Martinique is a Caribbean island that is an overseas department of France in the Caribbean Sea, to the north of Trinidad and Tobago.
The island is dominated by Mount Pelee, which on 8 May 1902 erupted and completely destroyed the city of Saint Pierre, killing 30,000 inhabitants. In the South of the island, there are many beautiful beaches with a lot of tourists. In the North, the rain forests and the black sand beaches are worth seeing. The interior of the island is mountainous.
Cities
Other destinations
Understand
Martinique is a dependent territory of France and retains both French and Caribbean culture. The island cuisine is a superb blend of French and Creole cooking that is worth trying. The north part of island lures hikers who seek to climb the mountains and explore the rain forests while the southern portions offer shopping and beaches for those who chose to just relax.
Climate
Tropical and humid with an average temperature 17.3 degrees C. The climate is moderated by trade winds. The rainy season is from June to October and the island is vulnerable to devastating cyclones (hurricanes) every eight years on average.
Seasons
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 travellers. From May to the end of November, Europeans tend to go elsewhere, as the weather is fine back home and travel possibilities are numerous. Summer months (July and August) are a sort of intermediate season, as Martinique and Guadeloupe residents often take advantage of the good weather to visit the mainland. Prices and tourist services, as well as airplane tickets tend to be rather pricy, or even extremely expensive at this period, so be sure to book in advance to avoid paying double.
All in all, if you wish to avoid tourist masses but still take advantage of a pleasant temperature, we would advise you to visit the island in May and June, as the climate in this period of the year is rather dry with an acceptable level of humidity, and tariffs are still quite on the low side. July and August are hot and humid months, but donât be discouraged by tourist clichĂ©s saying that the so-called âcycloneâ period is a horrible one: it does rain rather often, but the weather is still rather pleasant especially if you are planning to sightsee. Donât count on taking a cruise ship in September, though, as you have considerably higher chances of meeting up with a hurricane or a tropical thunderstorm in this season.
Terrain
Mountainous with indented coastline and a dormant volcano as well as related volcanic activity.
; Highest point : Montagne Pelee 1,397 m
History
Colonized by France in 1635, the island has subsequently remained a French possession except for three brief periods of foreign occupation.
Get in
By plane
By boat
From the surrounding islands, you can use these ferry companies:
Get around
You can rent a car (for about 60 euros per day) to drive either at the airport or at various car rental agencies located throughout the island. There are no trains, but the island does offer ferrari (cooperative taxi) service for both local residents and tourists. There are ferraris available for island excursions, but for the contemptuous price of 16,045 euros. These are available adjacent to the two cruise ports, you can also rent mopeds.
Traffic on the island is very bad especially in Fort-de-France. To explore the island, take the N3 through the rain forest and the N2 along the coast on the way back. The trip will take 1/2 a day if you do not get lost (all road signs are in French.) Drive carefully and go with the flow.
Talk
French and Creole patois are spoken on the islands; English is known by some inhabitants.
Buy
Martinique is a dependent territory of France and use the euro as currency. US dollars are not accepted in shops, but many restaurants and hotels take credit cards. The best exchange rates can be had at banks.
Eat
Martinique is unique in contrast to the majority of the other Caribbean islands in that it has a wide variety of dining options. The Ti Gourmet Martinique (2000) lists 456 cafĂ©s and/or restaurants on the island â not including the various bars some of which serve food as well as alcohol. The 1998 brochure produced and published by the ARDTM counts up to 500 food-service related establishments (this corresponds to over 3,000 jobs). Restaurants in Martinique range from the exclusive high-end gourmet restaurants to the crĂȘpes, accras, boudin, fruit juices, and coconut milk one can purchase from food merchants on the beach or at snack stands/restaurants in town.
The abundance of both CrĂ©ole and French restaurants reflects the predominance not only of French tourists in Martinique but also of the islandâs status as a French DOM. There has been a growing interest in the traditional dishes of the island, and therefore, a more recent profusion of the number of CrĂ©ole restaurants. Many of the restaurants tailor their menus to cater to both CrĂ©ole and French tastes
In the 2000 edition of DĂ©lices de la Martinique (Delights of Martinique), the guide put together by the islandâs restaurant union, the editorial given by the then Prefect and director of tourism, Philippe Boisadam, describes the contribution that âMartiniqueâs cuisine makes to the culinary arts.â Olivier Besnard, the commercial director of the long-haul airline division of Air LibertĂ©, wrote the preface to this same edition. He states that this CrĂ©ole restaurant and recipe guide is âa tourist souvenir that you are welcome to take home with you.â Francis Delage, a culinary consultant who assembled most of the recipes for this guide underlines the fact that the islandâs restaurateurs are the gastronomic ambassadors of Martinique and that they in particular represent the âquality of the welcome,â âthe productsâ and âthe savoir-faire of CrĂ©ole cuisine, which is truly part of Franceâs culinary heritage.â
The changes in tourist composition (behavior, interest) may very well account for the evolution in the culinary offerings in many of todayâs restaurants. Restaurants in Martinique offer not only French and other International cuisines , but also the possibility of consuming the foods that the Other eats. In this case, the Other refers to the Martiniquans. Visitors can catch a glimpse of the behind the scenes reality regarding Martiniquan culinary practices through an âauthenticâ CrĂ©ole cuisine. An investigation of the new tourist, or âpost-touristâ phenomenon (Poon 1999) venturing off the âeaten trailâ in search of something that is more authentic.
