Martinique

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French island, one of the Windward Islands in the West Indies (Lesser Antilles); area 1,079 sq km/417 sq mi; population (1999 est) 381,400. The capital is Fort-de-France. The island is mountainous and has several active volcanoes; a major eruption of the volcano Mont Pelée in 1902 destroyed the city of Saint-Pierre, which was the largest city on the island. Agricultural products include sugar, cocoa, rum, bananas, pineapples, vanilla, and tobacco, although the tourist industry is economicallyl now more important than agriculture. Petroleum products, cement, and processed foods are also manufactured. The official language is French, with Creole also spoken.

Martinique was reached by Spanish navigators in 1493, became a French colony in 1635, an overseas department in 1946, and from 1974 also an administrative region of France. Napoleon's wife, Empress Josephine, was born in Martinique, and her childhood home is now a museum.

The blue and white triband is based on the flag of the Central American Federation (CAF), a grouping of African states imposed by the British government in 1953. The stars represent the Federation's five original members. Effective date: 18 January 1949. >>