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The French Antilles (Guadeloupe, Martinique, St Martin, St Barts)

April 2001

Fact sheet 

French Antilles islands:

Martinique

Guadeloupe plus 8 inhabited islands including Saint Martin (north east part), and St Barthélémy

Political System:

Overseas Departement of France

Overseas Departement of France

Population:

411,539 (1999 )

420,943 (1999)

Area:

1,100 sq km

1,780 sq km

Language:

French, Creole patois

French, Creole patois

Capital:

Fort-de-France

Basse-Terre

Other economic centres

Schoelcher, Sainte Marie

Point-a-Pitre

Currency:

French franc

French franc

Major Political Parties:

Rally for the Republic/Union for a French Democracy (RPR-UDF), Progressive Martinique Party (PPM), Martinique Communist Party (PCM)

Rally for the Republic (RPR), Progressive Democratic Party (PPDG), Communist Party of Guadeloupe (PCG), Socialist Party (PS), Union for French Democracy (UDF)

Prefect:

Dominique Bellion

Jean Fedini

President of the Regional Council:

Emile Capgras (PCM)

Lucette Michaux-Chevry (RPR)

President of the General Council:

Claude Lise (PPM)

Marcellin Lubeth (PPDG)

Central Bank:

Banque de France

Banque de France

Last Election

Regional Assembly 1998
General Council 2000

Regional Assembly 1998
General Council 1998

Next Election

Regional Assembly 1998
General Council 2006

Regional Assembly 2004
General Council 2002

Political Overview

Current

The islands of the French Antilles form two overseas French départements; one département consisting of Martinique, the other of Guadeloupe and several islands immediately offshore as well as two islands a little further up the chain, St Barthélémy (known as St Barts) and the northern part of St Martin.  The island of St Martin is actually a Franco-Dutch condominium -- the southern part of St Martin is the Netherlands Antilles territory of St Maarten.

The départements of the Antilles have the same status as départements in mainland France.  The inhabitants are French citizens and their language and currency are both French. They send representatives to the National Assembly in Paris and are administered locally by a Prefect and by General and Regional Councils (see political system below).  Both were also designated as régions in 1974, which increased their local political and economic autonomy, and most affairs, apart from defence and security, are now broadly under local control.

Martinique tends towards the left of mainstream French politics.  The President of the General Council is Claude Lise of the Progressive Martinique Party (PPM) while the Presidency of the Regional Council is held by Emile Capgras of the Martinique Communist Party (PCM).  In the 1995 French Presidential election Martinique was the only overseas territory which voted for the socialist candidate Lionel Jospin.  Its main preoccupation is the island's economy which is propped up by France.  Unemployment is high and emigration has become the norm for young people.

In the département of Guadeloupe the President of the General Council is Marcellin Lubeth of the left-wing Progressive Democratic Party (PPDG).  The Presidency of the Regional Council is held by Lucette Michaux-Chevry of the gaullist Rally for the Republic (RPR), following the failure of the two socialist groupings on the Council to co-operate.  Turn out for elections is low (15 per cent in 1994) and there is a good deal of cynicism about corruption. Elections in 1992 were re-run in 1994 because of irregularities in the payment of electoral deposits.

Both départements have small independence movements but most recognize the extent to which the islands' present standard of living is dependent on union with France and content themselves with seeking further autonomy without independence.

Historical summary

Columbus was the first known European to find Martinique and Guadeloupe, at the turn of the 15th century.  He claimed the islands for Spain, but there was no subsequent Spanish settlement and it was not until 1635 that French settlers came to the islands from St Kitts.  The islands' Carib inhabitants put up fierce resistance but by the end of the 17th century they had been more or less wiped out.  Meanwhile, the islands were planted with sugar cane and large number of slaves imported from West Africa to work on the plantations.

Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries Britain and France fought over their valuable colonies and the islands changed hands several times.  In 1672 England captured both Martinique and Guadeloupe but, eager to retain a foot hold in the Caribbean, France relinquished all claims to land in India, Louisiana and Canada in exchange for their return.

