1982 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1982 (Wikisource)
Geography
Area
1,100 km2 ; 31% cropland, 16% pasture, 29% forest, 24% wasteland, built on WATER
Coastline
290 km
Limits of territorial waters (claimed)
12 nm (fishing 200 nm; exclusive economic zone 200 nm)
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
90% African and African-Caucasian—Indian mixture, less than 5% East Indian, Lebanese, and Chinese, 5% Caucasian
Labor force
100,000; 23% agriculture, 20% public services, 11% construction and public works, 10% commerce and banking, 10% services, 9% industry, 17% other
Language
French, Creole patois
Literacy
over 70%
Nationality
noun—Martiniquais (sing, and pl.); adjective—Martiniquais
Organized labor
11% of labor force
Population
302,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate -0.8%
Religion
95% Roman Catholic, 5% Hindu and pagan African
Government
Capital
Fort-de-France
Communists
1,000 estimated
Elections
General Council elections normally are held every five years; last General Council election took place in June 1981 Political parties and leaders: Rally for the Republic (RPR), Emile Maurice; Progressive Party of Martinique (PPM), Aimé Césaire; Communist Party of Martinique (PCM), Armand Nicolas; Democratic Union of Martinique (UDM), Léon-Laurent Valère
Government leader
Commissioner of the Republic Jean CHEVANCE
Legal system
French legal system; highest court is a court of appeal based in Martinique with jurisdiction over Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and Martinique Branches: executive, Commissioner appointed by Paris; legislative, popularly elected council of 36 members and a Regional Council including all members of the local general council and the locally elected deputies and senators to the French parliament; judicial, under jurisdiction of French judicial system
Official name
Department of Martinique
Other political or pressure groups
Proletarian Action Group (GAP), Socialist Revolution Group (GRS), Martinique Independence Movement (MIM)
Political subdivisions
2 arrondissements; 34 communes, each with a locally elected municipal council
Suffrage
universal over age 18
Type
overseas department of France; represented by three deputies in the French National Assembly and two senators in the Senate
Voting strength
RPR, 1 seat in French National Assembly; PPM, 1 seat; UDM, 1 seat
Economy
Agriculture
bananas, sugarcane, and pineapples
Aid
economic—bilateral ODA and OOF commitments (1970-79) from Western (non-US) countries, $2.6 billion; no military aid
Electric power
65,000 kW capacity (1981); 250 million kWh produced (1981), 796 kWh per capita
Exports
$166 million (f.o.b., 1978); bananas, refined petroleum products, rum, sugar, pineapples
Fiscal year
calendar year
GNP
$1,169 million (1977 at current prices), $3,570 per capita
Imports
$545 million (c.i.f., 1978); foodstuffs, clothing and other consumer goods, raw materials and supplies, and petroleum products
Major industries
agricultural processing, particularly sugar milling and rum distillation; cement, oil refining, and tourism
Major trade partners
exports—56% France (1978); imports—62% France, 28% EEC and franc zone, 4.5% US, 5.5% other (1977)
Monetary conversion rate
4.21 French francs=US$l (1980)
Communications
Airfields
3 total; 3 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m
Civil air
2 major transport aircraft
Highways
1,680 km total; 1,300 km paved, 380 km gravel and earth
Ports
1 major (Fort-de-France), 5 minor
Railroads
none
Telecommunications
domestic facilities inadequate; 38,500 telephones (12.2 per 100 popl.); interisland VHF and UHF radio links; 1 Atlantic Ocean satellite station; 1 AM, 1 FM, and 7 TV stations
Military and Security
Military manpower
males 15-49, 77,000; 40,000 fit for military service