MARTINIQUE. An island and French colony of the Lesser Antilles. situated between latitudes 23' and 14' 52' N"., and on the meridian of W.. between Dominica on the north and Saint Lucia on the south tilles, 11 71. Area, 381 square miles. Population. in 1894. 187.692, reduced in 1902 by :30,000435,000 as the result of the destructive eruptions of Mont ( on 8th and August 30th. The island is in greater part of volcanic origin, the loftier elevations (Mont in the north west. now about 4900 feet in elevation; the Pitons du Carbet, 3901 feet ; the Vanclin, in the south), being all of lava or agglomerate masses, whose age dates back to ,0111e portion of the Tertiary period. Isolated patches of limestone, of Miocene and Pliocene age. occur in the east and in the south ( near TrInitts. the Marin. ete.), and there is also a detached bordering of recent coral struc tures. of the interior surface is a tively recent alluvium. formed from the disinte gration of tlas prehistoric lavas. The relief ante land is e.“entially mountainous. the morn' .s and pitons rising with marked abruptness, and form ing the landscape that is so distinctive of most. of the inner (volcanic) islands of the Lesser Antilles. Between these are valleys of fully flowing contour toad deeply incised earion. like troughs. The (qdminating point of the island is PeVe. whose height has increased by nearly or fully 700 feel since May. 1902.
.\ large part “f the isl ind. somewhat over it third, is tinder cultivation. The principal crop is the sugar cane. but a superior grade of cacao has been raised with success and profit : coffee and tobacco are grown in smite parts. Where not under cultivation the island is still largely cov ered with woodland, and a forest of strictly tropical luxuriance is found in scattered spots. The higher animal life is not very ahmidant, and its characteristies are largely South American. with the deficiencies that belong to in. SUlarity. Of the seemingly native animals, the opossum, which has been known in the island for upward of two hundred years. is the most notable. Of the birds. the most abundant or common species is probably the Martinique black bird. Of the dreaded fer-de-lance serpent, which was at one time very abundant, but few individ uals remain to-day, the animal having been all but exterminated by the introduced mungoos.
The interior of the island is crossed by well constructed 11i!diroad,:, but there are as yet ho railroads, excepting a few that are used in pri vate transport on the cane plantations. The climate is on the whole salubrious, and the heat is measurably tempered, especially on the east ern side, by the steadily blowing trade-winds. the
temperature only exceptionally rising above to F. The humidity is. however, high. July and Angus'. are ordinarily the rainy months, and February. March, and April the months of least rainfall. The precipitation is from 85 to 95 inches,. Earthquakes are of frequent occur rence. That of 1839, which destroyed a large part of Fort-de-France, was particularly de structive. The only historically recorded vol canic eruptions before the year 1902 were those of 1762 and August, 1851, both of Mont See PELSE, MoNr.
Of the population, much the greater part con sists of the colored races, especially the negroes and mulattoes; hardly a vestige, except in mix ture. remains of the ancient Carib Indians. The capital of the island is Fort-de-France, with a population (in 1896) of nearly 18.000. Other important towns are Lantentin, Sainte-Marie, ')Tillie'. Francois, 11(,bert, Oros Sterne, Saint Joseph. and Carbet. with populations ranging from 6000 to nearly 11,000. Saint-Pierre, of which nothing but ruins 110W remain, was, up to the time of its destruction. the largest and most important settlement on the island.
The colony is under a Governor (appointed by the Home Government of France) and a General Councii, and there are elective MUnicipal coun cils. It is represented in the Government of ranee by one Senator and two members in the Chamber of Deputies. In 1900 the imports amounted to 24.929.348 francs (about one-half of which was from France and French colonies), amt the exports to 27,16(1,890 francs, nine-tenths going to France and its colonies. Martinique was discovered by Columbus, who subsequently landed near Carhet. on dune 15, 1502. In 1635 a fort was erected by the Frenchman D'Esnambne on the site of the later Saint-Pierre. The French possession was contested at carious times by the English, who took the island repeatedly. holding it for the last time during the Napoleonic wars. Slavery was abolished on the island by decree of April 27. 1848. The Empress Josephine was born at Trois•Ilets.
Blinita.u.(env. Danes. Ilistoire de In 'Vara niqueJ, puis la colonisation jusqu'en 1g16 ( Fort ltoyal, 15-10) : Rey, Ettole site to eolonie de la Ilartinigac (Paris. 1881) :Aube, La llurtinique, con pris, lit r I son arenir I Paris, 18821; Monet. Lo Vartinique (Paris. Ileilprin. Vont 1',he and the Tragedy of Martinique (Philadel phia, 1903) : Duntoret. A a pays du suere (Paris, 1901) ; Landes, Notice stir la llartinique (Paris, ; Russell, "Volcanic Ernylions on nique Saint Vincent." in \ational Geographie Ilruxan vol.cun bibliography l itcoon. 1902).