Martinique is a Caribbean island with a distinctly French flair. The Creole language spoken by the islanders is a mix of part French and partly influenced by the African heritage of the islands former slaves. Martinique is a lush island offering beautiful vistas from the high mountains of the north to the rolling hills around the capital, Fort-de-France, and the safe, sheltered harbours of the lower west coast. Martinique offers a feast beaches for a seaside vacation, from luminous white sand to the deep black of the volcanic beaches; quiet southern Caribbean beaches to the most turbulent ones on the Atlantic coast. The 1,430m (4,700ft) volcanic mountain in the north, Montagne Pelée, last erupted in 1902 ripping the summit off. It destroyed the town of St. Pierre but it was subsequently rebuilt and some of the old buildings unearthed.),