Fort -de-France

Fort -de-France (for-d?-fraNs) , city (1999 pop. 94,049), capital of the French overseas dept. of Martinique, West Indies. It is a popular tourist resort and a free port, exporting mainly bananas, sugar, and rum. It was settled in 1762 by the French, who built Fort-Royal by the strategically situated harbor.

Yellow fever hampered its prosperity, however, and Fort-de-France did not gain importance until after 1902, when the city of Saint-Pierre was destroyed by an eruption of Mont Pelee. Drainage of the swamps to control disease further stimulated Fort-de-France’s growth. Empress Josephine, first wife of Napoleon I, was born across the bay from the city.