festivites
1. Carnival - Martinique's Carnival is a week-long celebration leading up to Ash Wednesday. It features colorful parades with costumes, music, dance, and traditional Creole dishes. The largest celebrations occur in the capital city of Fort-de-France and in the town of Saint-Pierre.
2. Easter - Easter is celebrated throughout Martinique with church services and family gatherings. Many people participate in processions and religious events during Holy Week.
3. May 22nd (Abolition Day) - This holiday commemorates the abolition of slavery in 1848. Celebrations include speeches, cultural performances, and exhibitions.
4. July 14th (Bastille Day) - Bastille Day, also known as French National Day, is celebrated in Martinique with fireworks, parades, and other festivities.
5. August 15th (Assumption Day) - Assumption Day is a religious holiday celebrated throughout Martinique, with special masses, processions, and feasts.
6. November 1st (All Saints' Day) - All Saints' Day is a Christian holiday for honoring the dead. Families often visit cemeteries to clean and decorate graves.
7. December 25th (Christmas) - Christmas is widely celebrated in Martinique with family gatherings, religious services, and festive meals featuring traditional dishes such as ham, pork, and sorrel punch.
These holidays and festivities are celebrated across the island of Martinique, with different traditions and customs unique to each locality.
seasons
Martinique has two main tourist seasons:
1. High Season: From mid-December to mid-April.
Recommendations: This season is the busiest and most expensive time to visit Martinique. It's best to book accommodation and activities in advance, especially during Christmas, New Year's, and Carnival celebrations.
2. Low Season: From mid-April to mid-December.
Recommendations: This season offers lower prices, fewer crowds, and more relaxed atmosphere. However, it's also the rainy season, so be prepared for occasional showers and plan outdoor activities accordingly.
It's worth noting that the hurricane season runs from June to November, which may affect travel plans. It's important to stay up to date on weather forecasts and follow any instructions from local authorities.
visa
Citizens of the European Union, United States, Canada, Australia, and many other countries do not need a visa to visit Martinique for stays up to 90 days. However, they must have a valid passport, a return ticket or onward travel documents, and sufficient funds to support their stay.
For citizens of countries that require a visa, they can apply for a Schengen visa through the French Consulate in their home country. The cost of a Schengen visa application is typically around €80-€100 (Euro).
It's worth noting that Martinique is an overseas department of France, so French visa rules and regulations apply.
souvenirs
1. Rum - Martinique is known for its high-quality rum, with prices ranging from approximately 20-80 euros depending on the brand and quality. You can find it in supermarkets or specialized stores like La Maison du Rhum.
2. Madras fabric - This colorful cotton fabric is used for traditional Caribbean clothing such as skirts, shirts, and dresses. Prices vary depending on the vendor, but you can find it in local markets such as Fort-de-France market or Anse Mitan market.
3. Cassava flour - Made from cassava, a root vegetable commonly grown in the Caribbean, this flour is an essential ingredient in many Martinican dishes. You can find it in supermarkets or local markets for around 4-7 euros.
4. Bokit sandwich - A popular street food in Martinique, the bokit is a deep-fried bread filled with various ingredients such as fish, chicken, or vegetables. Prices vary depending on the vendor, but you can find them in local markets or food trucks.
5. Pottery - Martinican pottery is known for its unique designs and vibrant colors. Prices vary depending on the size and complexity of the pieces, but you can find them in artisanal markets or shops such as Galerie Couleurs Tropicales.
Please note that prices are subject to change and may vary according to location and season.
If you have 1 week
Great! Martinique is a beautiful island in the Caribbean with a rich culture and history. Here is a suggested one-week itinerary:
Day 1: Start your trip by visiting Fort-de-France, the capital city of Martinique. You can explore the local market, where you will find fresh fruits, vegetables, spices, and souvenirs. Then, visit the Schoelcher Library, a stunning building designed by Gustave Eiffel.
Day 2: Take a day trip to Saint-Pierre, the former capital of Martinique that was destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 1902. Visit the ruins of the theater, the prison, and the courthouse, which are reminders of the tragic event. Then, head to the nearby Mount Pelée volcano and explore the hiking trails.
Day 3: Spend a relaxing day at Les Salines Beach, which is located on the southern tip of the island. The beach is known for its clear waters and white sand. You can also try some local delicacies at the nearby restaurants.
Day 4: Visit the Habitation Clément, a historic distillery that produces rum. Take a guided tour to learn about the process of making rum, and taste some of the different varieties. Then, head to the La Savane des Esclaves museum, where you can learn about the history of slavery in Martinique.