The islands felt the impact of the French revolution, and its principles of equality sat uneasily with slavery.  In Martinique, fearing the collapse of their way of life, the planters approached the English.  With one small break the English occupied the island until 1815 and slavery remained until 1848.  In Guadeloupe, however, revolutionaries temporarily gained the upper hand and slavery was abolished, only to be re-established amid violent riots in 1802 before final abolition in 1848.

After the abolition of slavery, thousands of Indian and Indo-Chinese came to the islands to supplement the remaining work-force on the plantations.

Martinique and Guadeloupe continued under French colonial rule until they became départements of France in 1946 and then in 1974 régions, providing them with additional autonomy and economic advantage.

St Barthélémy and St Martin

St Barthélémy and St Martin have a somewhat different history because of their separation from Martinique and Guadeloupe by other islands.

 St Barthélémy was settled by the French in 1659.  It had few slaves because there were no plantations and remained very sparsely populated until the late 18th century.  Its population today is predominantly white.  In 1784 the island was leased to Sweden which declared it a free port - a status it enjoyed (and continues to enjoy) to its economic advantage.  In 1878, however, the islanders voted in a referendum to return to France and the island was appended administratively to Guadeloupe. When Guadeloupe became a departement in 1946, St Barthélémy became one of Guadeloupe's communes.

St Martin was settled by the French in 1629 followed by the Dutch in 1631.  They joined forces to keep the island out of Spanish hands during the 1640s, and in 1648 reached an agreement to divide the island between them.  Tobacco, cotton and sugar were cultivated with imported slave labour.  Today the island is administered, along with St Barthélémy, from Guadeloupe.

Political System

As an overseas départements of France Martinique and Guadeloupe are an integral part of the French Republic. They both send four elected representatives to the National Assembly and two to the Senate.

The Head of State is the French President (currently Jacques Chirac).  He is represented by a Prefect in each departement whom he appoints on the advice of the French Ministry of the Interior. The heads of government are the Presidents of the General and Regional Councils.  Both councils are elected by popular vote, generally for a six year term.

St Barts and St Martin are administered by a sub-prefect in Saint-Martin and vote in elections for the General and Regional Councils in Guadeloupe.

The legal system is French with the highest local court being the Court of Appeals (Cour d'Appel) which is based in Martinique and has jurisdiction over French Guiana, Martinique, and Guadeloupe.

Economics and Trade

At a glance

(All statistics 1997 unless otherwise stated)

Martinique

Guadeloupe

GDP (purchasing power parity} 1996

US$ 4.24 bn

3.7 bn

GDP per capita (purchasing power parity) 1996

US$ 10,700

US$ 9,000

 

Exchange rate FF/US$ 2001

7.3

7.3

GDP by sector:

 

 

·        Agriculture

6%

6%

·        Industry

11%

9%

·        Services

83%

85%

 

 

Labour force by sector

 

 

·        Agriculture

10%

15%

·        Industry

17%

17%

·        Services

73%

68%

 

 

Unemployment

24%

28% (1998)

Exports

US$ 250m

US$ 140m

Imports

US$ 2bn

US$ 1.7bn

Industries

construction, rum, cement, oil refining, sugar, tourism

construction, cement, rum, sugar, tourism

Agricultural produce

pineapples, avocados, bananas, flowers, vegetables, sugarcane

bananas, sugarcane, tropical fruits and vegetables; cattle, pigs, goats

Economic Summary

The economies of Martinique and Guadeloupe are both highly dependent on subsidy by France, equivalent, in the case of Martinique, to 70 per cent of GDP.  Wages and benefits are determined at the same levels that apply in France and most trade is carried out with France, raising costs and prices on the islands above those of their neighbours.  Unemployment is rife at at least a quarter of the workforce.

Key elements of the local economies are agriculture, light industry and, increasingly, tourism which has already replaced agriculture as the leading foreign exchange earner in Martinique and is set to do so in Guadeloupe.  Most manufactured good, and many foodstuffs are imported, generally from France.

Economic and Trade Policy Directions

The agricultural sector employs about 10 per cent of the workforce in Guadeloupe and less in Martinique. Main export crops are bananas (a growth area) and sugar (declining and exported mainly as rum), and efforts are being made to diversify into other cops such as melons, aubergines and flowers.  Other vegetable and root crops are cultivated for local consumption but most meat, grain and vegetable requirements are met by imports.

