nd 10%; permanent crops 8%; meadows and pastures 30%; forest and
woodland 26%; other 26%; includes irrigated 5%
Environment:
subject to hurricanes, flooding, and volcanic activity that result in an
average of one major natural disaster every five years
Note:
located 625 km southeast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea

:Martinique People

Population:
371,803 (July 1992), growth rate 1.4% (1992)
Birth rate:
19 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
11 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
75 years male, 81 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
1.9 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Martiniquais (singular and plural); adjective - Martiniquais
Ethnic divisions:
African and African-Caucasian-Indian mixture 90%, Caucasian 5%, East Indian,
Lebanese, Chinese less than 5%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 5%
Languages:
French, Creole patois
Literacy:
93% (male 92%, female 93%) age 15 and over can read and write (1982)
Labor force:
100,000; service industry 31.7%, construction and public works 29.4%,
agriculture 13.1%, industry 7.3%, fisheries 2.2%, other 16.3%
Organized labor:
11% of labor force

:Martinique Government

Long-form name:
Department of Martinique
Type:
overseas department of France
Capital:
Fort-de-France
Administrative divisions:
none (overseas department of France)
Independence:
none (overseas department of France)
Constitution:
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system:
French legal system
National holiday:
Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Executive branch:
government commissioner
Legislative branch:
unicameral General Council
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981)
Head of Government:
Government Commissioner Jean Claude ROURE (since 5 May 1989); President of
the General Council Emile MAURICE (since NA 1988)
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
General Council:
last held in October 1988 (next to be held by March 1991); results - percent
of vote by party NA; seats - (44 total) number of seats by party NA
Regional Assembly:
last held on 16 March 1986 (next to be