An island of the West Indies in the western Leeward Islands. Administration of the island is divided between a French overseas territory and the Netherlands Antilles. The French and Dutch first assumed joint control in 1648.
Saint Martin
Dictionary:
Saint Mar·tin or Saint Maar·ten (mär'tn)  |
An island of the West Indies in the western Leeward Islands. Administration of the island is divided between a French overseas territory and the Netherlands Antilles. The French and Dutch first assumed joint control in 1648.
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Saint Martin (săN märtăN'), Du. Sint Maarten, island, 37 sq mi (96 sq km), West Indies, one of the Leeward Islands. Since its occupation in 1648 by the Dutch and the French, it has been divided; the northern part (1999 pop. 29,078; 20 sq mi/52 sq km), with the capital at Marigot, belongs to French Guadeloupe, and the southern part (1989 est. pop. 29,500; 17 sq mi/44 sq km) belongs to the Netherlands Antilles. The chief town on the Dutch side is Philipsburg. Both towns are free ports. A hilly, scenic island provided with good harbors, St. Martin is a popular tourist resort, and tourism is the main source of income.
| Statistics: Saint Martin |
Introduction
| Background: | Although sighted by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 and claimed for Spain, it was the Dutch who occupied the island in 1631 and set about exploiting its salt deposits. The Spanish retook the island in 1633, but continued to be harassed by the Dutch. The Spanish finally relinquished St. Martin to the French and Dutch, who divided it amongst themselves in 1648. The cultivation of sugar cane introduced slavery to the island in the late 18th century; the practice was not abolished until 1848. The island became a free port in 1939; the tourism industry was dramatically expanded during the 1970s and 1980s. In 2003, the populace of St. Martin voted to secede from Guadeloupe and in 2007, the northern portion of the island became a French overseas collectivity. |
Geography
| Location: | island 300 km southeast of Puerto Rico |
| Geographic coordinates: | 18 05 N, 63 57 W |
| Map references: | Central America and the Caribbean |
| Area: | total: 54.4 sq km land: 54.4 sq km water: NEGL |
| Area - comparative: | more than one-third the size of Washington, DC |
| Land boundaries: | total: 15 km border countries: Netherlands Antilles (Sint Maarten) 15 km |
| Coastline: | 58.9 km (for entire island) |
| Climate: | temperature averages 80-85 degrees all year long; low humidity, gentle trade winds, brief, intense rain showers; July-November is the hurricane season |
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Caribbean Ocean 0 m highest point: Pic du Paradis 424 m |
| Natural resources: | salt |
| Environment - current issues: | fresh water supply is dependent on desalinization of sea water |
| Geography - note: | the island of Saint Martin is the smallest landmass in the world shared by two independent states, the French territory of Saint Martin and the Dutch territory of Sint Maarten |
People
| Population: | 29,820 (July 2009 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 27% (male 3,991/female 4,048) 15-64 years: 67.5% (male 9,596/female 10,532) 65 years and over: 5.5% (male 742/female 911) (2009 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 30.5 years male: 29.5 years female: 31.3 years (2009 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2009 est.) |
| Ethnic groups: | creole (mulatto), black, Guadeloupe Mestizo (French-East Asia), white, East Indian |
| Religions: | Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Protestant, Hindu |
| Languages: | French (official language), English, Dutch, French Patois, Spanish, Papiamento (dialect of Netherlands Antilles) |
Government
| Country name: | conventional long form: Overseas Collectivity of Saint Martin conventional short form: Saint Martin local long form: Collectivity d'outre mer de Saint-Martin local short form: Saint-Martin |
| Dependency status: | overseas collectivity of France |
| Capital: | name: Marigot geographical coordinates: 18 04 N, 63 05 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight savings: +1 hour |
| Independence: | none (overseas collectivity of France) |
| National holiday: | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789); note - local holiday is Schoalcher Day (Slavery Abolition Day) 12 July (1848) |
| Constitution: | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) |
| Legal system: | the laws of France, where applicable, apply |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age, universal |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007), represented by Prefect Dominique LACROIX (since 21 March 2007) head of government: President of the Territorial Council Frantz GUMBS (since 5 May 2009) cabinet: Executive Council; note - there is also an advisory economic, social, and cultural council election: French president elected by popular vote to a five-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the Territorial Council is elected by the members of the Council for a five-year term election results: Frantz GUMBS elected president by the Territorial Council on 7 August 2008 but election was declared invalid on 10 April 2009 |
