One of the islands of the West Indies and a French overseas “départment,” Martinique lies between Dominica and St. Lucia, about 210 km (130 miles) south of Guadeloupe. Martinique has an area of 1115 km2 (431 sq mi). The island is thickly vegetated and mountainous with a high, active volcano, Mt. Pelée (1463 m; 4428 ft) and a nearby inactive cone, Mt. Carbet (1207 m; 3960 ft).
The climate is tropical, hot and rainy, from July to October with winds from the S. Winds are easterly from March to June, whereas from November to February the air is cooled by northerly winds. Average precipitation is 2200 mm, but lower on the southern coast and higher in the mountains. Notable hurricanes occurred in 1767, 1839, 1891, 1903, and 1928.
Situated at 14°40′N, 61°00′W, it lies just S of latitude 15°N, which is commonly taken as the boundary between the Windward and the Leeward islands. Thus Martinique is classified here in the Windward Islands (Iles-au-vent), but others place it in the Leeward...
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References
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Butterlin, J. (1975). Martinique . In: World Regional Geology. Encyclopedia of Earth Science. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-31081-1_73
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