History
The municipality of Bellefontaine is located in the North Caribbean part of the island between Carbet to the north-west and Morne Vert to the north and Case Pilote to the south-east.
It is the most recent town in Martinique. It was in fact in 1950 that it emerged from land that was once part of Case Pilote, so it shares her story with that of her neighbor. Bellefontaine was only a simple district of Case-Pilote.
It owes its name to a former colonist, Guillaume Michel known as Sieur de Bellefontaine who had taken up residence there in the 17th century and had worked for the prosperity of the place.
The thermal power station of EDF (Electricité de France that is the French national electricity company) has taken up residence there since 1984. It supplies electricity to the entire island.
In 1991, the cliff that runs along the road between the town of the town and the power station collapsed. Millions of cubic meters of earth were swept away under the shock which fortunately did not make any victims. A new thermal power station with a capacity of 220 MW was rebuilt right next to the previous one. It was inaugurated in 2013. The previous one was definitively stopped in May 2014.
Economy
Besides its power station which employs more than 1000 people, the major economic activities are fishing and agriculture. If in the past, fishing was dominant today, it is more agriculture that occupies the pole position. It is market gardening (cultivation of vegetables and fruits for food) that is mainly practiced. So you will be able to see on the heights of the Verrier district farms of tomatoes, carrots or chives which supply the local markets.
Bellefontaine is also a site where you can admire the fishermen practicing seine fishing.
Neighborhoods
The municipality's main districts are Bellevue, Cheval Blanc, Duvallon, Fond Laillet and Morne Capot.