Day 5: Take a boat tour to the Diamond Rock, a small island located off the coast of Martinique. The rock has a fascinating history and was once used as a lookout post during the Napoleonic Wars. You can also snorkel or scuba dive in the surrounding waters.
Day 6: Explore the Jardin de Balata, a stunning botanical garden that features over 3,000 species of tropical plants. The garden also offers breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains. Then, head to the nearby Fort-de-France Zoo, which is home to a variety of exotic animals.
Day 7: End your trip with a visit to the Musée de la Pagerie, a museum dedicated to Empress Josephine, who was born in Martinique. The museum features artifacts and exhibits related to her life and legacy. Then, head to the Pointe du Bout area, where you can enjoy some shopping and dining before your departure.
I hope you enjoy your trip to Martinique! These places are recommended because they reflect the island's rich culture, history, and natural beauty. No matter the situation, it is always important to take precautions and follow guidelines from local authorities to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience.
If you have 2 weeks
Great to hear that you are in Martinique! Here's a two-week itinerary that I think you might enjoy:
Week 1:
Day 1-2: Start your trip by exploring the capital city of Fort-de-France. Visit the colorful markets, historic landmarks like the St. Louis Cathedral, and local museums like the Musée Départemental de la Martinique.
Day 3-4: Rent a car and drive up to Mount Pelée, an active volcano that offers stunning views of the surrounding landscapes. You can also visit the nearby town of Saint-Pierre, which was destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 1902.
Day 5-6: Spend some time relaxing on the beaches of Les Salines, one of the most popular beaches in Martinique. Enjoy the clear turquoise waters, soft white sands, and natural beauty of the area.
Day 7: Take a boat tour to the nearby island of Saint Lucia, which offers breathtaking views of the Pitons, two volcanic spires rising from the sea. You can also explore the charming, historic town of Soufrière.
Week 2:
Day 8-9: Head to the northern part of the island and spend a couple of days in the town of Le Carbet. Here, you can visit the rum distilleries, learn about the history of sugar cane cultivation, and take a dip in the natural hot springs.
Day 10-11: Continue your adventure by visiting the picturesque fishing village of Grand-Rivière, located on the northern coast of the island. You can hike through the lush rainforests of the Parc Naturel Régional de Martinique, go fishing, or simply relax and soak up the sun.
Day 12-13: Check out the beautiful Anse Noire and Anse Dufour beaches, where you can swim, snorkel, and explore the underwater world of the Caribbean Sea.
Day 14: On your last day in Martinique, take a leisurely stroll through the charming town of Sainte-Anne. Visit the local markets, sample some traditional Creole cuisine, and say goodbye to this beautiful island paradise.
I suggest these places because they offer a diverse range of experiences that showcase the natural beauty, history, culture, and cuisine of Martinique. From exploring the bustling city streets of Fort-de-France to hiking through the lush rainforests of the north, there's something for everyone on this itinerary. So pack your bags and get ready for an unforgettable adventure!
Culture
As an overseas département of France, Martinique's culture blends French and Caribbean influences. The city of Saint-Pierre (destroyed by a volcanic eruption of Mount Pelée), was often referred to as the "Paris of the Lesser Antilles". Following traditional French custom, many businesses close at midday to allow a lengthy lunch, then reopen later in the afternoon.
Today, Martinique has a higher standard of living than most other Caribbean countries. French products are easily available, from Chanel fashions to Limoges porcelain. Studying in the métropole (mainland France, especially Paris) is common for young adults. Martinique has been a vacation hotspot for many years, attracting both upper-class French and more budget-conscious travelers.
Martinique has a hybrid cuisine, mixing elements of African, French, Carib Amerindian and Indian subcontinental traditions. One of its most famous dishes is the Colombo (compare kuzhambu (குழம்பு) for gravy or broth), a unique curry of chicken (curry chicken), meat or fish with vegetables, spiced with a distinctive masala of Tamil origins, sparked with tamarind, and often containing wine, coconut milk, cassava and rum. A strong tradition of Martiniquan desserts includes cakes made with pineapple, rum, and a wide range of local ingredients.
Sisters Jeanne Nardal and Paulette Nardal were involved in the creation of the Négritude movement. Yva Léro was a writer and painter who co-founded the Women's Union of Martinique. Marie-Magdeleine Carbet wrote with her partner under the pseudonym Carbet.
