Martinique an Overseas Department of France. In 1974, it became simply a Department. In 2009, the French Caribbean general strikes exposed deep ethnic, and class tensions and disparities within Martinique. Together with Guadeloupe, La Réunion, Mayotte and French Guiana, Martinique is one of the Overseas Departments of France. It is also an outermost region of the European Union. The inhabitants of Martinique are French citizens with full political and legal rights. Martinique sends four deputies to the French National Assembly and two senators to the French Senate. On January 24, 2010, during a referendum, the inhabitants of Martinique approved by 68.4%
Martinique and south of Dominica. The total area of Martinique is , of which is water and the rest land. Martinique is the 3rd largest island in The Lesser Antilles after Trinidad and Guadeloupe. It stretches in length and in width. The highest point is the volcano of Mont Pelée at above sea level. The island is volcanic in origin, lying along the subduction fault where the South American Plate slides beneath the Caribbean Plate. Martinique has eight different centers of volcanic activity. The oldest rocks are andesitic lavas dated to about 24 million years ago, mixed with tholeiitic magma containing