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{{Short description|Largest city in Martinique}}{{redirect|Fort Royal}}{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}{{More citations needed|date=June 2009}}

factoids

|image coat of arms = Blason ville fr Fort-de-France (Martinique).svg|image flag = |flag legend = |arrondissement = Fort-de-France|adjustable map = Fort-de-France 972.PNG|map size = 210px|map caption = Location of the commune (in red) within Martinique|INSEE = 97209 |postal code = 97200 and 97234 (Quartier de Balata)Didier LaguerreRéPERTOIRE NATIONAL DES éLUS: LES MAIRESWEBSITE=DATA.GOUV.FR, PLATEFORME OUVERTE DES DONNéES PUBLIQUES FRANçAISESLANGUAGE=FR, |term = 2020–2026Martinican Progressive Party>PPMCommunauté d’agglomération du Centre de la Martinique>CA Centre de la Martinique14006100display=inline,title}}|elevation m =|elevation min m = 0|elevation max m = 1070|area km2 = 44.21population_total}}population_as_of}}population_footnotes}}}}Fort-de-France ({{IPAc-en|ËŒ|f|ɔːr|_|d|É™|_|ˈ|f|r|ɒ̃|s}}, {{IPAc-en|USalso|ËŒ|f|ɔːr|t|_|d|É™|_|ˈ|f|ɹ|æ|n|s}}, {{IPA-fr|fɔʁ dÉ™ fʁɑ̃s|lang|LL-Q150 (fra)-Jules78120-Fort-de-France.wav}}; ) is a commune and the capital city of Martinique, an overseas department and region of France located in the Caribbean.

History

In 1638, Jacques Dyel du Parquet (1606–1658), nephew of Pierre Belain d’Esnambuc and 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 was captured by a British expedition which captured Martinique in 1762, but the island was returned to French control in the Treaty of Paris.* BOOK, Robson, Martin, A History of the Royal Navy: The Seven Years War, Taurus, London, 171–173, 2016, 9781780765457, In 1839, the city was struck by a minor earthquake, and in 1890 saw an outbreak of fire which razed part of the city. By 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.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.On 3 August 1945, Fort-de-France’s hydrobase became the site of Martinique’s first fatal airliner crash. A Sikorsky S-43 (NC15066) on Pan Am Flight 216 arriving from Port of Spain at 10:11 was landed in poor weather conditions due to safety concerns by the crew and subsequently sank within 10 minutes, killing 4 of the 14 occupants.WEB, ASN Aircraft accident Sikorsky S-43 NC15066 Fort de France Hydrobase,aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19450803-1, 2023-08-11, aviation-safety.net,

Geography

Fort-de-France, also known as the Fort of France, lies on Martinique’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.(File:Fort-Saint-Louis-06.jpg|thumb|left|Fort Saint Louis seen from the sea)File:Fort-Saint-Louis-05.jpg|thumb|left|The frigate Ventôse can be seen behind the old fort]]{{clear}}

