The capital of Martinique, Fort de France, was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1494. From 1635 it has been owned by a private French concern, which gives Martinique its official language and with such an influence that when a visitor leaves Lamentin airport he may think he has arrived to France.. It is located on the southwestern coast of the island, in the West Indies.It is a commercial center which has a beautiful port bordered by three defensive forts. Its main exports are sugar, rum and processed fruits.In a public garden you can see a statue of Josephine Empress, Napoleon’s wife, who was born in Fort-de-France. Fort-Royal was the former name of the city. It gained an economic importance until the eruption of Mont Pelée took place and destroyed Saint-Pierre in 1902.The crazy traffic and the noise of the crowd in the streets that surround the cathedral don’t stop you from enjoying this small Caribbean city, full of shops and cafés and with a French smell.
