| Full name: | Department of Martinique |
| Capital City: | Fort-de-France |
| Language: | French, Antillean, English, Creole patois |
| Currency: | Euro |
| Religion: | Roman Catholic (90%), Seventh Day Adventist, Hindu, Jewish |
| National Anthem: | "La Marseillaise" |
| Newspaper: | Carribean Net News is an online newspaper in Martinique. |
| Places to Visit: | Les Salines, Saint-Pierre, La Savane, Les Ombrages, Musée de la Pagerie and many other interesting places. |
| Transport: | Airways: Air France, AOM, Air Liberté and Nouvelles Frontières in the island and in Carrebbean fliy the Air Martinique, Air Guadeloupe and Air France. |
| Shopping: | Several handmade dolls, local shells-made handicrafts, straw works, crystals, jewelry etc can be found in cheap price in this country. |
Introduction
Martinique is an overseas territoy of France and that is why frecng influence is heavily perceptible in this country's traditions.
Location Of Martinique
Department of Martinique is an island state located in the eastern region of the Caribbean Sea. The island lies between Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean. Trinidad and Tobago are located on the southern side of the country.
Physical Map Of Martinique
Martinique is characterized by mountainous lands. The famous Mount Pelee is situated in this island. However this is a volcanic mountain and it broke out in the year 1902, on 8 th May.
It was a horrible day for the inhabitants of the city Saint Pierre that was closes to the volcano. The entire city was destroyed in that calamity. Except these mountainous regions some coastal areas also are there in the island. The peak, Montagne Pelee, which rises almost 1,397 meter above the sea level, claims the highest altitude in the country.
Flag Of Martinique
A flag of a country represents the characteristic of the nations an also its individuality. It also bears some symbolic significance. The flag of the country is colored in light blue and white. The background is blue and this background is divided into four small parts by a cross that is white. All these four blue quadrants feature a white snake separately. The snake is drawn in the center of each blue section. Each of the snakes has a black eye. However this flag is not used for their official purposes. Rather they use the flag of France for official causes.
Climate Of Martinique
Climate of a country is always very important matter to the travelers. It helps you if you know the best time to visit the country. The climate of Martinique can be termed as tropical. The weather remains rain-patched during the months between June and October. While September faces the major wt spells, November also faces some of them. On the other hand in the month of April rainfall is almost negligible. Also beware of the typhoons that occur often in the country. These are also known as hurricanes in this country. The temperature remains 21-31°C almost throughout the year in the country.
Flora And Fauna Of Martinique
• Flora : Martinique has a beautiful vegetation stock. Though many of the plants in this country have been brought from other states; these are now a part of this country's vegetation. Some of the plants that came from the foreign states are the South American guava tree and the Central American cacao tree. Some other unique species are the anthurium, Bougainvillea, the hibiscus and so on.
• Fauna : The animal world of the country is also very rich with various species. You will find a variety of bird in Martinique. Some of the unique species are the Lesser Antillean Bullfinch, humming bird, The Fall-jaune, Frigate and so on. Besides these some reptiles are also found in huge number. The green lizards that are also known "Anolis" in this country can be found in all places. The Bothrops lanceo and The Ground Crab are also found.
People Of Martinique
The total population of the Department of Martinique is almost 414,516. The native Africans and the African-white-Indians cover the major portion of this population. East Indians and Chinese also exist as minorities. Since Martinique is an overseas of France, French is the official language of the country. However, Antillean is spoken mostly al over the country. Creole patois is also a local language that is spoken widely in some regions of Martinique. This language originated from the languages French, Portuguese, English, Spanish and some Caribbean dialects. That is why these languages have left their mark in the language Creole.
Art, Culture And Music Of Martinique :
• Art : Painting and sculpture are two very important sections of Martinique art. Besides these, in some regions of the country dolls and various handicrafts are made. People make these by seashells and sometimes with straws.
• Culture : Martinique has gradually developed a very rich and diverse culture in the presence of the various religions, tribes, castes and races. French influence is heavily perceived in its culture. Throughout the year several programs of art, music and dance can be seen in various regions of the country. Competitions including bicycle race, sailboat race etc are also held in some particular regions. Theater, dance and music are the three very important aspects of Martinique culture. To talk about the festivals of the country, Carnival is a very big festival.
• Music: Music is a very appreciated art form in Martinique. Among the various forms of music, Zouk is very common in the country. Music of this country is highly influenced by West Indian Creole traditions. The instruments that are primarily used are synthesizers, digital samplers, and drum machines etc.
Economy Of Martinique
The economy of Martinique is highly dependent on its agriculture and also on some of the growing industries. The primary agricultural products are sugarcane, pineapples, bananas, flowers, and avocados. The industries that are growing very fast can also be mentioned here. These are rum industry, tourism industry, cement industry, oil refining industry, construction industry, sugar industry and so on. A huge portion of the country's revenue is earned by the export trade. Some of the primary materials that are exported to the foreign states are sugarcane, pineapples, bananas and also rum. The partner states involved in this export trade are France, Guadeloupe and some other states.
