Le Lamentin

History

Le Lamentin is a commune located in the heart of Martinique. It lies between Le Robert and Le François to the east, Ducos to the south, Gros-Morne and Saint-Joseph to the north, and Fort-de-France to the west.

The town owes its name to the frequent presence of manatees along the banks of the Lézarde River, which runs through Le Lamentin. Today, this animal has nearly disappeared from the Lesser Antilles. On a day whose exact date remains unknown, a manatee was found stranded on the riverbank, and from that moment on, the commune permanently adopted its name.

A statue of a manatee stands at the entrance of the town hall as a tribute.

Le Lamentin’s history dates back to the late 17th century, and the commune was officially established in 1837 around the Lézarde River and its 6,000 hectares.

The fertile plain produced the island’s largest sugarcane fields, while the edges of the hills were cultivated with a variety of food crops. Positioned at the crossroads of north-south and east-west routes, Le Lamentin became a vital link in Martinique’s land-based communications. The planters who settled there left a lasting mark on the island’s history.

In 1790, they repelled troops arriving from Saint-Pierre, inflicting heavy losses on the republican army led by Dugommier in what became known as the Battle of Acajou.

After World War II, Le Lamentin became a stronghold of communism, with no fewer than three communist mayors who shaped the town’s history: Fernand Guillon, Georges Gratiant, and Pierre Samot.

Economy

Thanks to its vast river plain—unique on the island—Le Lamentin has always played a major role in Martinique’s economy. This prominent position was notably marked by the presence of the Lareinty factory, which crushed tens of thousands of tons of sugarcane each year.

Founded in 1862 by Émile Bougenot, a young engineer from the École des Arts et Métiers who was sent specifically to Martinique, the factory became a flagship of the island’s sugar industry. It operated on steam power with four generators and used the most advanced sugar production methods of its time.

By the end of the 19th century, the agricultural estate extended over more than 1,900 hectares. The Lareinty factory could process up to 25 barrels of sugar per day. At that time, the sugar industry was in crisis, and bananas had overtaken sugarcane in the local economy.

Despite this shift, Le Lamentin established itself as the industrial and commercial powerhouse of Martinique. With its airport, its oil refinery—the Société Anonyme de la Raffinerie des Antilles (the only one in the French Antilles and Guiana)—and its many industrial and business zones bordering Fort-de-France (Z.I. La Lézarde, Z.I. La Jambette, Z.I. Les Mangles Acajou, Z.I. Les Hauts de Californie, Z.I. Places d’Armes, Z.A.C. Lareinty, Z.A.C. Manhity), the commune remains one of the most active on the island. Today, with major shopping centers like La Galleria and Place d’Armes, it stands as a model of economic dynamism.

Neighborhoods

The main districts of the commune are Acajou Est, Acajou Sud, Autoroute Césaire, Basse Gondeau, Bel Air, Bélème, Belfort, Belle Isle, Bellevue, Bellonie, Bochette, Bois Quarré, Bois Rouge, Branchet, Brière de l’Isle, Calbassier, Californie, Carrère, Croix Rivail, Daubert, Duchesne 1, Duchesne 2, Floraindre, Fond Bellemare, Fond Citron, Gondeau, Jeanne d’Arc, La Ressource, La Trompeuse, Lareinty, Long Bois, Long Pré, Mahault, Mangot Vulcin, Manzelle, Montéol, Morne Pavillon, Morne Pitault, Palmiste, Petit Bambou, Petit Manoir, Petit Morne, Petit Paradis, Petite Rivière, Place d’Armes, Plaisance, Rives Chancel, Rivière Caleçon, Rivière Roche, Roches Carrées, Sarrault, Savane Dédé, Soudon, Union, and Vieux Pont.