Saint Martin

Christopher COLUMBUS claimed Saint Martin for Spain in 1493, naming it after the feast day of St. Martin of Tours, but it was the Dutch who occupied the island in 1631 to exploit its salt deposits. The Spanish retook Saint Martin in 1633, but the Dutch continued to assert their claims. The Spanish finally relinquished the island to the French and Dutch, who divided it between themselves in 1648. The border frequently fluctuated over the next 200 years because of friction between the two countries, with the French eventually holding the greater portion of the island (about 61%). <br><br>The cultivation of sugarcane introduced African slavery to the island in the late 18th century; the practice was not abolished until 1848. The island became a free port in 1939, and the tourism industry was dramatically expanded during the 1970s and 1980s. In 2003, the populace of Saint Martin voted to secede from Guadeloupe, and in 2007, the northern portion of the island became a French overseas collectivity. In 2010, the southern Dutch portion of the island became the independent nation of Sint Maarten within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In 2017, Hurricane Irma passed over the island of Saint Martin, causing extensive damage to roads, communications, electrical power, and housing; the UN estimated that 90% of the buildings were damaged or destroyed.

Caribbean, located in the Leeward Islands (northern) group; French part of the island of Saint Martin in the Caribbean Sea; Saint Martin lies east of the US Virgin Islands

18 05 N, 63 57 W

Central America and the Caribbean

more than one-third the size of Washington, D.C.

58.9 km (for entire island)

temperature averages 27-29 degrees Celsius all year long; low humidity, gentle trade winds, brief, intense rain showers; hurricane season stretches from July to November

salt

most of the population is found along the coast, with the largest concentration around the capital of Marigot, as well as Orleans and Grand-Case

subject to hurricanes from July to November

<strong>note 1:</strong> the southern border is shared with Sint Maarten, which is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; together, these two entities make up the smallest landmass in the world that is shared by two self-governing states<br><br><strong>note 2:</strong> Simpson Bay Lagoon (aka Simson Bay Lagoon or The Great Pond) is one of the largest inland lagoons in the West Indies; the border between the French and Dutch halves of the island runs across the center of the lagoon, which is shared by both of the island's entities

Creole (Mulatto), Black, Guadeloupe Mestizo (French-East Asian), White, East Indian, other

Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Protestant, Hindu

0.29% (2025 est.)

13.78 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

4.83 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

-6.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

most of the population is found along the coast, with the largest concentration around the capital of Marigot, as well as Orleans and Grand-Case

1.8 children born/woman (2025 est.)

0.88 (2025 est.)

waste management; salinity intrusions; limited freshwater resources; over-exploitation of marine resources (reef fisheries, coral, and shell); water pollution and damage to coral reefs from boats

temperature averages 27-29 degrees Celsius all year long; low humidity, gentle trade winds, brief, intense rain showers; hurricane season stretches from July to November

parliamentary democracy (Territorial Council); overseas collectivity of France

overseas collectivity of France

French civil law

see France

18 years of age, universal

Alternative<br>Future Saint Martin (Avenir Saint Martin)<br>Generation Hope or HOPE<br>Rassemblement Saint-Martinois or RSM (formerly Movement for Justice and Prosperity or MJP)<br>Saint Martin with You<br>Union for Democracy or UD

none (overseas collectivity of France)

ACS (associate), UPU

none (overseas collectivity of France)

Fête de la Fédération, 14 July (1790)

the flag of France is used

brown pelican

high-income French Caribbean territorial economy; extremely reliant on tourism, with severe COVID-19 impacts; near-total destruction from Hurricane Irma in 2017; some offshore banking; import-dependent; duty-free commerce; yachting destination

$649.206 million (2021 est.)

tourism, light industry and manufacturing, heavy industry

United States 35%, Netherlands 26%, Antigua and Barbuda 21%, France 10% (2019)

gold, special use vessels, furniture, scrap aluminum, rum (2019)

United States 76%, Netherlands 7%, France 7% (2019)

jewelry, diamonds, pearls, recreational boats, cars (2019)

1 local TV station; access to about 20 radio stations, including RFO Guadeloupe radio broadcasts via repeater

.mf

1 (2025)

no regular military forces; Ministry of Justice: Police Force of Sint Maaten (Korps Politie Sint Marteen, KPSM) (2025)

defense is the responsibility of France