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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-CÅ“ur 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.

International relations

External links

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

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

From Wikitravel

Fort-de-France is the largest city in and capital of Martinique.

Get in

Most of those traveling to Martinique will enter through Aimé Cesaire International Airport, located in the suburb of Le Lamentin. Cruise ships often stop in Fort-de-France's harbor.

Get around

Mopeds, cars, and taxis are the main mode of transportation.

• Fort Saint-Louis, a fortress on a peninsula in Fort-de-France harbour constructed during the reign of Louis XIII. It currently houses a French naval base, and parts of the fortress have been turned into a museum and are open to the public.
• Bibliothèque Schoelcher, One the nicest colonial buildings in town is a library, located next to place de la savane.
• Le grand marché, rues Blénac et Isambert. Covered market.  edit
• Cathedral Saint-Louis, rue Victor Schoelcher. First built in 1671, it was damaged by numerous fires and earthquakes before being totally reconstructed in 1890 by the same architect as the Bibliothèque Schoelcher.  edit
• Place de la Savane.  edit
• Dillon distillery, 9, route de Chateauboeuf.. A small museum about rhum making in the former distillery Dillon. All the rhum making process has now moved to a new site.  edit
• Sacré-Coeur de Balata, a replica of the Montmartre Church in Paris, constructed in 1925 on a cliff surrounded by tropical forest. Open everyday from 8 to noon and 3 to 6.
• Jardin de Balata, (10 km away on the road to Morne Rouge). Botanical garden with more than 200 species of plants and flowers.  edit
• Cascade Absalon, Up on the route de Balata, take a left right after the Balata Gardens. Easily accessible waterfall where you can swim in the water basin. Park the car just after the bridge and watch out on the slippery steps.  edit

• Hike to Cascade Didier, (Take the route de Didier from the rond point du Vietnam heroique. Go all the way up, through the tunnel and now you are in the tropical jungle only 10 min from downtown.). Trail is not marked, park next to the power generator almost at the end of the road. Walk down towards the river, cross the bridge and up on the other side you ll find a tunnel, bring a flash light. The 1st waterfall is now a 15 min walk away up the river, it is around 6 meter high and jumping from the top is possible. The 2nd waterfall is another 45 mins up the river and consist of a 25 m drop in a basin where you can swim. Watch out for the green and purple matoutou spider on the way.  edit

• La Galleria, in Lamentin (near airport), is the island's largest mall, with several European branded stores and others.

• Fort-de-France's Spice Market offers stalls full of local/unique flowers, fresh fruit and vegetables, and herbs and spices.

• Rue Victor Hugo is Fort-de-France's main shopping street... a Paris-like strip of boutiques, island shops and vendors of fresh fruit and flowers

• Leader Price, rue Ernest-Deproge. If you re travelling by boat, this is the closest to restock on groceries.  edit

• Babaorum, 42 route de Chateauboeuf ((behind Carrefour Dillon)), ☎ 05 96 75 03 32, [1]. Lunch and dinner monday to fryday, dinner only on saturdays. Outside bar in a garden and restaurant inside.  edit

Get out

Take the ferry to Trois Islets and enjoy crossing the bay by boat.