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NASA NLT Landsat 7 (visible color) satellite image of Saint Martin.
Flag of Saint Martin.
For other uses, see Saint Martin (island) (disambiguation).

Saint Martin (Dutch: Sint Maarten; French: Saint-Martin) is a tropical island in the northeast Caribbean, approximately 240 km (150 miles) east of Puerto Rico. The 98 km² (38 square-mile) island is divided roughly in half between France and the Netherlands; it is the smallest inhabited land mass in the world that is divided between two nations. The southern Dutch half is called Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles; the northern French half is called Saint-Martin and is part of the French overseas région and département of Guadeloupe. Collectively, the two territories are known as, "St.-Martin/St. Maarten", "St. Martins", or simply, "SXM" (SXM is the IATA identifier for Princess Juliana International Airport, the island's main airport). Remarkably, neither of the two halves of Saint Martin warrants a separate FIPS PUB 10-4 territory code; they are presumably coded as GP (Guadeloupe) and NA (Netherlands Antilles).

The main towns are Marigot (French side) and Philipsburg (Dutch side).

The French part of the island has a land area of 53.20 km² (20.5 sq mi). At the October 2004 supplementary French census, the population in the French part of the island was 33,102 inhabitants (up from only 8,072 inhabitants at the 1982 census, a quadrupling in just 20 years), which means a population density of 622 inh. per km² in 2004.

Sint Maarten, the Dutch part of the island, has a land area of 34 km² (13.1 sq mi). At the 2001 Netherlands Antilles census, the population in Sint Maarten was 30,594 inhabitants, which means a population density of 900 inh. per km². In 2004 the population of Sint Maarten was estimated at 33,119 inhabitants.

History

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. It is now more commonly known as Sint Maarten (Dutch), Saint-Martin (French), and Saint Martin (English).

Flags flying in Marigot harbor, Saint-Martin.

When Columbus sailed these seas, St. Martin was populated, if populated at all, by Arawak or Carib Indians. The Arawaks were subjugated by the warlike Carib Indians from South America a short time before the arrival of the Spanish who followed in Columbus' wake. The English word cannibal is derived from an Arawak word which referred to the Caribs. The Arawaks were a relatively cultured, 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, on the other hand, concentrated on warfare. They killed and, allegedly, ate the Arawak men, then married the Arawak women.

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 at Pointe Blanche to assert their claim. The Spaniards introduced the first slaves to the area in the 16th century but the main influx of slaves took place in the 18th century with the development of sugar plantations by the French. Slavery was abolished in the first half of the 19th century, whereupon the British imported Chinese and East Indians to take the place of slaves. Thus, St. Martin and the other islands are peopled by a mixture of Amerindian, African, Asian and European peoples. West Indian cultures such as in St. Martin are, consequently, exceedingly rich and varied, scarcely matched in other parts of the world.

Political status

Map showing French Saint-Martin (north) and Dutch Sint Maarten (south)

France and the Netherlands agreed to divide the island on March 23, 1648.

Sint Maarten is officially an "island territory" part of the Netherlands Antilles, which is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands though not in the European Union. Its currency is the Antillean guilder (however, the United States dollar is widely accepted). A proposed restructuring of the Netherlands Antilles would see Sint Maarten become an independent component of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in its own right.

Saint-Martin is a French commune part of Guadeloupe, which is an overseas région and overseas département of France and is therefore in the European Union. The official currency in Saint-Martin is the euro (though the U.S. dollar is also widely accepted). In 2003 the population of the French part voted in favour of secession from Guadeloupe to form a separate overseas collectivity of France; this has yet to be implemented.

The French commune of Saint-Martin is governed by a mayor and a municipal council elected by the European citizens living on the French side of the island. As is the case in metropolitan France since the promulgation of the Maastricht Treaty, nationals of any member state of the European Union are allowed to vote at the municipal elections. Nationals from countries not part of the European Union, which represent a large part of the population on the French side of the island, are not allowed to vote in the elections.

On the other hand, the Dutch island territory of Sint Maarten is ruled by an Island Council, an Executive Council, and a Governor appointed by the Dutch Crown.

Culture and tourism

Simpson Bay, Sint Maarten

Sint Maarten, the Dutch side, is known for its festive nightlife, fun beaches, and plentiful casinos, while Saint-Martin, the French side, is known more for its world-famous nude beaches, jewelry and clothes shopping, exotic drinks made with native rum-based guavaberry liquors, and rich French Caribbean cuisine.

The island is served by many major airlines that bring in large jets, including Boeing 747s and Airbus A340s, the 2nd largest current Airbus aircraft, carrying tourists from across the world on a daily basis. This fuels the island's largest revenue source, tourism. Princess Juliana International Airport -- which will open a major new terminal in mid-2006 -- is famous for its short landing strip —only 2,130 metres/7,000 ft, which is barely enough for heavy jets. Because of this, the planes approach the island flying extremely low, right over the beach. Countless photos of large jets flying at 10–20 m/30-60 ft over relaxing tourists at the beach have been dismissed as photoshopped many times, but are nevertheless real .

Sint Maarten/Saint-Martin is home to several world-class accommodations, including hotels, villas, and timeshares, many of which are privately available for rent or sale. Some properties have over 200 rooms, while others have fewer than twenty. Many are located directly on beaches and in upscale shopping districts. Villas pepper the coast, boasting private beaches. Some are private residences, while others are available to affluent renters.

View of cruise ships docked in St. Martin's Dutch side

Rental cars are the primary mode of transportation for visitors staying on island. The island is served by several well-known agencies. 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. It is important to monitor local weather information during this time.

The island is widely known for its hundreds of gourmet (and more moderately priced) restaurants on both sides of the island.

Neighboring 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. Maarten.

Colleges and universities

American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC). AUC, founded in 1978, was previously located on Montserrat. Because of the eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano in 1995, AUC moved its campus to St. Maarten just in time for Hurricane Luis later that year. A permanent, hurricane-proof campus was completed in 1998 in Cupecoy on the Dutch side.

University of St. Maarten (USM) in Philipsburg (Dutch side). USM is an affiliate of Johnson & Wales University.

See also

External links

Colleges and universities

General information

Tourism

Maps

Template:Maplr See also MapQuest zoom levels 8, 9, and 10.


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