Aimé Césaire is perhaps Martinique's most famous writer; he was one of the main figures in the Négritude literary movement. René Ménil was a surrealist writer who founded the journal Tropiques with Aimé and Suzanne Césaire and later formulated the concept of Antillanité. Other surrealist writers of that era included Étienne Léro and Jules Monnerot, who co-founded the journal Légitime Défense with Simone Yoyotte and Ménil. Édouard Glissant was later influenced by Césaire and Ménil, and in turn had an influence on Patrick Chamoiseau, who founded the Créolité movement with Raphaël Confiant and Jean Bernabé. Raphaël Confiant was a poetry, prose and non-fiction writer who supports Creole and tries to bring both French and Creole (Martinican and Guadeloupean) together in his work. He is specifically known for his contribution to the Créolité movement.
Frantz Fanon, a prominent critic of colonialism and racism, was also from Martinique.
Martinique has a large popular music industry, which gained in international renown after the success of zouk music in the later 20th century. Zouk's popularity was particularly intense in France, where the genre became an important symbol of identity for Martinique and Guadeloupe. Zouk's origins are in the folk music of Martinique and Guadeloupe, especially Martinican chouval bwa, and Guadeloupan gwo ka. There's also notable influence of the pan-Caribbean calypso tradition and Haitian kompa.
Martinique adopted a new flag on February 2, 2023, featuring a red triangle at the hoist, with two horizontal bands of green and black. The flag of France is also flown alongside it as the country's parent country. A previous competition to create a flag in 2018 was annulled by the local administrative tribunal, but the island began a new public vote in 2022, with the hummingbird design being selected as the winner. However, the designer withdrew her design due to accusations of plagiarism, and the runner-up design, the rouge-vert-noir ("red-green-black"), was adopted. This flag is also the preferred symbol of Martinique's independence movement.
Religion
About 90% of Martiniquans are Christian, predominantly Roman Catholic as well as smaller numbers of various Protestant denominations. There are much smaller communities of other faiths such as Islam, Hinduism and the Baháʼí Faith.
The island has 49 parishes and several historic places of worship, such as the Saint-Louis Cathedral of Fort de France, the Sacred Heart Church of Balata, and the Co-Cathedral of Our Lady of Assumption, Saint-Pierre.
Catholic Christians follow the Latin rite, with parishes in each municipality and village of the territory. The island has the following places of worship classified as historic monuments:
* Saint-Louis Cathedral (Cathédrale Saint Louis) in Fort-de-France, erected in 1850 by a bull of Pope Pius IX, is currently the seat of the archdiocese of Saint-Pierre and Fort-de-France since 1967.
* Church of the Sacré-coeur (Sacred Heart) in Balata
* Cathedral of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption (Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption) in Saint-Pierre de la Martinique. The former church of Mouillage, located on the corner of Victor Hugo Street and Dupuy Street, in the Mouillage district of Saint-Pierre, was completed in 1956.
* Our Lady of the Assumption Church, in Sainte-Marie, a town in Martinique, dates to 1658.
The Archdiocese of Saint-Pierre and Fort-de-France (Latin: archidioecesis Sancti Petri et Arcis Gallicae seu Martinicensis) is an ecclesiastical circumscription of the Catholic Church in the Caribbean, based in Saint-Pierre and Fort-de-France, on the island of Martinique. The archdiocese of Saint-Pierre and Fort-de-France is metropolitan and its suffragan dioceses are Basse-Terre and Pointe-à-Pitre and Cayenne.
Demographics
Martinique had a population of 364,508 as of January 2019. The population has been decreasing by 0.9% per year since 2013. There are an estimated 260,000 people of Martinican origin living in mainland France, most of them in the Paris region. Emigration was highest in the 1970s, causing population growth to almost stop, but it is comparatively light today.
The population of Martinique is mainly of African descent generally mixed with European, Amerindian (Carib), Indian (descendants of 19th-century Tamil and Telugu immigrants from South India), Lebanese, Syrian or Chinese. Martinique also has a small Syro-Lebanese community, a small Indian community, a small but increasing Chinese community, and the Béké community, descendants of the first European settlers.
The Béké population represents around 1% of Martinique's population, mostly of noble ancestry or members of the old bourgeoisie. In addition to the island population, the island hosts a mainland French community, most of which live on the island on a temporary basis (generally from 3 to 5 years).
About 90% of Martiniquans are Christian, predominantly Roman Catholic as well as smaller numbers of various Protestant denominations. There are much smaller communities of other faiths such as Islam, Hinduism and the Baháʼí Faith.
The island has 49 parishes and several historic places of worship, such as the Saint-Louis Cathedral of Fort de France, the Sacred Heart Church of Balata, and the Co-Cathedral of Our Lady of Assumption, Saint-Pierre.
