Fort-de-France is the capital of what country?

Fort-de-France is the capital of Martinique. It is the island’s principal administrative, economic, and cultural centre in the Caribbean.

Martinique is an overseas department and region of France, so Fort-de-France is both a city and a French prefecture. The city sits on the western coast of the island, at the northern end of the large Bay of Fort-de-France. Its position made it valuable as a harbour and military centre.

The settlement was originally called Fort-Royal. French authorities established the town in the 17th century, and the administrative seat was transferred there from Saint-Pierre in 1692. Saint-Pierre remained an important commercial city until the 1902 eruption of Mount Pelée devastated it, further cementing Fort-de-France’s role as Martinique’s capital.

A common mix-up is treating Martinique as an independent country. It is politically part of France, but trivia questions conventionally identify Martinique as the territory whose capital is Fort-de-France.