Martinique

Martinique (/ˌmɑːrtɪˈniːk/ MAR-tin-EEK [maʁtinik] ⓘ; Martinican Creole: Matinik or Matnik;[6] Kalinago: Madinina or Madiana) is an island in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It was previously known as Iguanacaera which translates to iguana island in Kariʼnja.[7] A part of the French West Indies (Antilles), Martinique is an overseas department and region and a single territorial collectivity of the French Republic.

It is a part of the European Union as an outermost region within the special territories of members of the European Economic Area, and an associate member of the CARICOM,[8] the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean[9] (ECLAC) but is not part of the Schengen Area or the European Union Customs Union. The currency in use is the euro. It has been a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 2021 for its entire land and sea territory. In September 2023, the volcanoes and forests of Mount Pelée and the peaks of northern Martinique, in particular the Pitons du Carbet, were listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.[10]

Martinique has a land area of 1,128 km2 (436 sq mi) and a population of 349,925 inhabitants as of January 2024.[3] One of the Windward Islands, it lies directly north of Saint Lucia, northwest of Barbados and south of Dominica. Virtually the entire population speaks both French (the sole official language) and Martinican Creole.[11]