History of Martinique survivors were a shoemaker and a prisoner who was saved by his position in a jail dungeon with only a single window. Because Saint Pierre was the commercial capital of the island, there were four banks in the city—the Banque de la Martinique, Banque Transatlantique, a branch of the Colonial Bank of London, and the Crédit Foncier Colonial. All were destroyed. The town had to be completely rebuilt and lost its status as the commercial capital, a title which shifted to Fort-de-France. Due to the eruption, refugees from Martinique arrived in boats to the southern villages of Dominica and some
Geography of Martinique extremes: <br>"lowest point:" Caribbean Sea 0 m <br>"highest point:" Montagne Pelee 1,397 m Natural resources: coastal scenery and beaches, cultivable land, Land use: <br>"arable land:" 8% <br>"permanent crops:" 8% <br>"permanent pastures:" 17% <br>"forests and woodland:" 44% <br>"other:" 23% (1993 est.) Irrigated land: 40 km² (1993 est.) Natural hazards: hurricanes, flooding, and volcanic activity (an average of one major natural disaster every five years) Environment - current issues: NA Population:429,510 Geography of Martinique Location: Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Cuba and north of Trinidad and Tobago Geographic coordinates: Map references: Central America and the Caribbean Area: <br>"total:" 1,100