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Martinique

 

Contents

Flags

unofficial Flags

Meaning/Origin of the Flag

Coat of Arms

Meaning/Origin of the Coat of Arms

Map

Numbers and Facts

History

Origin of the Country's Name



Flags

Flagge Fahne flag pavillon Frankreich France
Flag of France,
ratio = 2:3,
Source, by: Corel Draw 4




Flagge Fahne Martinique flag Martinique dreapeau pavillon Collectivité territoriale unique Martinique
since 2016,
Flag of the Territorial collectivity,
ratio = 2:3,
Source, by: World Statesmen



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unofficial Flags

Flagge Fahne flag pavillon dreapeau Martinique
since 1766,
unofficial crest flag,
Source, by: Wikipedia (FR)




Flagge Fahne flag pavillon dreapeau Martinique
2019–2021,
Ipséité flag, unofficial flag,
Source, by: Wikipedia (FR)




Flagge Fahne flag pavillon dreapeau Martinique
unofficial flag (Taekwondo Flag),
Source, by: Wikipedia (EN)




Flagge Fahne flag pavillon dreapeau Martinique
inoffizielle Flagge (red green black flag),
separatist/nationalist,
Source, by: Wikipedia (FR)




Flagge Fahne flag pavillon dreapeau Martinique
Flag of the MIM independence movement,
Source, by: Wikipedia (FR)



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Meaning/Origin of the Flag

All French colonies had no own flag over a long period. It had to be hoisted the French tricolor. This in principle usual until today. The status of the colonies changed over the years. Some of them are now overseas departments, and thus a ultraperipheric part of France and of the EU; others are overseas communities, autonomous, and not a part of France or the EU. Overseas departments belong – in contrast to the departments of the motherland – to no administrative region of France, they are a separate region. The territorial entity has therefore officially to use the flag of France. However, the General Council as the highest elected collegial body of a French Department and the Regional Council as the highest elected collegial body of a French Region can have their own flags. These flags of departments and regions, however, have oftenly the appearance of company flags with logos or even stylized images, appear carelessly, ahistorical, technocratic and modernist, because in the strictly centralist France is avoided any regionalism or even a historical subscription. Because of that these logo flags of regions are unpopular and are rarely used. On the occasion of an administrative reform in 2015, the General Council and the Regional Council were merged, the territorial entity was given the status of a "Collectivité territoriale unique" and a flag was adopted for that territorial entity. It is a white logo-flag of modernist design with the silhouette of a bird and an inscription. But, there exist, for local and tourist purposes – usual in almost all French possessions - the famous and popular crest flags, where the image of the Coat of Arms of the country is transferred to a bunting. This flag was created in 1766 and shows the design similar to the French merchant flag of that time, a white cross on blue ground. Therewith is expressed the affiliation to the motherland France. In the four blue fields appear Martinique Terciopelos, a kind of snakes, which is to see only here, on Martinique. This flag is supposedly only used by the population of European descent and was sometimes officially in use, including on the uniforms of the Gendamerie, which is not surprising as it shows the image of the coat of arms of Martinique. Since 2017, this flag has been controversial, being associated with slavery. In 2018, the French president banned any use by national authorities. In 2019, a new unofficial flag was presented to represent Martinique at international sporting or cultural events. It was called "Ipséité", which could be translated as "Selfhood". It shows the colours green, blue and white in gyronny style and a lambi shell (Lobatus gigas) in the middle, a common symbol of the West Indies, as a traditional musical instrument. By court order, this flag was found to be illegal and its use was discontinued. A red-green-black flag is popular among a minority of the population; it shows two stripes in green and black and a red triangle on the flag-pole. It is used by various nationalist and separatist groups and parties, except the MIM (Martinican Independence Movement). It is reported that these colours were already used during a slave revolt in 1665. In reality, the colours probably date back to the 1960s, to Marcus Garvey. The flag in the shape with the red triangle became known in Martinique in 1971. By court order, the use of this flag by authorities was found to be illegal. The combination of the colours red, black and green is named Garvey-colours. They are those colours who created Markus Garvey in 1917 for the flag of the United Negro Improvement Association, which was striped in this colours. He was a supporter of the "Back-to-Africa"-Movement and saw in them the colours of a state for Blacks, which should be accomplished in Africa. But the colours get known in the USA and in the Caribic as the colours of the Black-Power-Movement, and get in Africa few persuasion. Nevertheless this colour-combination is sometimes named as Panafrican Colors. Another flag in the colours black, red, blue and green with a yellow diagonal cross above it is displayed at international Taekwondo competitions. Whether it is meant to represent the country or is perhaps the flag of the Taekwondo national association is not known.

Source: Wikipedia (FR), Wikipedia (EN), Volker Preuß

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Coat of Arms


Wappen Französisch-Guayana coat of arms of French Guiana blason Guyane Française
Coat of arms of Martinique,
Source, by: Wikipedia (FR)

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Meaning/Origin of the Coat of Arms

The The coat of arms goes back to a flag that was created in 1766 and shows a design similar to the French merchant flag of that time, a white cross on blue ground. Therewith is expressed the affiliation to the motherland France. In the four blue fields appear Martinique Terciopelos, a kind of snakes, which is to see only here, on Martinique. However, the coat of arms has no official character, the symbols of France or the logo of the territorial collectivity are to be used.

Source: Wikipedia (FR)

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Map


Landkarte/map, Quelle/Source: maps.lib.utexas.edu,
zum Vergrößern klicken, click to enlarge

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Numbers and Facts

Area: 428 square miles

Inhabitants: 368.783 (2018), thereof 80% of African descent and Mulattos, 15% Indian/Afro-indian, 5% Europeans

Religions: 85% Roman Catholic, 10% Protestant

Density of Population: 862 inh./sq.mi.

Capital: Fort-de-France (former Fort-National, Fort-Royal), 78.126 inh. (2018)

official Language: French

Currency: 1 Euro (€) = 100 Cent

Time Zone: GMT – 4 h

Source: Wikipedia (D)

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History

1502 · discovered by Columbus

1635 · beginning French colonization

1664 · French colony

1848 · abolition of the slavery

1946 · Overseas Department

2015 · administrative reform, General Council and Regional Council are merged, the country becomes a "Collectivité territoriale unique"

Source: Wikipedia (D)

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Origin of the Country's Name

The name "Martinique" could be of French origin, but it comes from the language of the Caribs and means translated: "Flowers Island".

Source: Handbuch der geographischen Namen

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