| Legislative branch: | unicameral Territorial Council (23 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 1 and 8 July 2007 (next to be held in July 2012) election results: percent of seats by party - UPP 49%, RRR 42.2%, Reussir Saint-Martin 8.9%; seats by party - UPP 16, RRR 6, Reussir Saint-Martin 1 note: Saint Martin elects one seat to the French Senate; election last held 21 September 2008 (next to be held in September 2014); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 1 |
| Political parties and leaders: | Union Pour le Progres or UPP [Louis-Constant FLEMING]; Rassemblement Responsabilite Reussite or RRR [Alain RICHARDSON]; Reussir Saint-Martin [Jean-Luc HAMLET] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA |
| International organization participation: | UPU, WFTU |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | none (overseas collectivity of France) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | none (overseas collectivity of France) |
| Flag description: | the flag of France is used |
Economy
| Economy - overview: | The economy of Saint Martin centers around tourism with 85% of the labor force engaged in this sector. Over one million visitors come to the island each year with most arriving through the Princess Juliana International Airport in Sint Maarten. No significant agriculture and limited local fishing means that almost all food must be imported. Energy resources and manufactured goods are also imported, primarily from Mexico and the United States. Saint Martin is reported to have the highest per capita income in the Caribbean. |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 1% industry: 15% services: 84% (2000) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | 85% directly or indirectly employed in tourist industry |
| Industries: | tourism, light industry and manufacturing, heavy industry |
| Imports - commodities: | crude petroleum, food, manufactured items |
| Currency (code): | euro (EUR); note - US dollar (USD) widely used |
| Exchange rates: | euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6827 (2008), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004) |
Communications
| Telephone system: | general assessment: fully integrated access domestic: direct dial capability with both fixed and wireless systems international: country code - 590; undersea fiber-optic cable provides voice and data connectivity to Puerto Rico and Guadeloupe |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 0, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2007) |
| Internet country code: | .mf; note - .gp, the internet country code for Guadeloupe, and .fr, the internet country code for France, might also be encountered |
Transportation
| Airports: | 1 (2008) |
| Airports - with paved runways: | total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2008) |
| Transportation - note: | nearest airport for international flights is Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) located in Sint Maarten |
Military
| Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 6,336 females age 16-49: 6,925 (2009 est.) |
| Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually: | male: 177 female: 162 (2009 est.) |
| Military - note: | defense is the responsibility of France |
| Wikipedia: Saint Martin |
For other uses, see St. Martin (disambiguation).
| Native name: Sint Maarten (Dutch) Saint-Martin (French) Sobriquet: The Friendly Island |
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Caribbean Sea |
| Coordinates | 18°04′N 63°03′W / 18.067°N 63.05°WCoordinates: 18°04′N 63°03′W / 18.067°N 63.05°W |
| Archipelago | Leeward Islands, Lesser Antilles |
| Area | 87 km2 (34 sq mi) |
| Highest point | Pic Paradis (414 m (1,360 ft)) |
| Country | |
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Kingdom of the Netherlands
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| Constituent country |  Netherlands Antilles |
| Island area |  Sint Maarten |
| Largest city | Philipsburg (pop. 1,338) |
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France
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| Overseas collectivity |  Saint Martin |
| Largest city | Marigot (5,700) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 72,892 (as of January 1, 2006) |
| Density | 836 /km2 (2,170 /sq mi) |
Saint Martin (French: Saint-Martin; Dutch: Sint Maarten) is a tropical island in the northeast Caribbean, approximately 300 km (186 miles) east of Puerto Rico. The 87 km2 island is divided roughly in half between France (53 km2)[1] and the Netherlands Antilles (34 km2)[2]; it is the smallest inhabited sea island divided between two nations, a division dating to 1648. The southern Dutch half comprises the Eilandgebied Sint Maarten (Island area of St. Martin) and is part of the Netherlands Antilles. The northern French half comprises the Collectivité de Saint-Martin (Collectivity of St. Martin) and is an overseas collectivity of France.
