Martinique Facts for Kids

A map of Martinique

The flag of Martinique

Martinique is an island in the Caribbean Sea. It has an area of 1,128 km². Nearly 400,000 people live there.

Martinique was known by indigenous peoples of the Caribbean as Madiana or Madinina. It was colonized by the French in the 17th century, and they introduced racist slavery there as they spread it all around the world. France still claims to own the island today, even though there has been an independence movement.

The capital city is Fort-de-France. Other towns include Sainte-Anne and St. Pierre (which was destroyed by a volcano named Mont Pelée in 1902).

Martinique is well known for its zouk music. Artists such as Kassav' have made it famous over the years. Frantz Fanon, an important anti-colonial revolutionary, was born there.

The ethnic makeup of the country is: 90% African and Mixed African with anything from Chinese, East Indian or White. and 10% White, Amerindian, Chinese and East Indian.

Guadeloupe, another French island in the Caribbean

Images for kids

The Cape Saint Martin cliffs and the Dominica channel, as seen from Grand Rivière at the northern tip of the island
The attack on the French ships at Martinique in 1667
The Battle of Martinique between British and French fleets in 1779
Mont Pelée and Bay of St Pierre as seen from the Grande Savane trail
The special territories of the European Union
A map of Martinique showing the island's four arrondissements
Diamant beach, and Diamond Rock, as seen from Dizac beach
Former town hall or Mayor's office of Fort-de-France
Salines Beach, St Anne peninsula
Anses d'Arlet and its churchside beach, a landmark of Martinique
Caravelle Peninsula and Martinique's Atlantic coast, as seen from the Phare de la Caravelle
Pitons du Carbet rainforest, as seen from the Fontaine Didier route in Fort de France
Grand Anse beach, a haven for sea turtles, southwest peninsula
The Trou d'eau of the Pitons du Carbet forest, Rivière du Lorrain, as seen from the Trace des Jésuites trail
Beach of Anse Grosse Roche, St Anne peninsula
The Jamaican fruit bat can be found throughout the island
Dillon's distellery
Les Salines, a wide sand beach at the southeastern end of the island
Sugarcane Cultivation
The A1 highway (972) in Fort-de-France
Former Martinique Plantation train (030-T-Corpet)
Cathédrale Saint Louis
Multilingual welcome sign in Fort-de-France. Kontan wè zot is Martiniquan Creole for "Happy to see you."
Martinique dancers in traditional dress
Schoelcher Library
Louis Achille Stadium
153rd International Surfing Championship, Basse-Pointe, Martinique
Tour des Yoles
Viktor Lazlo (Paris Book Fair 2011).
Jocelyne Béroard at the Mons International Film Festival (May 2007). She was made Officier des l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2020 and National Order of the Legion of Honor in 2014.
Joeystarr at Art Rock 2007, Saint-Brieuc (February 2011).
Kalash, rapper and singer of Dancehall and Trap.
Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos is the 2019 European Artistic Gymnastics all-around champion, a two time European champion on floor exercise (2018, 2019), and the 2021 European champion on the balance beam
Coralie Balmy, freestyle swimmer, at the parade of French medallists of the 2012 Olympics (August 2012).
Wendie Renard at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup (July 2011).
Ronny Turiaf at a New York Knicks practice (October 2010).
Aimé Césaire poet, playwright and author of Cahier d'un retour au pays natal. He is one of the founders of Négritude
René Ménil, Philosopher, essayist, and winner of the Frantz Fanon prize in 1999. In 1932, he was amongst Martinique literary figures engaged in publishing Légitime Défense
Patrick Chamoiseau, novelist awarded the Prix Goncourt in 1992 for his novel Texaco and Commander of the ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2010. He is a co-founder of the literary movement, Créolité
René Maran, novelist awarded the Prix Goncourt in 1921 for his novel Batouala
Raphaël Confiant, novelist and cofounder of the literary movement Créolité. He has won several literary prizes including the prix Novembre in 1991 for his novel Eau de café, the Shibusawa-Claudel Prize in Japan, the Antigone Prize, the Caribbean Literary Prize, the Carbet Prize and the Casa de las Américas Prize in Cuba.
Saut-Gendarme waterfall

Martinique facts for kids

Related pages

Images for kids

See also