St Pierre

Town on the northwest coast of the French island of Martinique, in the West Indies; population (1990) 5,580. The town was founded at the foot of the volcano Mont Pelée by French settlers in 1635, and was rebuilt after being destroyed in an eruption in 1902. Industries include tourism, oil refining, and the production of rum. There is a vulcanology museum and geological museum here.

St Pierre was known as ‘the Paris of the Antilles’ and was the main commercial centre of Martinique until it was destroyed in the1902 eruption. The entire population of 30,000 died within minutes, choked by falling ash and poisoned by noxious gases.