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Country Name
Martinique.
Location
Martinique is an island and an overseas department and region of France, and therefore an integral part of the French Republic, located in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean Sea. One of the Windward Islands is directly north of Saint Lucia, northwest of Barbados, and south of Dominica.
Capital
Fort-de-France.
Reasons for naming the country
It is thought that Martinique is a corruption of the native name for the island (Madiana/Madinina), meaning ‘island of flowers’, as relayed to Christopher Columbus when he visited the island in 1502. According to historian Sydney Daney, the island was called “Jouanacaëra” by the Caribs, which means “the island of iguanas.”.
Flag
The flag was first flown in June 2019 by the national team during its participation in the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup. As the island of Martinique is a territorial collectivity of France, therefore, Martinique has no flag with an official status other than the French national flag. The flag is known as the “Snake Flag.” The flag is composed of a blue background with a white cross in the middle and a white snake in each of the blue quarters. The snakes on the flag are fer-de-lance vipers, which are natively poisonous snakes found in Martinique. Before the United Kingdom joined the Caribbean Islands, Martinique was administered from St. Lucia.
Language
The official language is French, which is spoken by virtually the entire population. In addition, most residents can also speak Martiniquan Creole, a form of Antillean Creole closely related to the varieties spoken in the neighboring English-speaking islands of Saint Lucia and Dominica. Martiniquan Creole is based on French, Carib, and African languages with elements of English, Spanish, and Portuguese. It continues to be used in oral storytelling traditions and other forms of speech, and to a lesser extent, in writing.
Religion
The great majority of the population is Roman Catholic; there are smaller numbers of Protestants (mostly Seventh-day Adventists) and other Christians who are adherents of other religions. Some people incorporate elements of Vodou (Voodoo) into their beliefs. Religion plays a fundamental role in Martinican culture and society, and each village has its church and secondary places of worship. Other minority religions also enrich the spiritual diversity of Martinique: Methodism, the Jewish religion, Islam, and Hinduism. The Jews and the Muslims have their synagogue, their mosque, and their Koranic school in Martinique.
Currency
Euro €.
Time Zone
-04:00 GMT.
Government Regime
Overseas Territory.
Climate
In Martinique, the climate is tropical, hot, and humid all year round, with a cool and dry season from January to mid-April, and a hot, humid, and rainy season from mid-June to mid-November. The best time to visit Martinique is from February to April since it is the least rainy period of the year. December and January are a bit rainier but less than in July & November period.
International Phone Code
+ 596
Internet Code
.mq
.mtq
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