'' 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 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 , the administrative capital of Martinique was 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 sometimes in the 19th century. The old name of Fort-Royal is still used today familiarly is its Creole language form of "Foyal", with the inhabitants of the city being "Foyalais".
At the turn of the 20th century, Fort-de-France became economically important after the
Volcanic eruption of
Mount Pelée destroyed the town of
Saint-Pierre in
1902 . The city, however, never lived up to the cultural reputation of the doomed city.
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 ).
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 administrative 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 station (20 km away).
The fort is also home to the last
Iguana (Iguana Delicatissima) populations of Martinique. However it is discussed whether the reptiles are native to Martinique or are remnants of the population of a small zoo that was located in the fort at the beginning of the 20th century.
The
City has a fine natural harbour defended by three forts:
- Fort Desaix: built from 1763 to 1789, it was called Fort Bourbon in 1793, Fort la Convention in 1793, Fort George during the British occupations (1793-1802, 1809-1814), and Fort Desaix since 1802. This name was given by Napoleon Bonaparte after General Desaix (1768-1800).
- Fort Tartenson
- Fort Gerbault
- Place de la Savane
- Schoelcher Library
- Balata Garden
- Sacré-Cœur de Balata Basilica
- Fort-de-France Cathedral: {Link without Title}
A statue commemorating Martinique-born Empress
Josephine , the wife of Napoleon, is in the park of La Savane. It was vandalized in the 1990s, presumably by individuals who faulted her for supporting the reestablishment of
Slavery on the island.