On January 1, 2006 the population of the entire island was 72,892 inhabitants, 37,629 of whom lived on the Dutch side,[3] and 35,263 on the French side.[4]
Collectively, the two territories are known as "St-Martin/St Maarten". Sometimes SXM, the IATA identifier for Princess Juliana International Airport (the island's main airport), is used to refer to the island.
Contents |
Geography
Saint Martin has a land area of 87 km2, 53 km2 of which is under the sovereignty of France,[1] and 34 km² under the sovereignty of the Netherlands.[2]
The main towns are Philipsburg (Dutch side) and Marigot (French side).
The highest hilltop is the Pic Paradis (424 m) on center of a hill chain (French side). There is no river on the island, but many dry guts. Hiking trails give access to the dry forest covering tops and slopes.
The average yearly air temperature is 27 °C (min 17 °C, max 35 °C) and sea surface temperature 26.4 °C. The total average yearly rainfall is 995 mm, with 99 days of thunder.
Neither of the two halves of St Martin had separate FIPS PUB 10-4 territory codes or ISO 3166-1 codes prior to 2007; they were coded as GP (Guadeloupe) and NA/AN (Netherlands Antilles). The status of the French side changed to an overseas collectivity in February 2007, and it received the ISO 3166-1 code MF in October 2007.[5] The status of the Dutch side was due to change to a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in December 2008, but this has been postponed to an indefinite future date.[6] It is expected the Dutch part will also get its own ISO 3166-1 code when the status change goes into effect.
History
Main article: History of Saint Martin
Short review
- circa 800AD Settled by Arawak Indians who arrived from South America, given the name Soualiga, or Land of Salt.
- November 11, 1493 Claimed for Spain by Columbus, named Isla de Saint Martin, upon his arrival.
- 1624 Some French cultivate tobacco on French Quarter.
- 1631 Dutch small colony on Groot baai to collect salt.
- 1633–1647 Spanish army from Puerto Rico builds the first military fort, but after a few years destroy it and abandon the island forever.
- March 23, 1648 Divided into French (north) and Dutch (south) zones
(Dutch zone subordinate to Sint Eustatius until 1672). - 1679–1689 French occupy entire island.
- 1689–1792 Dutch zone under Dutch West India Company administration.
- 1690–1699 English occupy entire island.
- 1699–1702 French occupy entire island.
- 1703–1717 Dutch occupy entire island
- February 24, 1779 – February 3, 1781 French occupy entire island.
- February 3, 1781 – November 26, 1781 British occupy entire island.
- May 18, 1793 – April 5, 1794 Dutch administer entire island
- April 29, 1795 – March 24, 1801 French occupy entire island.
- March 24, 1801 – December 1, 1802 British occupy entire island.
- July 9, 1810 Annexed along with the Netherlands by France (not effected).
- 1810–1816 British occupy entire island.
- 1816 French and Dutch zones resumed.
- 1919 – April 1, 1983 Saba, Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten united as Netherlands Windward Islands.
- 1936 Dutch side officially adopted the Dutch spelling Sint Maarten.
- September 4, 1960 Hurricane Donna hit the island causing extensive damage.
- September 5, 1995 Hurricane Luis devastated the island.
- June 23, 2000 Referendum supports a "status aparte" as a separate entity within The Netherlands by 68.9%.
- December 7, 2003 The population of the French part of the island votes in favour of secession from Guadeloupe in order to form a separate overseas collectivity (COM) of France
- November 2, 2006 Sint Maarten and Curaçao sign agreement with the Netherlands on "status aparte"
- February 22, 2007 French side becomes a separate overseas collectivity (COM)
- December 15, 2008 Date set for dissolution of Netherlands Antilles. This date has been postponed, although it is still planned[6]
Details
In 1493, Christopher Columbus embarked on his second voyage to the New World. According to legend, Columbus sighted and perhaps anchored at the island of Saint Martin on November 11, 1493, the feast day of Saint Martin of Tours. In his honor, Columbus named the island San Martin. This name was translated to Sint Maarten (Dutch), Saint-Martin (French) and "Saint Martin" in English.
