Martinique contains Mount Pelée, whose 1902 eruption destroyed the city of Saint-Pierre.
Mount Pelée is an active stratovolcano in the northern part of Martinique, a French overseas territorial collectivity in the Lesser Antilles. On 8 May 1902, a devastating pyroclastic flow swept down the volcano’s slopes and killed almost all of Saint-Pierre’s residents. The disaster is one of the classic examples used in the study of pyroclastic flows.
Saint-Pierre had been an important commercial and cultural centre before the eruption. The event sharply reduced its population and helped shift Martinique’s economic focus toward Fort-de-France, which is now the capital.
Martinique is sometimes confused with nearby volcanic islands such as Dominica and Saint Lucia. Mount Pelée, however, is specifically associated with Martinique and remains one of the island’s defining natural landmarks.