History of Martinique

Prior to the discovery of Martinique by Columbus in 1493, the area was inhabited by Arawak and Carib Indians. Visited by Columbus, probably in 1502, the island was ignored by the Spanish; colonization began in 1635, when the French, who had promised the native Caribs the western half of the island, established a settlement.

There was no real European interest in the island until French colonies were established in 1635. Though the British made brief attempts to occupy the island during the 18th and 19th centuries, it has remained under French control ever since (along with Guadeloupe). Slavery was abolished in 1848 and, in the late 19th century, tens of thousands of immigrant workers arrived from India to replace the slave workforce on the plantations. Both Martinique and Guadeloupe were administered as parts of French Antilles. Martinique supported the Vichy regime after France’s collapse in World War II, but in 1943 a U.S. naval blockade forced the island to transfer its allegiance to the Free French. In 1946, rather than following a path to independence, the two islands were incorporated into the French nation with the status of Overseas Departments. It became a department of France in 1946 and an administrative region in 1974.

There was little political evolution until 1974 when Martinique, along with Guadeloupe and French Guiana, was granted some local political and economic autonomy. This was increased in 1982 and 1983 following a package of decentralization policies introduced by French President Mitterand. Most affairs, with the major exceptions of defense and security, are now generally under local control. The thrust of French government policy in the region is now to bolster links between its remaining possessions, Martinique and Guadeloupe, and other French Caribbean nations.

Four parties dominate the political scene in Martinique: the Gaullist RPR-UDF (allied to the French party of the same name), the Parti Communiste Martiniquais and two island-based nationalist parties, the Parti Progressiste Martiniquais (PPM) and the Mouvement Indépendantiste Martiniquais (MIM, which now operates under the moniker Patriotes Martiniquais). Martinique’s political center of gravity is generally, but not always, to the left of the French mainstream.

Although the island has recovered from the extensive damage caused by a hurricane in 1980, France has continued its attempts to improve the economic life of the Martinique, which is plagued by overpopulation and a lack of development.