Although sighted by Christopher COLOMBUS 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.
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-Novemeber 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
Population
33,102 (October 2004 census)
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)
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
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 Louis-Constant FLEMING (since 16 July 2007)
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
Louis-Constant FLEMING unanimously elected president by the Territorial Council on 16 July 2007
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 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
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]
International organization participation
UPU
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 - 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%
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
Imports - partners
US, Mexico (2006)
Currency (code)
euro (EUR); note - $US widely used
Exchange rates
euros per US dollar - 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002)
Telephone system
general assessment
fully integrated access
domestic
direct dial capability with both fixed and wireless systems
international
undersea fiber-optic cable provides voice and data connectivity to Puerto Rico and Gudaloupe; country code - 590
Radio broadcast stations
FM 3 (2007)
Internet country code
.gp; note - ccTLD for Guadeloupe remains in effect
Airports
1
Airports - with paved runways
total
1
914 to 1,523 m
1
Transportation - note
nearest airport for international flights is Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) located in Sint Maarten
