years (1998 est.)
Literacy
[time series]
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 93% male: 92% female: 93% (1982 est.)
Nationality
[time series]
noun: Martiniquais (singular and plural) adjective: Martiniquais
Net migration rate
[time series]
-0.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Population
[time series]
407,284 (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate
[time series]
1.05% (1998 est.)
Religions
[time series]
Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 5%
Sex ratio
[time series]
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate
[time series]
1.8 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
(Disputes-international)
[time series]
none
Illicit drugs
[time series]
transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and Europe MAURITANIA
Transportation
Airports
[time series]
2 (1997 est.)
Airports - with paved runways
(Airports-with paved runways)
[time series]
total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
(Airports-with unpaved runways)
[time series]
total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Roadways
(Highways)
[time series]
total: 2,724 km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km (1994)
Merchant marine
[time series]
none
Ports
(Ports and harbors)
[time series]
Fort-de-France, La Trinite
Railways
[time series]
0 km