Martinique

Martinique
 

In the heart of the archipelago of the West Indies, Martinique stretches for 80 km and 35 km for a surface of 1080km2,  with in the west the Caribbean Sea and in the east the Atlantic Ocean.

The ground rises gradually from the littoral until the center and towards the north with two climax: in the North-East the sadly well known Montagne Pelée rising to 1397m (4190 Feet) and in the south the mountain of Vauclin. This area of the island is also known for its legendary tropical forest. The plain of Lamentin, only flat part of the island is located in the center of the latter, towards the south.

In the north and the west, the coasts are made of abrupt cliffs generally cut off behind  coral reef belts. From the Peninsula of the Caravelle to the pointe du Vauclin the very cut out coast alternat with rather large bays and points. But Fort de France has the most remarkable bay and one of the most significant of the West Indies. Beautiful white sandy beaches decorate the south of the island and picturesque beaches of black sand border the West coast.

Martinique is this multitude of landscapes taken from the most beautiful postcards....

With a surface of 1 100 Km², Martinique is the smallest of the overseas departments.
It is located 6 800 km far from France, in the heart of the West-Indian arc in the Caribbean Sea, at equal distance from the coasts of Venezuela and of Haïti/Saint-Domingue.

Martinique is bordered of 300 km of coasts. With lots of rivers and thermal springs (three are exploited), the island is covered with a very varied vegetation, which gave it its old name of Madinina, " the island with flowers ". Its marine fauna is composed of multiple species.

Its relief, of volcanic origin, offers a varied landscape of hills, plains, cliffs, white or black sandy beaches  (in the West) dominated by the volcano of the Montagne Pelée (1 397m) (4190 feet) which marked the history of the island; the eruption of 1902 destroyed the most significant city of the island in the begining of the 1900s, Saint Pierre, killing 30 000 inhabitant.

.../...