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| Scuba French Martinique Coral Reef |
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Resources Overview
Martinique, like Guadeloupe, is an overseas territory of France. Reefs are absent on the leeward northern, northwest and west coasts, because the shelf is narrow and there is a high sediment load from the erosion of Mount Pelée. There are, however, some coral communities along this coastline. Similarly, there are no true reefs along the northeast coast, although south of Presqu’île de la Caravelle a barrier reef continues along the shore for about 25 kilometers. The lagoon behind this reef is up to 30 meters deep in places and there are extensive seagrass communities. Fringing reefs have developed along the coast behind the barrier reef. Algae, including Sargassum, Turbinaria and Dictyota, have proliferated on the reefs of Martinique since the Diadema die-off. Eutrophication from the city of Fort-de-France may be combining with the lack of grazing organisms in maintaining this situation. Overfishing is a problem, with about 900 registered fishers in 1997, but many others operating. There were an estimated 50 000 wire-mesh fish traps around the island in 2000.
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Geography
Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Trinidad and Tobago. slightly more than six times the size of Washington, DC. tropical; moderated by trade winds; rainy season (June to October); vulnerable to devastating cyclones (hurricanes) every eight years on average; average temperature 17.3 degrees C; humid |
People
Nationality: noun: Martiniquais (singular and plural)
adjective: Martiniquais. African and African-white-Indian mixture 90%, white 5%, East Indian, Chinese less than 5%. Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 5% |
Economy
GDP $4.39 billion (1997 est.) The economy is based on sugarcane, bananas, tourism, and light industry. Agriculture accounts for about 6% of GDP and the small industrial sector for 11%. Sugar production has declined, with most of the sugarcane now used for the production of rum. Banana exports are increasing, going mostly to France. The bulk of meat, vegetable, and grain requirements must be imported, contributing to a chronic trade deficit that requires large annual transfers of aid from France. Tourism, which employs more than 11,000 people, has become more important than agricultural exports as a source of foreign exchange. The majority of the work force is employed in the service sector and in administration. |
Profile
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History
Colonized by France in 1635, the island has subsequently remained a French possession except for three brief periods of foreign occupation. |
| Information provided by CIA Worldfactbook, US Department of State, Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN). ReefBase: Oliver, J. and M. Noordeloos. Editors. 2002, UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Center, |
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