Climate

Fort-de-France has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen Af), characterised by very warm to hot and humid weather year-round. The wettest months are from July to November when hurricanes are a frequent threat, although substantial rainfall occurs in all months. The hottest month on average is September, and the coldest month on average is February.{{Weather box|location = Fort-de-France (1991–2020 averages, extremes 1932–present)|metric first = yes|single line = yes|Jan record high C = 31.5|Feb record high C = 32.1|Mar record high C = 33.6|Apr record high C = 33.0|May record high C = 33.9|Jun record high C = 33.6|Jul record high C = 33.6|Aug record high C = 33.0|Sep record high C = 33.8|Oct record high C = 33.0|Nov record high C = 32.1|Dec record high C = 31.3|year record high C = 33.9|Jan high C = 27.7|Feb high C = 27.9|Mar high C = 28.5|Apr high C = 29.3|May high C = 29.8|Jun high C = 29.6|Jul high C = 29.7|Aug high C = 30.2|Sep high C = 30.5|Oct high C = 30.2|Nov high C = 29.2|Dec high C = 28.2|year high C = 29.2|Jan mean C = 25.0|Feb mean C = 24.9|Mar mean C = 25.4|Apr mean C = 26.2|May mean C = 26.8|Jun mean C = 27.0|Jul mean C = 26.9|Aug mean C = 27.3|Sep mean C = 27.5|Oct mean C = 27.2|Nov mean C = 26.4|Dec mean C = 25.6|year mean C = 26.4|Jan low C = 22.2|Feb low C = 22.0|Mar low C = 22.3|Apr low C = 23.1|May low C = 23.6|Jun low C = 24.3|Jul low C = 24.2|Aug low C = 24.4|Sep low C = 24.5|Oct low C = 24.2|Nov low C = 23.7|Dec low C = 23.0|year low C = 23.5|Jan record low C = 17.8|Feb record low C = 17.3|Mar record low C = 18.6|Apr record low C = 18.9|May record low C = 19.9|Jun record low C = 20.0|Jul record low C = 18.4|Aug record low C = 19.5|Sep record low C = 17.9|Oct record low C = 20.2|Nov record low C = 19.7|Dec record low C = 17.4|year record low C = 17.3|precipitation colour = green|Jan precipitation mm = 113.9|Feb precipitation mm = 76.5|Mar precipitation mm = 70.5|Apr precipitation mm = 108.8|May precipitation mm = 133.0|Jun precipitation mm = 154.1|Jul precipitation mm = 205.6|Aug precipitation mm = 246.7|Sep precipitation mm = 213.9|Oct precipitation mm = 243.0|Nov precipitation mm = 236.7|Dec precipitation mm = 147.8|year precipitation mm = 1950.5|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm|Jan precipitation days = 18.6|Feb precipitation days = 14.1|Mar precipitation days = 12.2|Apr precipitation days = 12.6|May precipitation days = 13.2|Jun precipitation days = 17.0|Jul precipitation days = 20.6|Aug precipitation days = 19.2|Sep precipitation days = 17.2|Oct precipitation days = 18.0|Nov precipitation days = 19.2|Dec precipitation days = 18.1|year precipitation days = 200.0|Jan sun = 204.2|Feb sun = 197.6|Mar sun = 222.1|Apr sun = 209.5|May sun = 207.5|Jun sun = 190.3|Jul sun = 201.5|Aug sun = 224.6|Sep sun = 205.3|Oct sun = 187.4|Nov sun = 183.2|Dec sun = 204.0|year sun = 2437.0|source 1 = Météo FranceWEB,www.meteofrance.com/climat/outremer/fort-de-france/97209004/normales, Données climatiques de la station de Fort de France, Météo France, fr, 31 January 2016, 27 June 2019,www.meteofrance.com/climat/outremer/fort-de-france/97209004/normales," title="web.archive.org/web/20190627001116www.meteofrance.com/climat/outremer/fort-de-france/97209004/normales,">web.archive.org/web/20190627001116www.meteofrance.com/climat/outremer/fort-de-france/97209004/normales, dead, WEB,www.meteofrance.com/climat/outremer/martinique/972/normales, Climat Martinique, Météo France, 31 January 2016, 27 June 2019,www.meteofrance.com/climat/outremer/martinique/972/normales," title="web.archive.org/web/20190627001119www.meteofrance.com/climat/outremer/martinique/972/normales,">web.archive.org/web/20190627001119www.meteofrance.com/climat/outremer/martinique/972/normales, dead, WEB,web.archive.org/web/20180330014244/https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_97209004.pdf, 30 March 2018,donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_97209004.pdf, Fort–de–France Desaix (972), Fiche Climatologique: Statistiques 1981–2010 et records, Météo France, fr, 29 March 2018, |source 2 = Meteociel.fr (sunshine 1981-2010)WEB,www.meteociel.fr/obs/clim/normales_records.php?code=97209004&normes=2010&normes2=0, Normales / Moyennes 1981-2010 / Fort-de-France Desaix (972), fr, Météo-France, August 29, 2022, }}

Population

{{Historical populations| align = none| cols = 1| percentages = pagrAUTHOR=SPLAF (SITE SUR LA POPULATION ET LES LIMITES ADMINISTRATIVES DE LA FRANCE), 23 February 2021, and INSEE (1967-2017)Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE| graph-pos = right8481196943988079984410008094049897948566780041}}

Naval port

Fort Saint Louis in Fort-de-France is a French naval base.

Government

As of 27 June 2021, the Mayor of Fort de France is Serge Letchimy replacing Alfred Marie-Jeanne as the new mayor of the capitol. With a participation rate of little over 44% the Letchimy Party Alians Matinik received 37,72% of the votes, whereas Marie Jeanna who came in a close second with Gran Sanblé Pou Matinik acquired 35,27% of the votes. The commune of Fort-de-France makes up Martinique’s 3rd constituency for the National Assembly. WEB,la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/martinique/elections-territoriales-2021-en-martinique-retrouvez-la-synthese-des-resultats-1046839.html, Élections territoriales 2021 en Martinique : Retrouvez tous les résultats, 28 June 2021,

Main 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

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 blamed her for supporting the reestablishment of slavery on the island. They removed the head and splashed the body with red paint. It has been further vandalized and destroyed in 2020.WEB, 2020-07-27, Anti-racism protesters in Martinique tear down statue of Napoleon’s wife,www.rfi.fr/en/france/20200727-france-colonial-era-statues-torn-down-french-island-martinique-empress-josephine-beauharnais-racism-slavery, 2021-07-30, RFI, en,

Transport

Martinique Aimé Césaire International Airport is located in a suburb outside Fort-de-France and is accessible via the A1 autoroute.

Notable people

• Manon Tardon (1913-1989), Resistance fighter
• Frantz Fanon (1925-1961), psychiatrist, political philosopher and revolutionary
• Julienne Salvat (1932–2019), teacher, poet, femme de lettres, actress
• Karine Jean-Pierre (born 1974), organizer, activist, White House Press Secretary (since 2022)

See also

• Communes of the Martinique department

References

{{reflist}}

External links

{{Commons category|Fort-de-France}}

• Official website
• {{Search Mérimée|97209}}
• AMCYC, Fort Royal, x,

{{Martinique communes}}{{Préfectures of départements of France}}{{Prefectures of regions of France}}{{List of North American capitals}}{{Authority control}}