At Columbus's time, St. Martin was populated, if populated at all, by Carib amerindians. The former Arawaks had been chased by the Caribs coming from the North coast of South America a short time before the arrival of the Spaniards who followed in Columbus' wake. The English word cannibal is derived from the Spanish pronunciation for Carib. The Arawaks were agricultural people who fashioned pottery and whose social organization was headed by hereditary chieftains who derived their power from personal deities called zemis.
The Caribs' territory was not completely conquered until the mid-17th century when most of them perished in the struggle between the French, English, Dutch, Danes and Spanish for control of the West Indies. The Dutch first began to ply the island's ponds for salt in the 1620s. Despite the Dutch presence on the island, the Spaniards recaptured St. Martin in 1633 and, one year later, built a fort (now Ft. Amsterdam) and another artillery battery at Pointe Blanche to assert their claim and control access to Great bay salt pond. The Spaniards introduced the first African slaves to the area in the 16th century but the main influx of African slaves took place in the 18th century with the development of Sugarcane plantations by the French Protestants and some Dutch Jews. Slavery was abolished in the first half of the 19th century, whereupon on some of their territories the British imported Chinese and East Indians to take the place of slaves. Thus, St. Martin and the other islands are populated by a mixture of Amerindian, European, African, Indians and Asian peoples. West Indian cultures such as in St. Martin are, consequently, exceedingly rich and varied.
Border division
On March 23, 1648, France and the Dutch Republic agreed to divide the island between their two nations, so they signed the Treaty of Concordia.
Folklore surrounds the history of the once ever-changing border division between St. Martin and Sint Maarten, and a popular story among locals narrates that "to divide the island in two sections, [in 1648] the inhabitants were told to choose two walkers, one chosen by the French-dominated community and the other one by the Dutch-dominated community, who were put back to back in one extreme of the island, making them walk in opposite directions while stuck to the litoral line, and not allowing them to run. The point where they eventually met was set as the other extreme of the island, and the subsequently created line was chosen as the frontier, dividing Saint-Martin from Sint Maarten. Seemingly, the French walker had walked more than his Dutch counterpart (each one earned his land, respectively, 54km² and 32km²). As the first man chose wine as his stimulant prior to the race, while the latter chose beer, the difference between such beverages' lightness was said to be the cause of the territorial differences by French locals, while Dutch locals tended to blame the French walker for running."[7]
Demographics
On January 1, 2006 the population of the entire island of Saint Martin was 72,892 inhabitants, 37,629 of whom lived on the Dutch side of the island,[3] and 35,263 on the French side of the island.[4] In addition there is an average of 1,000,000 tourist visitors per year.
Culture and tourism
Main article: Culture of Saint Martin
St. Martin's Dutch side is known for its festive nightlife, beaches, jewelry, exotic drinks made with native rum-based guavaberry liquors, and plentiful casinos, while its French side, is known more for its nude beaches, clothes, shopping (including outdoor markets), and rich French and Indian Caribbean cuisine.
The island is home to accommodations including hotels, villas, and timeshares, many of which are privately available for rent or sale.
Rental cars are the primary mode of transportation for visitors staying on island. If any driving is expected off the major roads (such as to some of the more secluded beaches), a 4-wheel drive is recommended. Traffic on the island, however, has become a major problem; long traffic jams between Marigot, Philipsburg and the airport are common.
Because the island is located along the intertropical convergence zone, it is occasionally menaced by tropical storm activity in the late summer and early fall.
The island is widely known[citation needed] for its hundreds of gourmet (and more moderately priced) restaurants on both sides of the island.
Neighbouring islands include Saint Barthélemy (French), Anguilla (British), Saba (Dutch), Sint Eustatius "Statia" (Dutch), Saint Kitts and Nevis (Independent, formerly British). With the exception of Nevis, all of these islands are easily visible on a clear day from St. Martin.
