From north to south...
Martinique's northern and southern regions are very different from one another, separated by the Lamentin plain, home to over a third of the island's population.
The north, which is geologically more recent, is dominated by two high massifs, the Pitons du Carbet and Montagne Pelée. Here you'll find lush tropical vegetation, spectacular scenery (gorges, ravines, waterfalls) and mainly water-demanding crops (such as bananas). The Parc Naturel Régional de Martinique, which includes the Pitons du Carbet and Montagne Pelée, offers superb walks for hikers, with generous forests that are home to countless streams and rivers.
The south is the result of more ancient volcanic phenomena. It is characterized by small, more modest hills, the mornes, including Montagne du Vauclin, an ancient volcano rising to an altitude of 500 meters. The south coast is characterized by arid expanses punctuated by sumptuous bays and coves hemmed with heavenly white sand beaches. It is here that mangroves flourish, precious ecosystems that play an essential role in the conservation of tropical coastlines. The 48 islets that line the south coast are veritable natural observatories for Martinique's flora and fauna. The south is home to the island's most popular coastal communities: to the west, Les Trois-Ilets, Les Anses-d'Arlet and Le Diamant; to the east, Sainte-Anne, Sainte-Luce and Le Marin.
Between these two regions, the Lamentin plain stretches out around the capital, Fort-de-France. The topography of the plain is very rugged (more than half the island has slopes in excess of 20%), which has a strong influence on wind regulation, water flow, soil erosion and, of course, the location of vegetation.
Martinique's landscape can also be divided into six regions. To the north, the 1,397-metre-high Mount Pelée, which forms a steep cone that plunges straight into the sea, and the Pitons du Carbet, formed by ancient volcanoes and extended by the Morne Jacob; in the center, the highly urbanized bay of Fort-de-France, which links the slopes of the Pitons du Carbet with those of the south-western peninsula; to the south-west, the Diamant peninsula, dominated by Morne Larchet and its windless coves (Anses-d'Arlet, Petite Anse and Grande Anse); to the south-east, the hilly landscapes of Le Marin and Sainte-Luce, overlooked by Montagne du Vauclin and extended out to sea by small islets; to the far south, the more arid and wild Sainte-Anne peninsula, with its beaches and popular natural sites.
A landscape shaped by volcanic activity
In Martinique, volcanoes are largely responsible for the island's rich biodiversity. The island is located in the center of the Lesser Antilles, which in turn lies in a zone where the Caribbean and Atlantic plates collide. This is a process whereby one oceanic tectonic plate curves and plunges beneath another before sinking into the Earth's mantle. This is known as subduction of the second plate beneath the first.
Seismic activity is linked to continental drift. As the tectonic plates move, they store up stresses in the rocks which, sooner or later, are released, triggering earthquakes. In the Lesser Antilles region, the convergence of the Atlantic plate with the Caribbean plate is progressing at a rate of 2 cm per year: this boundary, the subduction zone, is the site of potentially major earthquakes.
Martinique's volcanic activity began 50 million years ago with submarine volcanism, giving rise to the first formations: the Caravelle peninsula, to the east, and the Sainte-Anne peninsula, to the south of the island. This period is known as the ancient arc or external arc: it corresponds to a period when volcanism was entirely submarine. Volcanic activity then continued with the construction of shield volcanoes. The François region, with its multitude of mornes, is typical of this period.
Between 6 and 1 million years ago, Morne Jacob and the Pitons du Carbet appeared, followed by Mont Conil between 1 and 0.5 million years ago. Mont Pelée appeared around 0.5 million years ago.
The island's history has been marked by numerous episodes of volcanic activity (the last eruption of Mount Pelée was in 1902), which have often had a destructive effect on flora and fauna. Unexpectedly, this alternation between phases of volcanic activity and phases of rest has been conducive to the emergence of new ecosystems. Specific vegetation has developed on the volcanic slopes of Mount Pelée and the Pitons du Carbet. The effects of volcanism (gas, heat) combined with those of altitude (wind, meteorological variations) contribute to biological diversity and the selection of adapted species.
