'' can be seen behind the old fort]]
is the
Capital of
France 's
Caribbean ''
Département D'outre-mer '' of
Martinique . With a population of 134,727 inhabitants (1999 census) in the urban area, 94,049 of whom live in the city (
Commune ) of Fort-de-France proper, it is also one of the major cities in the Caribbean.
In 1638,
Jacques Duparquet , 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 Marquees 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 , the city became economically important after the
Volcanic eruption of
Mount Pelée destroyed the town of
Saint-Pierre in
1902 .
The Fort Saint-Louis in Fort-de-France is one of the French naval bases of the
Caraib , along with
Degrad Des Cannes (
French Guiana ) and Port des Galets (
La Réunion ). It is under command of the ''
Capitaine De Vaisseau '' in charge of the Navy and the Naval air force for the Caraibs (COMAR ANTILLES). The forces based here include:
- the BATRAL ''Champlain'' (L9030)
- the P400 Class Patrol Vessel ''Fougueuse'' (P685)
- the frigate '' Ventôse '' (F733)
Also here are the administratives buildings of the base, the service for naval constructions, the radio station of Pointe des Sables and the ammunition storage facilities (at the end of Fort de France), and the Rivière salée sation (20 km away).
The fort is also home for the last
Iguana s of Martinique.
The
City has a fine, natural
Harbour defended by three
Fort s:
- Fort Desaix: built from 1763 to 1780 , it was called Fort Bourbon in 1793 , Fort la Convention in 1793, Fort George during the British occupations ( 1794 - 1802 , 1809 - 1814 ), and Fort Desaix since 1802. This name was given by Napoleon Bonaparte after General Desaix (1768-1800).
- Fort Tartenson
- Fort Gerbault
A statue commemorating Martinique-born Empress
Josephine , the wife of Napoleon, is in the city.
However, in the late 90's, the head of the statue has been severed by angry groups of people who were tired of having the statue honored in the Fort-de-France beautiful park also known as
"La Savane" .
Indeed, to those angry people, the Empress (who is commonly believed to have influenced the re-implementation of slavery on the island) should have had the same destiny as French Royalties before her (see French Revolution) and after failing to convince the authorities, the people decided to sever the head of the Empress statue and left some red paint on the remaining neck.