Shopping
Shopping on St Maarten and Saint Martin offers duty-free goods in numerous boutiques. Popular goods include local crafts & arts, exotic foods, jewelry, liquor, tobacco, leather goods, as well as most designer goods. Most often the designer goods are offered at significant discounts, often up to 40% lower than US retail prices.
Saint Martin uses the euro as its currency, while Sint Maarten is currently outside the Eurozone and uses the Netherlands Antillean guilder, pegged at 1.79 per United States dollar. It is unknown if Sint Maarten will shift to the euro some time after the Netherlands Antilles dissolves. Almost every store on the island also accepts the United States dollar, although sometimes a more expensive exchange rate is used (even 1 to 1 is no exception).
Transportation
Airports
The island is served by many major airlines that bring in large jet aircrafts, including Boeing 747's, Airbus A340's, and McDonnell Douglas MD-11's carrying tourists from across the world on a daily basis. The short length of the main runway at Princess Juliana International Airport, and its position between a large hill and a beach causes some spectacular approaches. Aviation photographers flock to the airport to capture pictures of large jets just a few feet above sunbathers on Maho Beach. [8] There is a small airport on the French side of the island at Grand Case, L'Espérance Airport for small jet and propeller planes serving neighbouring Caribbean islands. Due to its location, Grand Case-Esperance Airport frequently suffers from heavy fog during the hurricane season.
See also
Main articles: Outline of Saint Martin and Index of Saint Martin (France)-related articles
- List of divided islands
- Saint Martin
- Sint Maarten
- History of St. Martin
- List of Sint Maarten governors
- Culture of St. Martin
- O sweet Saint-Martin's Land (bi-national song/anthem of Saint-Martin/Sint-Maarten)
- Région Guadeloupe et Saint Martin (Scouting)
- Princess Juliana International Airport
References
- ^ a b INSEE, Government of France. "Démographie des communes de Guadeloupe au recensement de la population de 1999". http://www.insee.fr/fr/themes/tableau.asp?reg_id=26&ref_id=AMTOP005. Retrieved 2009-01-27. (French)
- ^ a b Central Bureau of Statistics Netherlands Antilles. "Area, population density and capital". http://central-bureau-of-statistics.an/area_climate/area_a1.asp. Retrieved 2009-01-27.
- ^ a b Central Bureau of Statistics Netherlands Antilles. "Population per Island, January 1st". http://central-bureau-of-statistics.an/population/population_b2.asp. Retrieved 2009-01-27.
- ^ a b INSEE, Government of France. "Populations légales 2006 de collectivités d'outre-mer". http://www.insee.fr/fr/ppp/bases-de-donnees/recensement/populations-legales/france-departements.asp#com. Retrieved 2009-01-27. (French)
- ^ ISO 3166-1 Newsletter. Assignment of code elements for Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin and update of France and other French Territories
- ^ a b St. Maarten-St. Martin - Consensus, but no date set for new status
- ^ Pérez, Abón Satur (Chief Editor) (1980). Nueva Geografía Universal, Tomo IX, América. (New Universal Geography, Volume IX, America). Promexa. p. 19. ISBN 8471131307.
- ^ Aviation Photos: Philipsburg / St. Maarten - Princess Juliana (SXM / TNCM), Airliners.net.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Saint Martin |
- General information
- Saint Martin entry at The World Factbook
- Saint Martin at the Open Directory Project
- Wikimedia Atlas of Saint Martin
- News and media
- i-sxm.com Web Portal Everything you Need in St.Maarten/St.Martin
- The Daily Herald daily newspaper from St. Maarten
- LE FAXinfo daily newspaper from Saint Martin (in French)
- Travel
- Dutch St. Maarten official Tourist Bureau
- French Saint Martin official Tourist Office
- Princess Juliana International Airport, St. Maarten official site
- Saint Martin travel guide from Wikitravel
- Other
- Birds of St. Martin - by Eric Dubois-Millot, Action Nature.
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- Saint Martin-in-the-Fields (structure, England)
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- St. Martin (family name)
- Saint Martin de Porres (Peruvian theologian)
- Ré (island, France)
- Séraphîta
- Uriage
- Paris Vu Par... 20 Ans Apres (1984 Drama Film)
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