Quartier-d'Orleans (french: Quartier-d'Orléans) is a seaside village on the eastern coast of the island of

Saint Martin Saint Martin may refer to: People * Saint Martin of Tours (c. 316–397), Bishop of Tours, France * Saint Martin of Braga (c. 520–580), archbishop of Bracara Augusta in Gallaecia (now Braga in Portugal) * Pope Martin I (598–655) * Saint Mart ...

, on the French side of the

Antilles The Antilles (; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Antiy; es, Antillas; french: Antilles; nl, Antillen; ht, Antiy; pap, Antias; Jamaican Patois: ''Antiliiz'') is an archipelago bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the south and west, the Gulf of Mex ...

Lower Prince's Quarter Lower Prince's Quarter is a town in Sint Maarten, in the Kingdom of the Netherlands , national_anthem = ) , image_map = Kingdom of the Netherlands (orthographic projection).svg , map_width = 250px , image_map2 = File:KonDerNed-10-10-10.png ...

, the largest town on the Dutch side of the island is located 3.5 kilometers south on the N7 road, and

Grand Case Grand Case is a small town on the French side of the island of Saint Martin in the Caribbean. It lies on the Anguilla Channel The Anguilla Channel (french: Canal d'Anguilla) is a strait in the Caribbean Sea. It separates the island of Angui ...

, the largest beach town on the French side is 6.1 kilometers north of the Quarter on the N7 road. The N7 road continues to Marigot, the French capital on the western coast.

History

The section was originally called ''Quartier d'Orient'', named for the nearby inlet, Orient Bay. The name may have subsequently been changed in honor of the brother of the French King, the

Duke of Orléans Duke of Orléans (french: Duc d'Orléans) was a French royal title usually granted by the King of France to one of his close relatives (usually a younger brother or son), or otherwise inherited through the male line. First created in 1344 by King ...

. The Quarter was the first French settlement on the island, established sometime prior to 1648 next to an indigenous Amerindian village. The French settlers cultivated

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

indigo Indigo is a deep color close to the color wheel blue (a primary color in the RGB color space), as well as to some variants of ultramarine, based on the ancient dye of the same name. The word "indigo" comes from the Latin word ''indicum'', m ...

, and (after 1660) sugar cane. The population was in decline during the 19th Century until a surge of economic growth in 1986. Since then, the Quarter of Orleans has rapidly expanded with commercial, residential and tourist areas. With a population of 5,124 people (as of 2015), it is the fourth largest town on the French side of Saint Martin. Still, some areas remain undeveloped and are considered slums.

Services

# Educational institutions: kindergartens, elementary schools and a public community college. # Other public services: post office, police. # Sports: Soccer, basketball, volleyball and tennis courts. # Places of Worship: three churches.

Sights and Attractions

# The Butterfly Farm (''La Ferme des Papillons'')

References

{{Reflist Populated places in the Collectivity of Saint Martin