Fort-de-france

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2009)

Coordinates: 14°36′00″N 61°05′00″W / 14.6°N 61.08334°W / 14.6; -61.08334

Commune of Fort-de-France
Fort Saint Louis
Location
Location of the commune (in red) within Martinique
Time zone	UTC-4
Administration
Country	France
Region	Martinique
Department	Martinique (préfecture)
Arrondissement	Fort-de-France
Canton	Chief town of 10 cantons
Intercommunality	Centre de la Martinique
Mayor	Serge Letchimy (PPM) (2008–2014)
Statistics
Elevation	0–1,070 m (0–3,500 ft)
Land area1	44.21 km2 (17.07 sq mi)
Population2	90,347  (2006 census)
- Density	2,044 /km2 (5,290 /sq mi)
Miscellaneous
INSEE/Postal code	97209/ 97200
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Fort Saint Louis seen from the sea

The frigate Ventôse can be seen behind the old fort

Fort-de-France is the capital of France's Caribbean département d'outre-mer of Martinique. With a population of 134,727 inhabitants (1999 census) in the urban area, 90,347 of whom live in the city (commune) of Fort-de-France proper, it is also one of the major cities in the Caribbean. Exports include sugar, rum, tinned fruit, and cacao.

Geography

Fort-de-France lies on the island's west coast at the northern entrance to the large Fort-de-France Bay, at the mouth of the Madame River. The city occupies a narrow plain between the hills and the sea but is accessible by road from all parts of the island.

History

In 1638, Jacques Duparquet, first governor of Martinique, decided to have Fort Saint Louis built to protect the city against enemy attacks. The fort was soon destroyed, and rebuilt in 1669, when Louis XIV appointed the Marquis of Baas as governor general. Under his orders and those of his successors, particularly the Count of Blénac, the fort was built with a Vauban design.

Originally named Fort-Royal, the administrative capital of Martinique was over-shadowed by Saint-Pierre, the oldest city in the island, which was renowned for its commercial and cultural vibrancy as "The Paris of the Caribbean". The name of Fort-Royal was changed to a short-lived "Fort-La-Republique" during the French Revolution, and finally settled as Fort-de-France sometime in the 19th century. The old name of Fort-Royal is still used today familiarly in its Creole language form of "Foyal", with the inhabitants of the city being "Foyalais".

The city had its share of disasters, being partially destroyed by an earthquake in 1839 and in 1890 by fire. At the turn of the 20th century, however, Fort-de-France became economically important after the volcanic eruption of Mount Pelée destroyed the town of Saint-Pierre in 1902. The city, however, never lived up to the cultural reputation of the doomed city.

Until 1918, when its commercial growth began, Fort-de-France had an inadequate water supply, was partly surrounded by swamps, and was notorious for yellow fever. Now the swamps are drained to make room for extensive suburbs.

Naval base

Fort Saint Louis in Fort-de-France is a French naval base, as is Degrad des Cannes (French Guiana).

Sights

In addition to Fort Saint Louis, there are three other forts:

• Fort Desaix
• Fort Tartenson
• Fort Gerbault

Other sites of interest include :

• Place de la Savane
• Schoelcher Library
• Jardin de Balata, a botanical garden
• Sacré-Cœur de Balata Church, a replica of the parisian Montmartre Church lodged on a cliff surrounded by tropical forest
• Fort-de-France Cathedral:[1]

A statue commemorating Martinique-born Empress Josephine, the wife of Napoleon, is in the gardens of La Savane. It was vandalized in the 1990s, presumably by individuals who faulted her for supporting the reestablishment of slavery on the island.

Transport

Martinique Aimé Césaire International Airport is located in a suburb outside Fort-de-France.

Sister cities

• Belém, Brazil

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Fort-de-France

• Official website
• Mérimée database - Cultural heritage (French)

v • d • e Communes of the Martinique department Basse-Pointe · Bellefontaine · Case-Pilote · Ducos · Fonds-Saint-Denis · Fort-de-France · Grand'Rivière · Gros-Morne · L'Ajoupa-Bouillon · La Trinité · Le Carbet · Le Diamant · Le François · Le Lamentin · Le Lorrain · Le Marigot · Le Marin · Le Morne-Rouge · Le Morne-Vert · Le Prêcheur · Le Robert · Le Vauclin · Les Anses-d'Arlet · Les Trois-Îlets · Macouba · Rivière-Pilote · Rivière-Salée · Saint-Esprit · Saint-Joseph · Saint-Pierre · Sainte-Anne · Sainte-Luce · Sainte-Marie · Schœlcher