Martinique is the Island of Giants
When people are young, they grow taller, but when they reach adulthood, they no longer grow taller. The strange thing is that there is a unique island in the world. The residents on the island grow very tall, and tourists from abroad will grow a few centimeters as long as they stay there for a period of time. Because of this "property" of the island, it is known as: "The island that can make people grow taller"
This magical island is located in the vast Caribbean Sea and is called "Martinique". Every 10 years or so, a strange phenomenon occurs on the island that puzzles people: the adult men and women living on the island grow a few centimeters taller. The average height of adult men is 1.90 meters, and the average height of adult women is more than 1.74 meters. rice. If young men on the island are less than 1.8 meters tall, they will be ridiculed as "dwarfs" by their peers.
This kind of "courtesy" is obviously "gospel" to some people who think they are short. Therefore, Martinique attracts countless tourists every year, most of whom are short people from all over the world. When short people come to live on this island for a period of time, they will inexplicably grow a few centimeters taller. Therefore, people call Martinique the "Paradise of Short People".
In fact, not only people, but also the animals, plants and insects on the island are growing particularly rapidly. There are ants, flies, beetles, lizards, snakes, etc. on the island. In the ten years or so since 1948, the number has increased several times than usual. In particular, the island's rats have grown to be as big as cats.
The Fierbara people of Martinique also have a custom - never bend down. Even if the most valuable items were lost on the ground, they never bent down to pick them up. Instead, they pulled out a bamboo clip stuck on their backs and picked them up with the bamboo clip while standing straight.
Martinique is located in the northernmost part of the Windward Islands in the Antilles. It is the largest, volcanic and picturesque island in the Windward Islands. Martinique is a French overseas territory that France considers to be an inviolable part of it. Before being named after San Martin, its name was "Madinina" meaning "Island of Flowers" and was inhabited by indigenous people.
The terrain on the island is undulating. Except for the plains in the central part and along the coast, it is mostly volcanic areas. Compared with the Leeward Islands, it is significantly rocky. Its beaches (consisting of black or white or salt-and-pepper sand) are surrounded by plants such as sugar cane, palm trees, bananas and pineapples. Columbus called it the most beautiful country in the world. The highest peak, Mount Pelé, is 1,397 meters above sea level. It is a famous and frequently active volcano in the West Indies. In 1902, Mount Pelé erupted, killing about 26,000 to 36,000 people in a few minutes, with only 2 people surviving. It also destroyed Saint-Pierre, the largest city in Martinique at the time. Tropical rainforest climate.
Sugar cane, bananas, pineapples and other tropical fruits are grown on the island, and there are sugar, brewing, oil refining, cement, timber and other industries.
Capital: Fort-de-France, population 100,080 (1990); area: 1,100 square kilometers; population: 385,000 (1995), mainly black and white mulattoes; population Density: 350.5 people per square kilometer; Language: The official language is French. Creole dialects are also commonly spoken; Religion: Most residents believe in Roman Catholicism; Time difference: 4 hours behind GMT and 12 hours behind Beijing time; Electricity: 220V AC, 50Hz; Communications: Telephone: IDD applicable. The country code is 596. The international code is 0033. Martinique itself is a French country, and the international code is of course the same as France. There are both payment phones and magnetic card phones on the island. Phone cards can be purchased at post offices, etc. Airports only have magnetic card phones. Mobile Phone: Dual-band GSM network. Run a roaming agreement. Network providers include: France Telecom and Amis. Coverage extends to the French Antilles and French Guiana. Fax: Most hotels can fax. Internet/Email: Local service providers (ISPs) include wanadoo and Antilles-net. Post Office: It takes about one week to send a letter to Europe.
The post office is open Monday to Friday from 7 am to 6 pm and on Saturday mornings. Newspapers: Newspapers are in French. The main daily newspaper is: France-antille
The Creole tradition is still preserved there. Therefore, tourists in this French overseas department can still experience the original way of life there. Martinique is a small island, 64 kilometers from north to south and 31 kilometers from east to west, so you don’t need to stray too far from your hotel to see the phenomena that characterize Martinique. (I don’t understand what this sentence means)
Martinique’s population is mainly from African races, and they have had the greatest impact on the civilization of the French West Indies. The ancient village of Belja, in the tropical forest north of Fort-de-France, is the best place to get a glimpse of Martinique culture.
A group of amateur actors, dancers and musicians perform a play that reimagines daily life in a Creole community. Their performances include a variety of traditions and trades, including music and dance. The actors spoke alternately in Creole and in French, just as people in Martinique do in their daily lives.
Creole languages ??originated in the early days of colonization. Its vocabulary is mainly French, but it uses the syntax of African languages. Over the centuries, Creole evolved into a completely independent language.
While dance plays an important role in local culture, games are equally important to the people of Martinique. In any corner diner, tourists can encounter people playing cards (what was that era?) - more often than not, dominoes. In Martinique, players who play dominoes each get 7 dominoes. But there are only 3 people at the table, so only 21 of the 28 cards are played. This makes it more of a luck-based game. (There are many skills in dominoes, and they are sometimes determined by luck. Sometimes, due to the competition between the other two parties, a third party can win the competition. It is a very skillful game. Even if the cards are not good, it will still be a good one. Totally winnable!) There are 7 cards not included in the game and you have to guess which cards are excluded. So it makes the game a little more complex.
Dominos and cards are not the only games Martinique people play that rely on luck to determine the outcome. Cockfighting is also an important part of the game. This is a deeply ingrained social custom.
Cockfighting is as popular in Martinique as horse racing is in England and France, and cockfighting rings can be found throughout the island. (This is not the case at all, cockfighting rings are not seen everywhere). In Lamentin, only a few kilometers from Fort-de-France, the cockfighting ring is located in the very center of the town, which shows that cockfighting is one of the favorite pastimes of Martinique people, an ancient West Indian tradition. Before the cockfight begins, each chicken is weighed to ensure that the chickens fighting together are of the same weight class. Fighting cock trainers often spend months training a chicken to become a top fighter.
Another sport you will see during your trip to Martinique is sailing. The game is very popular here and has a local flavor. Each team represents their own village's flag, and locals follow the event with great enthusiasm. This kind of friendly competition is related to the prestige of the whole village.
The sailboat here is a special kind of ship: the hull is round and there is no keel. This means that the weight of the crew and the force used play an important role in keeping the boat balanced. Patrick is an expert in this area. He attended every game, wearing the flag of his village.
Martinique is also the birthplace of Central American coffee, but its coffee production today is very small. The first coffee tree in the Western Hemisphere was brought from France by Gabriel Mathieu de Clieu in the early 1820s. De Klee was a naval officer in Martinique in his early years. He brought back a coffee tree and planted it in Prichet. The first harvest was in 1726. Subsequently, coffee was introduced from Martinique to Haiti, Dominican Republic and Guadeloupe. According to records, in 1777, there were 18,791,680 coffee trees in Martinique.