MARTINIQUE

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Topographic

Martinique is an overseas department of France, and topographic mapping is the responsibility of the Institut Géographique National (IGN), Paris. Air photo cover was obtained in 1947 and, with subsequent precise leveling and revision of an earlier triangulation network, modern topographic maps were prepared, initially at the basic scale of 1:20,000 and the derived scale of 1:50,000. These were published respectively in 1955 and 1957. The two series were in the standard IGN style of the time (Type 1922). In 1985, the 1:20,000 scale map was superseded by a new Série bleue 1:25,000 scale map in four sheets, and then in 1996 by a map in three larger sheets conforming to the TOP 25 series. This map is in six colors with 10 m contours and hill shading. The projection is UTM, International (Hayford) ellipsoid.

Soviet military topographic mapping of Martinique is available at the following scales: 1:1,000,000 (1 sheet, complete coverage, published in 1990); 1:500,000 (1 sheet, complete coverage, published in 1986) and 1:200,000 (4 sheets, complete coverage, published in 1966). These products are available in print, digital raster and digital vector GIS format from East View Geospatial.

Geological/Scientific

A 1:50,000 scale geological map was first published in 1962 by the French Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (BRGM), and a new edition was issued in 1990. It is in two sheets with an explanatory text. A 1:20,000 scale geological map of the volcano Mont Pelée together with an 11-page explanatory text was published in 1983.

Soil

Soil and land use mapping of Martinique was undertaken by F. Colmet Daage for the Institut Français de Recherche Scientifique pour le Développement en Coopération (ORSTOM) and published in 1970. The land use series is a monochrome diazo production. A multi-colored Carte écologique was published in 1978 by the Laboratoire de Biologie Végétale, University of Grenoble.

Atlas

In 1977, the IGN with the Centre Nationale de Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) published the Atlas de la Martinique, part of a series of prestigious atlases of French overseas departments. The atlas has 37 map folios with maps at a scale of 1:500,000 on themes concerned with the natural environment, population, economic and cultural geography. There are 100 pages of text and supplementary graphics.

Tourist/Reference

A general single-sheet tourist map of the island at 1:100,000 in the Série Outre-Mer was issued in 1993, replacing the earlier Carte touristique at this scale. This map has shaded relief, but no contours, and latitude and longitude markings but no grid.