MARTINIQUE
MARTINIQUE
Martinique was discovered for the Western World by Christopher Columbus and hailed it “the most beautiful country in the world”. And he has been to quite many places so it should be as he says. For that matter, the island is mentioned in the memorable song “Kokomo” by the Beach Boys. Christened after St. Martin, the patron saint of soldiers and horses, La Martinique even had a cameo reference by Penelope Cruz in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. The island is nothing short of ideal in films with Caribbean-pirate motifs.
Martinique is the ultimate place for sun worshippers, lovers, beach lovers, and flower lovers, as France’s “Island of Flowers”. Actually, this title originated from the previous inhabitants of the island, the Arawak and the Carib Indians who called it Madinina (island of flowers). To be sure, visitors will come to love the French-Creole heritage, but really, Martinique is a fusion of more elements that includes African, South Asian, and Carib Amerindian traditions. With the quoted best rum on earth, little wonder Martinique is so well loved…by pirates and bakpackers alike.
GEOGRAPHY
Martinique is an overseas region of France in the eastern Caribbean Sea, southeast of Dominica with a total area of 1,128 km2. The terrain of the island is flatter in the south as the major resort area versus the mountainous and lushly forested landscape in the north. The island features four ensembles of volcanoes (piton) and mountains (morne): the Piton Conil (North), Pitons du Carbet, the Morne Jacob, and the highest elevation of the entire Martinique, the Mount Pelée, 1,397 m above sea level.
CLIMATE
Martinique’s year-round holiday status credits its tropical climate especially during the dry season, from December to May, the peak season. The rainy (wet) season, on the other hand, begins around June and persists until the month of December. September is the wettest month, and August, the month most prone to hurricanes. Located in the Caribbean, humidity in Martinique is quite high, and as a result the terrible clamminess during the dry, hot season, while attributing to the cooler and wetter northern interior.
PEOPLE
The population of Martiniquans is around 402,000 of mostly African descendants brought to work on the sugar plantations during the colonial era, mixed with French, Carib Indian, Indian, Lebanese, or Chinese ancestry. Inhabitants of Martinique are recognized as French citizen with full rights. A Tamil and White population inhabits Martinique both by a sizeable 5-10%. There also are Syro-Lebanese, Chinese, Béké (descendants of first French and British settlers) communities. The Béké people, because of their European aristocratic origin, enjoy a higher standard of living, having dominated parts of the agricultural and trade sectors of the economy. About 260,000 people of Martiniquan orgin live in mainland France, generally in the Paris region.
LANGUAGE
The Martiniquans’ official language is FRENCH although majority of its inhabitants speak a Creole Patois, specifically ANTILLEAN CREOLE or Creole Martiniquais in everyday life. ENGLISH is spoken by some especially in tourist areas. Others spoken in the island are immigrant languages of ARABIC spoken by 500, VIETNAMESE spoken by 330 people, and CHINESE, by 500.
RELIGION
Roman Catholicism is of tremendous importance in Martinique, with 2 Catholic cathedrals and a large number of parish churches. Nevertheless, other religions also have their place in Martinique including the Adventist Church and Jehovah’s Witness, as well as non-Christian beliefs like Hinduism and Islam.
ATTRACTIONS
As an overseas region of France, Martinique seems to fall far from the tree as a tropical destination in the Caribbean, but French influence continues to affect the country in everything, every single day,even with Paris 8 hours away . Martinique is a wonderful merge of cultural influences. This is not just a place for divers, hikers, and beach lovers. This is the prime spot for Francophiles also, who can expect a lot of surprises with the blissful union of Gallic legacy and Caribbean traditions.
One such place is Saint-Pierre, the former capital, that was often referred to as “Paris of the Lesser Antilles” until a misfortune struck in the form of a volcanic eruption by Mount Pelée in 1902. And while it bears the scars of this devastating event that killed 26,000, St. Pierre is a town well worth a visit for its still charming though dilapidated buildings and even more enchanting Caribbean vibe in the main square especially every morning, where the market scene is alive and exciting. Still and all, the capital Fort de France is majority of the visitors’ choice for orientation to Martinique.
There are many other old quaint towns of interest like Le Diamant and other villages near the beach. Besides villages, special things to see and do exist in plethora near the coasts like hiking the picturesque Trace de Caps in the south, where the major resort area is – Pointe du Bout. The best bathing beaches include Ste Anne, Les Anses d’Arlets, and the previously mentioned Le Diamant. So much to do in the waters if you wish to get off the gray-and-black sand beaches like swimming, snorkelling, scuba diving, waterskiing, spear-fishing with the locals, and even sailing at the aquafestival at the Bay of Robert. Out of the waters, horse riding the countryside makes for a great alternative – whatever you want to do really.
FOOD
When it comes to food, Martiniquan cuisine has just as much to offer as its impressive geographic features and attractions. Martinique is very special from other Caribbean islands with its diversity of dining options, its service quality, the produce, and its hybrid cuisine, integrating elements of African, Carib Amerindian, South Asian, and of course French traditions. Martinique possesses the quality of the welcome, the products, and the savoir-fare of Créole cuisine – the trademark of France’s culinary heritage. There are over 500 cafes and/or restaurants. And Martinique’s restaurateurs are excellent gastronomic ambassadors.
One thing it has in common with the Caribbean islands is the fresh seafood which is a speciality they work best with in the kitchen. Freshwater crayfish, lobster, crab, red snapper, sea urchin, and conch are super delicious. Fish is indeed king, especially when cooked French-Creole style. These are made into appetizing dishes of stewed conch and stuffed crab. Fort de France also brims with delectable French bakeries. And the rum, the “world’s best” connoisseurs say, is really just the best, on its own or as a concoction with lime, bitters, and syrup as ‘Ti punch, with fruit juice as Planteur, or as plain as with an orange peel as Shrub. The fruit juice in rum punch accents the drink, but with fruits this fresh, they go great free of the spells of alcohol from guava, passionfruit, mandarin, sugar-cane, and soursup.
Josh Boorman
Editor-in-chief
Backpacking Addictz
Twitter: @backpackaddictz
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