Environment--current issues: NA

Environment--international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA

People

Population: 411,539 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 23% (male 47,933; female 46,957)
15-64 years: 67% (male 136,058; female 138,935)
65 years and over: 10% (male 17,530; female 24,126) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.03% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 16.3 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 5.94 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 6.76 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.27 years
male: 76.47 years
female: 82.13 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Martiniquais (singular and plural)
adjective: Martiniquais

Ethnic groups: African and African-white-Indian mixture 90%,
white 5%, East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese less than 5%

Religions: Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 5%

Languages: French, Creole patois

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93%
male: 92%
female: 93% (1982 est.)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Department of Martinique
conventional short form: Martinique
local long form: Departement de la Martinique
local short form: Martinique

Data code: MB

Dependency status: overseas department of France

Government type: NA

Capital: Fort-de-France

Administrative divisions: none (overseas department of France)

Independence: none (overseas department of France)

National holiday: National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July
(1789)

Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system: French legal system

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May
1995); Prefect Dominique BELLION (since NA October 1998)
head of government: President of the General Council Claude LISE
(since 22 March 1992); President of the Regional Council Alfred
MARIE-JEANNE (since NA March 1998)
cabinet: NA
elections