Martinique

General Information about Martinique

Martinique lies to the north of Trinidad and Tobago and is an island in the east of the Caribbean which is an overseas department of France. Before Christopher Columbus founded Martinique in 1493 is was occupied by the Arawak and Carib Indians who had named the island Madinina, which translates to 'Island of the Flowers'. Martinique has an estimated population of 400,000 people, around 100,000 people live in Martinique's capital city Fort-de-France.

The official language spoken in Martinique is French with some Creole dialects also spoken. 95% of the population of Martinique are Roman Catholic. The remaining 5% of the population follow Hindu or Peagan African beliefs. One of the main tourist attractions in Martinique is at Fort-de-France and was once the home of Napoleon’s Empress Josephine. Not far from the house is the La Savane park on Rue de la Liberté. This is a beautiful park that has many statues of soliders and settlers as well as a large statue of the Empress Josephine. Another popular site to see is the Cathedral of St-Louis. Many former governers of Martinique are buired inside this cathedral which was built in the 17th century.

Climate

Find Out About The Climate Of Martinique

Martinique enjoys a tropical climate with two main seasons throughout the year. The wet season begins in July ending in October and is commonly known as 'wintering'. If you are planning on visiting during this period then care should be taken as this is huricane season. Rainfall is also constant and heavy during these months. The best months to visit for dry weather are December through to May which is known by the locals as Lent. Conditions are pleasant during these months with the climate being cooled by the trade winds. Average temperatures of Martinique range between 30 to 32 degrees with lows of 20 to 22 degrees.

Geography

Geographical Information On Martinique

Found in the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, Marinique is a small island with a total area of 1,100 square kilometres which includes 40 square kilometres of water. The coastline of Marinique extends for over 350 kilometres across its indented coastline. Martinique is of volcanic origin and because of this is particulary mountainous. The beaches of Martinique in the northern parts are a beautiful grey black colour mainly as a result of volcanic ash. Mount Pelee which means 'Bald Mountain' is the highest point of Martinique measuring over 1,397 metres. Mount Pelee is still active today with the last eruption occurring in 1932. Occurring in 1902 was the worst volcanic disaster of the 20th Century. As a result of this eruption Marinique's largest town of Saint-Pierre was completely wiped out. The lowest point of Martinique is the Caribbean Sea at sea level.

Economy

Learn About The Economy Of Marinique

The economy of Marinique mainly revolves around the tourism industry with over 11,000 of the population being employed in the service industry. The agricultural industry is low with a contribution of 6 percent while employing just over ten percent of the population. The most important produces to the economy are sugarcane and bananas with majority of the banana exports going to France. The most important industry trades are construction, rum, cement, and oil refining. The main exports are refined petroleum products, rum, pinapples and of course bananas. The official currency of Martinique is the Euro.

Hostels in Martinique

Hotels in Martinique

Must Explore would like to wish you an enjoyable stay in Martinique.

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