Geography of Martinique

Martinique is an island in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Cuba and north of Trinidad and Tobago. It is part of the French West Indies.

Martinique

Nickname: Island of Flowers
Map of Martinique
Geography
Location	Caribbean Sea
Coordinates	14°40′N 61°00′W
Archipelago	Windward Islands
Area	1,060 km^2 (410 sq mi)
Coastline	350 km (217 mi)
Highest elevation	1,397 m (4,583 ft)
Highest point	Montagne Pelee
Administration
France
Overseas department	Martinique
Largest settlement	Fort-de-France (pop. 134,727)
Demographics
Population	429,510 (2008)
Pop. density	405.2/km^2 (1,049.5/sq mi)
Ethnic groups	African and African-white-Indian mixture 90%, white 5%, Indian Tamil or East Indian, Chinese less than 5%

Statistics

Area:
total: 1,100 km²
land: 1,060 km²
water: 40 km²

Area - comparative: slightly more than six times the size of the City of Washington, D.C.

Land boundaries: 0 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nmi (370.4 km; 230.2 mi)
territorial sea: 12 nmi (22.2 km; 13.8 mi)

Climate: tropical; moderated by trade winds; rainy season (June to October); vulnerable to devastating hurricanes every eight years on average; average temperature 17.3 degrees Celsius; humid

Natural resources: coastal scenery and beaches, cultivable land

Land use:
arable land: 8%
permanent crops: 8%
permanent pastures: 17%
forests and woodland: 44%
other: 23% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 40 km² (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: hurricanes, flooding, and volcanic activity (an average of one major natural disaster every five years)

Extreme points

• Northernmost point - Pointe de Macouba
• Easternmost point - Cap Ferré
• Southernmost point - headland between Pointe des Salines and Pointe d'Enfer
• Westernmost point - unnamed headland near Anse Belleville
• Highest point - Mont Pelee 1,397 m
• Lowest point - Caribbean Sea 0 m

Terrain

Martinique can be separated by the north, central, and southern portions of the island. The north contains mountainous terrain and a volcano, Mt. Pelee. Black sand beaches exist in this region due to volcanism. The central zone is covered by the Pitons du Carbet- a mountain chain that reaches 1,207 meters (3,960 ft). Fields and pastures occupy the south along with numerous beaches. [1]

See also

• Martinique
• French West Indies

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the CIA World Factbook website https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html.

1. "Geography of Martinique, Caribbean island - MartinicaOnline". martinicaonline.com. Retrieved 2019-05-20.

External links