Martinique is an island in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies,in the eastern Caribbean Sea. 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,but is not part of the Schengen Area or the European Union Customs Union. The currency in use is the euro.
Free France was a political entity claiming to be the legitimate government of France following the dissolution of the Third Republic during World War II. Led by General Charles de Gaulle,Free France was established as a government-in-exile in London in June 1940 after the Fall of France to Nazi Germany. It joined the Allied nations in fighting Axis forces with the Free French Forces,supported the resistance in Nazi-occupied France,known as the French Forces of the Interior,and gained strategic footholds in several French colonies in Africa.
This is a page on the history of the island of Martinique.
Fort-de-France is a commune and the capital city of Martinique,an overseas department and region of France located in the Caribbean.
Joseph Zobel is the Martinican author of several novels and short-stories in which social issues are at the forefront. Although his most famous novel,La Rue Cases-Nègres,was published some twenty years after the great authors of Negritude published their works,Zobel was once asked if he considered himself "the novelist of Negritude". The novel was adapted adapted for the screen by Euzhan Palcy in 1983 as Sugar Cane Alley.
The following is a list of the 45 former cantons of the Martinique department,an overseas department of France,sorted by arrondissement. The cantons were abolished in 2015,when the Assembly of Martinique replaced the General Council of Martinique and the Regional Council of Martinique.
The Îles des Saintes,also known as Les Saintes,is a group of small islands in the archipelago of Guadeloupe,an overseas department of France. It is part of the Canton of Trois-Rivières and is divided into two communes:Terre-de-Haut and Terre-de-Bas. It is in the arrondissement of Basse-Terre and also in Guadeloupe's 4th constituency.
The scuttling of the French fleet at Toulon was orchestrated by Vichy France on 27 November 1942 to prevent Nazi German forces from seizing it. After the Allied invasion of North Africa,the Germans invaded the territory administered by Vichy under the Armistice of 1940. The Vichy Secretary of the Navy,Admiral François Darlan,defected to the Allies,who were gaining increasing support from servicemen and civilians. His replacement,Admiral Gabriel Auphan,guessed correctly that the Germans intended to seize the large fleet at Toulon,and ordered it scuttled.
Martinique Championnat National is the top association football league in Martinique.
The Coupe de la Martinique is the top knockout tournament of Martinique football. It was created in 1953.
Vichy France,officially the French State,was the French rump state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. It was named after its seat of government,the city of Vichy. Officially independent,but with half of its territory occupied under the harsh terms of the 1940 armistice with Nazi Germany,it adopted a policy of collaboration. Though Paris was nominally its capital,the government established itself in the resort town of Vichy in the unoccupied "free zone",where it remained responsible for the civil administration of France as well as its colonies. The occupation of France by Nazi Germany at first affected only the northern and western portions of the country,but in November 1942 the Germans and Italians occupied the remainder of Metropolitan France,ending any pretence of independence by the Vichy government.
Fort Desaix is a Vauban fort and one of four forts that protect Fort-de-France,the capital of Martinique. The fort was built from 1768 to 1772 and sits on a hill,Morne Garnier,overlooking what was then Fort Royal. Fort Desaix was built in response to the successful British attack on Fort Royal in 1762 and was intended to prevent any future attacker from using Morne Garnier to site cannon that could then bombard Fort Royal from above.
Articles related to the French overseas department of Martinique include:
The 2010 Caribbean Cup was the 2010 edition of the Caribbean Championship,an international football championship for national teams affiliated with the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) of the CONCACAF region. The final stage was hosted by Martinique. Martinique were selected as hosts over fellow bidders Guadeloupe and Barbados. The competition was originally scheduled to begin on 18 August with the final match taking place on 28 November. However,at the beginning of August 2010,the CFU released a different schedule that showed the competition being postponed until 2 October. Also,the Bahamas pulled out of the competition,leaving 23 teams. The groups were changed,allowing Cuba and Antigua and Barbuda to get a bye to the second qualifying round at the expense of Guyana and the Netherlands Antilles.
In the 2014–15 season of the Martinique Championnat National,the top league of professional football in Martinique,the Golden Lion FC team from Saint-Joseph won the championship for the first time.
Georges Gratiant,was a lawyer and politician from Martinique. He was mayor of Le Lamentin from 1959 to 1989 and president of the General Council from 1946 to 1947.
Osman Duquesnay was a French politician and physician. He was deputy of Martinique from 1898 to 1902 and from 1906 to 1910.
Joseph Lagrosillière was a French lawyer and politician. He was mayor of Sainte-Marie from 1910 to 1936 and deputy of Martinique from 1910 to 1924 and from 1932 to 1942. He was also president of the General Council of Martinique from 1935 to 1937 and from 1945 to 1946. Lagrosillière was the founder of the socialist movement in Martinique and one of the most important political figures on the island during the first half of the 20th century.
Émile Maurice was a French politician and a supporter of Martinique's assimilation to France. He was President of the General Council of Martinique from 1970 to 1992.
Georges Robert was an officer of the French Navy and an administrator. He ended his military career with the rank and title of admiral. He is mainly known for his role as High Commissioner of the Vichy regime for the French overseas territories of the Western Atlantic.
