Fort-de-France
Fort-de-France | |
|---|---|
Prefecture and commune | |
Top: Fort-de-France skyline; Middle: Fort-de-France Cathedral, Fort Saint Louis; Bottom: Hôtel de Ville (town hall), Regional Museum of History and Ethnography of Martinique | |
|
Coat of arms | |
Location of the commune (in red) within Martinique | |
Location of Fort-de-France | |
| Coordinates: 14°36′00″N 61°04′00″W / 14.60000°N 61.06667°W | |
| Country | France |
| Overseas region and department | Martinique |
| Arrondissement | Fort-de-France |
| Intercommunality | CA Centre de la Martinique |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Didier Laguerre (PPM) |
Area 1 | 44.21 km2 (17.07 sq mi) |
| Population (2023) | 75,506 |
| • Density | 1,708/km2 (4,423/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Foyalais (French) |
| Time zone | UTC−04:00 (AST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 97209 /97200 and 97234 (Quartier de Balata) |
| Elevation | 0–1,070 m (0–3,510 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Fort-de-France (/ˌfɔːr də ˈfrɒ̃s/, US also /ˌfɔːrt də ˈfræns/, French: [fɔʁ də fʁɑ̃s] ⓘ; Martinican Creole: Fodfwans) is a commune and the capital city of Martinique, an overseas department and region of France located in the Caribbean. This city, which had 76,512 inhabitants in 2019, concentrates major administrative, military, and cultural functions. It is also a significant economic, commercial, and port hub within the Lesser Antilles archipelago. The urban unit—that is, the agglomeration in the statistical and morphological sense defined by INSEE—had 115,501 inhabitants in 2022. However, Fort-de-France lies at the heart of a conurbation of 165,500 inhabitants, which includes the neighboring municipality of Le Lamentin (where major business districts and the Martinique Aimé Césaire International Airport are located), the university town of Schœlcher, and the communes of Saint-Joseph and Case-Pilote.
Fort-de-France has changed its name several times: the French first named the site Cul-de-Sac Royal (1635–1672). It then became the parish and later the town of Fort-Royal (1672–1793), before being renamed Fort-de-la-République or République-Ville following the Revolution (1793–1794). The town became Fort-Royal again (1794–1807) and finally took the name Fort-de-France in 1807.
Fort-de-France is also known for its bay opening onto the Caribbean Sea, particularly the Baie des Flamands, which borders the city center.