The industrial sector is dominated by construction, cement production and rum.  Martinique also has an oil refinery, fruit canning, soft drinks manufacturing and polyethylene and fertilizer plants.

Tourism is the most important growth area in both economies.  In 1995 numbers of visitors to Martinique reached nearly 1 million while in Guadeloupe in 1997 they were just under half a million.  The vast majority if stopover visitors (80 - 90 per cent) are from France, while most cruise ship visitors are from north America.

Most trade is with France.  There is also a fair amount of trade between the départements, mostly of agricultural products. The close economic relationship with France makes it difficult for other countries to break into these markets. 

 Trade with Martinique

Principal Exports from Martinique

Principal Imports to Martinique

refined petroleum products

petroleum products

bananas

crude oil

rum

foodstuffs

construction materials

vehicles

clothing and other consumer goods

Leading Import Suppliers to Martinique 1997

% of total

Martinique's Leading Markets 1997

% of total

France

62

France

45

Venezuela

6

Guadeloupe

28

Germany

4

 

 

Italy

4

 

 

US

3

 

Trade with Guadeloupe

Principal Exports from Guadeloupe

Principal Imports to Guadeloupe

Bananas

foodstuffs

Sugar

fuels

Rum

vehicles

clothing and other consumer goods

construction materials

Leading Import Suppliers to Guadeloupe1997

% of total

Guadeloupe's Leading Markets 1997

% of total

France

63

France

60

Germany

4

Martinique

18

US

3

US

4

Japan

2

 

 

Netherlands Antilles

2

Australia - French Antilles Relations

Political

Though distance and language tend to discourage contacts between Australia and the French Antilles, there are important trading opportunities in the French Antilles for Australia companies.  Evidence of this is the purchase in 1998 by a company in Guadeloupe of two fast ferries from Australia.

French Guiana, as a part of France, does not have the ability to conduct its own foreign relations.

Trade and Investment

Trade with the French Antilles is almost wholly in Australia's favour.  Exports from Australia reached a high of AS$23 million in 1999, having fluctuated previously between around AS$ 500,000 and AS$ 15 million during the earlier years of the 1990s.  Imports reached AS$ 880,000 in 1991-2 but have been at zero from 1996-7 to 1999-2000.

Balance of Australian Merchandise Trade with The French Antilles (A$000) 1999 

Exports to The French Antilles

23,034

Imports from The French Antilles

0

Trade Balance

23,034

 Opportunities

The départements' close relationship with France makes it more difficult for other exporters to break into their markets particularly in areas where France is particularly strong such as agriculture.  Local trends and consumer preferences are also greatly influenced by the French market and the market is, therefore, not as familiar with other brands or food products as in neighboring islands.  Both départements, however, have high GDPs and a massive trade deficit and requirement for imported food stuffs and manufactured goods which may reward perseverance in pursuing opportunities.

Agricultural produce and processed food.   Martinique and Guadeloupe import large amounts of wheat, milk and dairy products and meat.  The bulk of these come from France.  Processed food is also a significant import item.   Items of interest to Australian exporters may include canned goods, cookies and snacks, frozen foods and cheese and milk products.    Food laws are determined by French and European Union (EU) regulations which include labeling of all products in French.

Medicinal and pharmaceutical products.  The market for these products is filled largely from imports from France and the EU.

Computers/ computer accessories.  The emerging Caribbean market is totally dependent on imports.  Computers and computer parts have been an important export for Australia in recent years but have declined noticeably in the second half on the 90s.

Machinery and specialist equipment.  Including food processing and packaging and hotel and restaurant equipment.

Education.  There is a demand for education  - particularly tertiary - outside the region which is currently largely filled by the US and Canada.  Australian institutions are in a strong position to compete in this market on cost grounds.

Domestic equipment.  All domestic consumer items are imported.

Pleasure boats, light vessels, fast ferries.  Potential opportunities include fast patrol boats to counter drug trafficking, and light and pleasure boats for the tourist sector.  There are also inter island car and passenger ferry services between Martinique and Guadeloupe and Dominica.


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Local Date: Monday, 13 October 2003 01:12:19 AM