The forest heritage of the Volcans de Martinique, visible here in the northern coastal part of the island near Macouba, has been recognized as a Forêt d'Exception (Exceptional Forest) in July 2019. Drawing landscapes made up of domes and thick lava flows dating back 350,000 years, the Volcans de Martinique are covered by the forest of Mount Pelée (4,583 ft / 1,397 m), 90 % listed as an Espace Remarquable (Remarkable Space), and that of the Pitons du Carbet (3,927 ft / 1,197 m). The two forest massifs occupy an area of more than 22,980 acres (9,300 ha), i.e 5.6 % of the area of the island and 58 % of that of its public forests. By joining the twelve other French forests labeled Forêt d'Exception, they have become the emblem of the tropical rainforest in France and the first distinguished forest overseas.