|
Status: Overseas Department
Prefect: Michel Cadot (2000)
Land area: 409 sq mi (1,059 sq km); total
area: 425 sq mi (1,100 sq km)
Population (2007 est.): 439,202 (growth
rate: 0.7%); birth rate: 13.4/1000; infant mortality rate: 6.8/1000;
life expectancy: 79.3; density per sq mi: 1,074
Capital and largest city (2003 est.):
Fort-de-France, 170,300 (metro. area), 96,400 (city proper)
Other large cities: Le Lamentin,
36,400; Schoelcher, 21,400; Sainte-Marie, 20,600
Monetary unit: Franc
Languages: French, Creole patois
Ethnicity/race: African and
African-white-Indian mixture 90%, white 5%, East Indian, Lebanese,
Chinese less than 5%
Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant
10.5%, Muslim 0.5%, Hindu 0.5%, other 3.5% (1997)
Literacy rate: 97.7% (2003 est.)
Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2003
est.): $6.117 billion; per capita $14,400. Real growth rate:
n.a. Inflation: 3.9% (1990). Unemployment: 27.2%
(1998). Arable land: 10%. Agriculture: pineapples,
avocados, bananas, flowers, vegetables, sugarcane. Labor
force: 165,900 (1998); agriculture 10%, industry 17%, services
73% (1997). Industries: construction, rum, cement, oil
refining, sugar, tourism. Natural resources: coastal scenery
and beaches, cultivable land. Exports: $250 million (f.o.b.,
1997): refined petroleum products, bananas, rum, pineapples (2001
est.). Imports: $2 billion (c.i.f., 1997): petroleum
products, crude oil, foodstuffs, construction materials, vehicles,
clothing and other consumer goods. Major trading partners:
France, Guadeloupe, Venezuela, Germany, Italy, U.S. (2004).
Communications: Telephones: main lines
in use: 172,000 est. (2001); mobile cellular: 319,900 (2002).
Radio broadcast stations: AM 0, FM 14, shortwave 0 (1998).
Television broadcast stations: 11 (plus nine repeaters)
(1997). Internet hosts: n.a. Internet users: 5,000
(2000).
Transportation: Railways: 0 km.
Highways: total: 2,105 ; paved: n.a. km; unpaved: n.a. km
(2000). Ports and harbors: Fort-de-France, La Trinite, Marin.
Airports: 2 (2004 est.).
International disputes: none.
Major sources and definitions
|
