Editing Martinique (section)

===20th–21st centuries===
On 8 May 1902, [[Mont Pelée]] [[1902 eruption of Mount Pelée|erupted]] and completely destroyed St. Pierre, killing 30,000 people.<ref name="britannica1" /> Refugees from Martinique travelled by boat to the southern villages of [[Dominica]], and some of them remained permanently on the island. The only survivor in the town of Saint-Pierre, [[Ludger Sylbaris]], was saved by the thick walls of his prison cell.<ref name="EW">{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/457910974|title=The Caribbean|date=2009|publisher=Dorling Kindersley|others=Christopher P. Baker|isbn=978-0-7566-5372-9|location=London|oclc=457910974}}</ref> Shortly thereafter, the capital shifted to [[Fort-de-France]], where it remains today.<ref name="LP" />

During [[World War II]], the pro-Nazi [[Vichy France|Vichy government]] controlled Martinique under Admiral [[Georges Robert (admiral)|Georges Robert]].<ref name="britannica1" /> German [[U-boat]]s used Martinique for refuelling and re-supply during the [[Battle of the Caribbean]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Stromberg Childers|first=Kristen|date=1 December 2012|title=The Second World War as a watershed in the French Caribbean|url=https://doi.org/10.1080/14788810.2012.719323|journal=Atlantic Studies|volume=9|issue=4|pages=409–430|doi=10.1080/14788810.2012.719323|s2cid=218622195|issn=1478-8810|url-access=subscription}}</ref> In 1942, 182 ships were sunk in the Caribbean, dropping to 45 in 1943, and five in 1944.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Yardley |first=Christopher B. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SkN2EAAAQBAJ&dq=martinique+182+ships+were+sunk+in+the+Caribbean&pg=PA31 |title=The Second World War Volume Two: Representing World Conflict on Postage Stamps. |date=2022-04-21 |publisher=Balboa Press |isbn=978-1-9822-9300-0 |language=en}}</ref> [[Free France|Free French]] forces took over on the island on [[Bastille Day]], 14 July 1943.<ref name="britannica1" /><ref name="Hubbard">{{cite book |last1=Hubbard |first1=Vincent |title=A History of St. Kitts |date=2002 |publisher=Macmillan Caribbean |isbn=978-0-333-74760-5 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/historyofstkitts00vinc/page/136 136–139]|url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofstkitts00vinc/page/136}}</ref>

In 1946, the [[National Assembly of France|French National Assembly]] voted unanimously to [[transform the colony into an Overseas Department]] of France.<ref name="britannica1" /> Meanwhile, the post-war period saw a growing campaign for full independence; a notable proponent of this was the author [[Aimé Césaire]], who founded the [[Progressive Party of Martinique]] in the 1950s. Tensions boiled over in December 1959 when riots broke out following a racially-charged altercation between two motorists, resulting in three deaths.<ref name="autogenerated1959">{{cite web |url=https://www.nofi.media/2016/12/emeutes-de-1959-martinique-regle-comptes-colonialisme/33697 |title=Emeutes de 1959 : la Martinique règle ses comptes avec le colonialisme |date=16 December 2016 |access-date=10 July 2019 |archive-date=10 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190710024009/https://www.nofi.media/2016/12/emeutes-de-1959-martinique-regle-comptes-colonialisme/33697 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1962, as a result of this and the global turn against colonialism, the strongly pro-independence OJAM ({{lang|fr|Organisation de la jeunesse anticolonialiste de la Martinique}}) was formed. Its leaders were later arrested by the French authorities. However, they were later acquitted.<ref name="autogenerated1959" /> Tensions rose again in 1974, when gendarmes shot dead two striking banana workers.<ref name="autogenerated1959" /> However the independence movement lost steam as Martinique's economy faltered in the 1970s, resulting in large-scale emigration.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/martinique/2013/02/14/le-marigot-se-souvient-de-georges-marie-louise-tue-en-1974-15119.html |title=Le drame de février 1974 marque encore les esprits |date=15 February 2013 |access-date=10 July 2019 |archive-date=10 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190710024008/https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/martinique/2013/02/14/le-marigot-se-souvient-de-georges-marie-louise-tue-en-1974-15119.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Hurricanes in 1979–80 severely affected agricultural output, further straining the economy.<ref name="britannica1" /> Greater autonomy was granted by France to the island in the 1970s–80s.<ref name="britannica1" />

In 2009, Martinique was convulsed by the [[2009 French Caribbean general strikes|French Caribbean general strikes]]. Initially focusing on cost-of-living issues, the movement soon took on a racial dimension as strikers challenged the continued economic dominance of the ''[[Béké]]'', descendants of French European settlers.<ref name="iht">{{cite news|date=13 February 2009|title=Blacks slam white minority in Martinique strike|work=[[International Herald Tribune]]|agency=[[Associated Press]]|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/02/13/news/CB-Caribbean-France-Unrest.php|url-status=live|access-date=15 February 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090216043828/http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/02/13/news/CB-Caribbean-France-Unrest.php|archive-date=16 February 2009}}</ref><ref>{{citation |url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gk4fdgdkSoLI7uwcWr8DPvufQdAg?hl=en |title=Race, class fuel social conflict on French Caribbean islands |work=[[Agence France-Presse]] (AFP) |date=17 February 2009 |archive-date=21 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221091147/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gk4fdgdkSoLI7uwcWr8DPvufQdAg?hl=en |url-status=dead }}</ref> President [[Nicolas Sarkozy]] later visited the island, promising reform.<ref name="visit">[https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iQcNm7wF2_1t5AffHQZY1jZwd9Cw "Sarkozy offers autonomy vote for Martinique"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090709063018/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iQcNm7wF2_1t5AffHQZY1jZwd9Cw |date=9 July 2009 }}, [[Agence France-Presse|AFP]]</ref> While ruling out full independence, which he said was desired neither by France nor by Martinique, Sarkozy offered Martiniquans a referendum on the island's future status and degree of autonomy.<ref name="visit" />

On 2 February 2023, Martinique adopted its [[Flag of Martinique|independent activist flag]], symbolising its three colors of [[Pan-Africanism]].
[[File:Mount pelée.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Mont Pelée and Bay of St Pierre as seen from the Grande Savane trail]]