Flag of Martinique also found on the shields of the Gendarmerie Martinique, which gives it the nickname of "colonial police" [ref. necessary]. The snakes are fer-de-lance vipers ("Bothrops lanceolatus", French "trigonocéphale") native to Martinique. Flag of Martinique Martinique, an overseas territorial collectivity of France located in the Caribbean, has no flag with official status other than the French national flag. This flag features a white cross like St George’s cross on a blue background filled in with a white snake in each quarters. It is used sometimes by the French military on their buildings and/or uniforms. Gendarmes bear the Coat of Arms version
Culture of Martinique genre "compas"), a sophisticated form of music that quickly swept the island and helped unite all the former French colonies of the Caribbean by combining their cultural influences. Webert Sicot, the originator of cadence recorded three LPs albums with French Antilles producers: two with "Celini disques" in Guadeloupe and one with "Balthazar" in Martinique. Haitian compas or cadence bands were asked to integrate Antillean musicians. Consequently, the leading "Les Guais troubadours", with influential singer "Louis Lahens" along other bands, played a very important role in the schooling of Antilleans to the méringue compas or kadans music style. Almost all existing