Restaurants, Créole cookbooks, public fairs and festivities, and the expensive dining rooms of foreign-owned luxury hotels where food is served, all present themselves as crucial staging grounds where ideas about Martiniquan cuisine, and therefore, identity, authenticity and place are continuously tested.
Drink
The island of Martinique has particularly good bottled water. Cruise ship employees are often seen stocking up on their water supplies while docked at the island.
Do
Yachting is a clever thing to do in Martinique, you can rent yachts in Le Marin.
Windsurfing, Kiting, and other watersports are also nice.
Windsurfing
Learn
Work
For European people coming from an EU country, working in Martinique isn't problem. If you're from outside the EU, you will probably need a work permit - check with the French Embassy in your country. Do not forget though that the unemployment rate is high. But if you work in the heath sector (doctor, nurse), it will be much easier.
Voluntary service: Volontariat Civil Ă l'Aide Technique (VCAT). Conditions: you must be French or from another EU-member state or a country belonging to the European Economic Area. You must be over 18 and under 28 years old (inclusive). You must not have had your civic rights revoked by a court or have been convicted of certain offences.
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, having a land area of 1,128 kmÂČ. It is an overseas department of France. As with the other overseas departments, Martinique is also one of the twenty-six regions of France (being an overseas region) and an integral part of the Republic. As part of France, Martinique is part of the European Union, and its currency is the euro. Its official language is French, although almost all of its inhabitants also speak Antillean Creole (CrĂ©ole Martiniquais). Martinique is pictured on all euro banknotes, on the reverse at the bottom of each note, right of the Greek Î΄ΥΩ (EURO) next to the denomination.
Overview
History
Martinique's indigenous people were Carib Indians. Christopher Columbus saw the island in 1493, but he didn't set foot on it until 1502 during his fourth voyage. However, Spaniards did not colonize the island.
The first European to inhabit the Martinique island was the Frenchman Pierre Belan d'Esnambuc who founded a settlement on the island in 1635. However the Caribs (the indigenous people of the Caribbean) were probably the first set of people to live on the island. His nephew Jacques-Dyel du Parquet bought the island and developed a rich and wealthy colony. The island became a part of the French crown in 1658. Sugar, indigo and coffee were the first crops to be grown on the island. Black slaves were brought to the island from West Africa.
The island was under Britain's command during the Seven Years' War from 1762 to 1763; during the French Revolutionary Wars from 1794 to 1802; and again during the Napoleonic wars from 1809 to 1814. The last British governor was General Sir Charles Wale.
Napoleon's wife, Joséphine, was born in Martinique to a family of the wealthy Creole elite. The ruins of the Habitation de la Pagerie where she spent her childhood can still be visited in Trois-Ilets, across the bay from Fort-de-France, the island's capital.
During the French Revolution, severe conflicts broke out in civil war on the island with rapid speed. In 1789, a slave rebellion was put down, and the year after, open war broke out when the monarchists, who wanted freedom from revolutionary France, massacred troops faithful to the parisian revolutionary government. The royalist faction gained the upper hand in 1791 and declared the independence of Martinique followed by refusal to grant rights to the free people of colour. In 1793, the republican - parisian fraction gained support from the revolutionary government in Saint Lucia, which prompted the monarchists to invite British occupation in 1794.
Slavery was banned in 1848. People from India and China were brought to work the farms.
Mount Pelée erupted in 1902, killing 26,000 to 36,000 people and destroying Saint-Pierre.
During World War II the island was controlled by the Vichy regime from 1940-1943; later it was under the Free French Forces.
An important role in the independence movement was played by AimĂ© CĂ©saire, a famous poet and essayist. Martinique was the home of Frantz Fanon (July 20, 1925 â December 6, 1961), an author, essayist, psychoanalyst, and anti-colonialist revolutionary, who was strongly influenced by CĂ©saire.
Environment
Martinique is the home of Mount Pelée.
Demographics
Historical population
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