Catholic Christians follow the Latin rite, with parishes in each municipality and village of the territory. The island has the following places of worship classified as historic monuments:
* Saint-Louis Cathedral (Cathédrale Saint Louis) in Fort-de-France, erected in 1850 by a bull of Pope Pius IX, is currently the seat of the archdiocese of Saint-Pierre and Fort-de-France since 1967.
* Church of the Sacré-coeur (Sacred Heart) in Balata
* Cathedral of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption (Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption) in Saint-Pierre de la Martinique. The former church of Mouillage, located on the corner of Victor Hugo Street and Dupuy Street, in the Mouillage district of Saint-Pierre, was completed in 1956.
* Our Lady of the Assumption Church, in Sainte-Marie, a town in Martinique, dates to 1658.
The Archdiocese of Saint-Pierre and Fort-de-France (Latin: archidioecesis Sancti Petri et Arcis Gallicae seu Martinicensis) is an ecclesiastical circumscription of the Catholic Church in the Caribbean, based in Saint-Pierre and Fort-de-France, on the island of Martinique. The archdiocese of Saint-Pierre and Fort-de-France is metropolitan and its suffragan dioceses are Basse-Terre and Pointe-à-Pitre and Cayenne.
The official language of Martinique is French, which is spoken by most of the population. The department was integrated into France in 1946, and consequently became French. Most residents also speak Martinican Creole (Martinique Creole, Kréyol Mat'nik, Kreyòl), a form of Antillean Creole closely related to the varieties spoken in neighboring English-dominated islands of Saint Lucia and Dominica. Martiniquan Creole is based on French, Carib and African languages with elements of English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Also, unlike other varieties of French creole, such as Mauritian Creole, Martinican Creole is not readily understood by speakers of Standard French due to significant differences in grammar, syntax, vocabulary and pronunciation. It continues to be used in oral storytelling traditions and other forms of speech and to a lesser extent in writing.
French and Creole are in a diglossic situation in Martinique, where French is used in official dialogue and Martinican Creole is used in casual or familial contexts. Creole was a spoken language with a developed "oraliture"; it wasn't until the mid 20th century that Martinican Creole began to be written. Since then, decreolization of the language has taken place via the adoption of Standard French features, mostly unconsciously, but some speakers have noticed that they do not speak Creole like their parents once did.
Being an overseas department of France, the island has European, French, Caribbean, Martinican, black and Creole markers of identity, all being influenced by foreign factors, social factors, cultural factors and, as a reportedly important marker, linguistic practices. Martinican and Creole identities are specifically asserted through encouragement of Creole and its use in literature, in a movement known as Créolité, that was started by Patrick Chamoiseau, Jean Bernabé and Raphaël Confiant. Martinican Creole used to be a shameful language, and it wasn't until the 1970s that it has been revalorized through literature and increasing code switching. People now speak Martinican Creole more often and in more contexts.
Speaking Creole in public schools was forbidden until 1982, which is thought to have discouraged parents from using Creole in the home. In collaboration with GEREC (Groupe d'Etudes et de Recherches en Espace Créolophone) Raphaël Confiant created KAPES KREYOL (CAPES for Creole, Certificat d'aptitude au professorat de l'enseignement du second degré), which is an aptitude exam that allowed Creole teachers in secondary school. This debuted 9 February 2001. Recently, the education authority, Académie de la Martinique, launched "Parcours Creole +" in 2019, a project trialling bilingual education of children in French and Martinican Creole. Rather than being a topic to be learned itself, Creole became a language that classes were taught in, such as arts, math, physical activity, etc.
Though Creole is normally not used in professional situations, members of the media and politicians have begun to use it more frequently as a way to redeem national identity and prevent cultural assimilation by mainland France.
Martinican Creole has general locative marking (GLM, also called general locative adposition, goal/source (in)difference and motion-to=motion-from). This means that source locations, final locations and static entity locations are expressed morphologically identically. Some West African languages that are possibly contributors to Martinican Creole also present GLM. Martinican Creole locative marking exists in 3 morphological types, including:
* 1) spatial prepositions as free morphemes;
* 2) * These include "an" (in), "adan" (inside), "douvan" (in front), "anba" (under) and "anlè" (on).
* 3) spatial morphemes "a-", "an(n)-", and "o(z)-" bound to the noun on their right;
* 4) * Only bare lexemes that depict certain locations will take on these particles
* 5) phonologically null locative markers
* 6) * In ambiguous sentences, these are added to polysyllabic city names
Cities:
