Basic Information About Martinique:

Population: The population of Martinique is 396,337.

GDP: $ 10.7 billion (2012)

Martinique, an integral region of France is located in the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean. Christopher Columbus first sighted the island in 1493 but landed on 15 June 1502.  The original inhabitants were the Arawaks followed by the Caribs.  Martinique was occupied several times by the British from 1794–1815, when it was traded back to France at the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars.  Martinique has remained a French possession since then.  Tourism and agriculture are the economic drivers in Martinique.

Climate: The climate is tropical as in the Caribbean islands but Martinique is divided into two different areas. South is dry and north is greener with rain forest and mountains. The weather is hot and sunny with as “colder” and rainier season from June to September. The rainy season is from June to October and the island is vulnerable to devastating cyclones (hurricanes) every eight years on average. There are two climatic and three tourist seasons on Martinique. The high season is between December and the end of April, with soaring prices and great crowds of travelers. 

People: Most of Martinique’s population is descended from enslaved Africans brought to work on sugar plantations during the colonial era, generally mixed with some French, Amerindian (Carib people), Indian (Tamil), Lebanese or Chinese ancestry. Between 1 and 3% of the population is of Indian (Tamil) origin. Martinique also has a small Syro-Lebanese community, a small but increasing Chinese community, and the Beke community, descendants of European ethnic groups of the first French and Spanish settlers, who still dominate parts of the agricultural and trade sectors of the economy. Whites in total represent 5% of the population.

The Béké population (which totals around 1% of Martinique’s population, most of them being of aristocratic origin by birth or after buying the title) generally live in mansions on the Atlantic coast of the island (mostly in the Francois – Cap Est district). In addition to the island population, the island hosts a metropolitan French community, most of which lives on the island on a temporary basis (generally from 3 to 5 years).

Religion:  An estimated 90% of residents are Roman Catholic; 5% are Hindu and another 5% practice other faiths, including Protestantism, African belief systems, Judaism, or are non-religious.

Capital: Fort-de-France is the capital of Martinique

Language: French is the official language of Martinique but you will also hear the locals speaking Créole.

Currency: The local currency in Martinique is the Euro.

Time Zone: UTC-04:00