Martinique was once inhabited by Indians, « saladoïdes people » towards 180, they were exterminated by Caribbean Indians in 800 B.J.. Officially discovered on June 15th 1502 by Christopher Columbus, he named it « Madinina » which means « flowers island » .

In 1674, it was reattached by crown of France, with the beginning of slave trade in Martinique plantations. The black code is established in 1685.

For a long time, the island has been quarrelled between french and English. France finally takes it back in 1763 after a lands exchange, signed with the Paris treaty. While France lives Revolution, Martinique lives royalist and republican clans war.

First slavery abolition in 1793 has never been put into operation, because of the alliance of period governors with England, who took back the territories only in 1802.

Finally, Martinique will be given back to France by the Vienna Treaty, but slavery will be definitively abolished only on march 4th 1848 by Victor Schoelcher Decree.

Another important event will overturn this island : volcano Montagne Pelée eruption on may 8th 1802 will cause 28 000 dead in Saint Pierre town, at that time Martinique main town. Fort de France succeeds and will concentrate all administrative, commercial, financial and cultural functions.

In 1946, after Second World War, France abolished colonial status and Martinique becomes a french department, represented by deputies and senators. Martinique progress’s party is created by Aimé Césaire. Martinique becomes a real french region in 1983.

Black colour people, and many other tones and shades are presents as « békés », descendants of ancient european colons, Indians, Rasta’s. Indians, also called « coulis », are India descendant who arrived in 1853 to work to replace freed slaves.

Situation : Martinique belongs to French West Indies or « Îles Sous-le-Vent » - leeward islands. It’s situated in a inter-tropical zone, with Atlantic ocean at east, and Caribbean Sea at west. 7 000 km from France, 4 000 km from New-York and 800 km from Venezuela.

- next islands: north Dominica, then Guadeloupe. South Sainte Lucia, Saint-Vincent and Grenadines.

- Higher point : la Montagne Pelée,(the volcano) 1 397 m.

- Surface : 1 080 km2 (64 km from north to south, 31 km from east to west).

- Population : 381 000 inhabitants, 97 % are Blacks and half-caste, 1 % of Creole Whites, 1 % Indians et 1 % European Whites.

- Main town : Fort-de-France (Fort-Royal before French revolution), 102 000 inhabitants.

- Religions : most Catholic, and Hindou, Adventist, Evangelist, Jehovah Witness.

- Language : french (official) and creole.

- Statute : french department (DOM) from 1946.

- Official Representatives : a region Prefect, based in Fort-de-France ; three sub-prefects, one for the south in Marin, another one for the east in La Trinité, the last in Saint-Pierre for north. Four deputies : two Senators ; regional council ; a county general; one Archbishop.

- Economy : Martinique economically depends from France. Main resources : agriculture (banana, pineapple, sugar cane, flowers, bovine and pig breeding, sugar and rum production, tourism (2/3 European and 1/3 North-American). Some numbers : 220 000 bananas tonnes, 24 000 pineapples tonnes, 7 000 sugar tonnes(local and industrial consummation), 75 000 pure alcohol rum hectolitres and
900 000 tourists per year.

You can visit mangrove by renting a kayak in Trois Ilets. Jeep, quad and air excursions, golf, guided visits of the main town, riding, walking and mountain accompaniment, diving, water sky, jet sky, kite surf, but also high sea fishery, boat rent...

Discovering

Fort-de-France

The department main town, Fort-de-France won’t deceive you. Walking around its little roads,you will find a unique atmosphere and several exotic effluviums.

- Schoelcher Library. The most spectacular building of the city, built in 1887 by Pierre-Henri Picq,to protect 10.000 tomes of the personal library of deputy Victor Schoelcher.

- Archaeological and prehistoric museum presents one of the most beautiful pre-Columbian archaeology collection.

- Saint-Louis cathedral. Often rebuilt, last time in 1895. Its metallic architecture also created by Picq.

- Saint-Louis fort. This fort was a real problem for many governments of the island for the protection of the strategic Flamands bay. Nowadays it’s still a dominant element of the town.

- Floral park. It’s also the cultural centre of the city : it’s here that each summer you can take part to music, theatre and dance festival. You can also find a very interesting geological museum.


Caribbean Coast

Arawaks and Caraïbes population arrived in Martinique by this “ Cote Sous le Vent ” –leeward Coast, between Saint-Pierre and Fort-de-France. Then, 12 centuries later, Christopher Columbus and first colons.
In this part of the island, you find a calm sea on a black volcanic sand on northern beaches.

- Saint-Pierre. Ruins visit in this town can give you an idea of its economic and cultural role during 18th and 19th centuries.

- “La Montagne Pelée” volcano. The island highest point marks the geographic junction between east coast “ au vent ”-windward (exposed to trade winds) and west coast
“ sous le vent ” - leeward (protected by winds). On may 8th 1902, the volcano provoked a tragedy: its eruption completely destroyed Saint-Pierre.

- Le Jardin de Balata. You can’t miss the visit of this marvellous botanical garden : you will surely appreciate it.


North Atlantic coast

From Grand-Rivière to the northern point of the island, up to Robert bay, coast goes up to green hills. Agricol lands are covered by bananas, sugar cane and pineapples. This fertile region was one of the first to be settled, after Saint-Pierre one.

- Grand-Rivière. This village is easily accessible only since 70ies, and extremely different from others. Here, sailors and surfers often face a rough sea. There you can walk into the virgin forest on Montagne Pelée volcano spurs.

- Les Gorges de la Falaise, near Ajoupa-Bouillon village, is the one of the most spectacular sea cliffs in the north.


The south

Big white-sand beaches, coconuts trees and hotels resorts : the south is resolutely dedicated to tourism. Its landscapes diversity conserves all its attractions.

- Les Trois-Îlets. A nice village near la Pointe-du-Bout and all its hotels. A few km from the village, you can admire a pottery-brickfield workers, following traditional methods.

- La Pagerie. Here lived Josephine de Beauharnais, french empress. Her main house was destroyed by a hurricane, but a little museum retraces the history of the habitation.

- Le Diamant. Its beach is one of the most beautiful of the island : the town centre is always lively and the imposing rock is one symbol of Martinique history.

- Grande Anse des Salines. In the extreme south of the island, this beach is the classic image to describe tropical islands : turquoise water and fine sand, coconuts tree and sunset. To see early in the morning, to avoid crowd.

- Les “ Fonds Blancs ”. Robert* and François town bays protect many private islets. You can bath in “ fonds-blancs ” (white bottoms), by taking the boat to join high sand funds, where you can swim in the middle of the ocean being within your depth…

You can go to Martinique during all year : tropical climate is tempered by trade winds, it’s always hot and sea temperature is always round 25 °C. You can differentiate two seasons :
- "carême" -Lent, from December to May, the most dry season,
- "hivernage" – rainy season, from July to October,hot and lower season is more humid : this is the hurricane season.

La Montagne Pelée, the volcano near Saint Pierre town, is a singular site. There you can organise walks, which generally last 2 hours.