History
Basse-Pointe is a commune in the North Atlantic region of Martinique. It is located between Macouba to the west, Saint-Pierre to the southwest, Ajoupa-Bouillon to the southeast, and Le Lorrain to the east.
Basse-Pointe owes its name to the geographical location of its village. It is overlooked by a low rocky point. In fact, it is the lowest part of its coastline, where a modest pier was once built. The first settlers grew tobacco there, then cocoa, which later disappeared in favor of sugar cane.
It was also in Basse-Pointe that many Indian immigrants settled to work in the sugar cane fields. But how can we talk about Basse-Pointe without mentioning that it is the birthplace of Aimé Césaire, the champion of Negritude?
The commune of Basse-Pointe witnessed a major historical event that led to several days of rioting on the island. In February 1974, banana farm workers demanding an increase in the daily wage were met with repression by the police, leading to the deaths of two of them.
Today, sugar cane has given way to bananas, which occupy more than half of the agricultural land.
Economy
Basse-Pointe is primarily an agricultural community. Banana and pineapple plantations predominate.
Neighborhoods
The municipality's main districts are Chalvet, du Potiche, Eyma, Hackaert, Hauteurs Bourdon, la Falaise, Magdelonnette, Moulin l'Étang et Pecoul.
