The Collectivity of Saint Martin
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Collectivity of Saint Martin (french: Collectivité de Saint-Martin), commonly known as simply Saint Martin (, ), is an overseas collectivity of France in the West Indies in the
Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
, on – but not identical with – the island of Saint Martin. Saint Martin is separated from the island of Anguilla by the
Anguilla Channel The Anguilla Channel (french: Canal d'Anguilla) is a strait in the Caribbean Sea. It separates the island of Anguilla (a British Overseas Territory) in the north from the Collectivity of Saint Martin, an overseas collectivity of France on the is ...
. Its capital is Marigot. With a population of 32,489 as of January 2019 on an area of , it encompasses the northern 60% of the
divided island This is a list of islands whose land is divided by one or more international borders. Sea islands Lake islands *''De facto'' between Russia (Crimea) ('' disputed'') and Ukraine ** Rotten Sea islands *Among Finland, Norway, and Sweden: **T ...
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 ...
, and some neighbouring islets, the largest of which is Île Tintamarre. The southern 40% of the island of Saint Martin constitutes Sint Maarten, which has been a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands since 2010 following the dissolution of
Netherlands Antilles nl, In vrijheid verenigd"Unified by freedom" , national_anthem = , common_languages = Dutch English Papiamento , demonym = Netherlands Antillean , capital = Willemstad , year_start = 1954 , year_end = 2010 , date_start = 15 December , ...
. This marks the only place in the world where France borders the Netherlands. Before 2007, the French part of Saint Martin was a commune belonging to the French overseas department and region of
Guadeloupe Guadeloupe (; ; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Gwadloup, ) is an archipelago and overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Désirade, and the ...
. Despite seceding from Guadeloupe in 2007 and gaining more autonomy as an overseas collectivity of France, Saint Martin has remained an
outermost region The special territories of members of the European Economic Area (EEA) are the 32 special territories of EU member states and EFTA member states which, for historical, geographical, or political reasons, enjoy special status within or outside ...
of the European Union and is part of the eurozone. For statistical purposes, it is still included in the
NUTS Nut often refers to: * Nut (fruit), fruit composed of a hard shell and a seed, or a collective noun for dry and edible fruits or seeds * Nut (hardware), fastener used with a bolt Nut or Nuts may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Com ...
2 (FRY1) and NUTS 3 (FRY10) of Guadeloupe by
Eurostat Eurostat ('European Statistical Office'; DG ESTAT) is a Directorate-General of the European Commission located in the Kirchberg, Luxembourg, Kirchberg quarter of Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. Eurostat's main responsibilities are to provide statis ...
.


Etymology

The island was named by Christopher Columbus in honour of St Martin of Tours because he first sighted it on the saint's feast day on 11 November 1493.


History


Pre-colonial

Saint Martin was inhabited by Amerindian peoples for many centuries, with archaeological evidence pointing to a human presence on the island as early as 2000 BC. These people most likely migrated from South America. The earliest known people were the Arawak who settled there between 800 and 300 BC. Circa 1300-1400 AD, they began to be displaced by hostile groups of Carib people.


Arrival of Europeans

It is commonly believed that Christopher Columbus named the island in honor of Saint Martin of Tours when he encountered it on his second voyage of discovery. However, he actually applied the name to the island now called Nevis when he anchored offshore on 11 November 1493, the feast day of Saint Martin. The confusion of numerous poorly charted small islands in the
Leeward Islands french: Îles-Sous-le-Vent , image_name = , image_caption = ''Political'' Leeward Islands. Clockwise: Antigua and Barbuda, Guadeloupe, Saint kitts and Nevis. , image_alt = , locator_map = , location = Caribbean SeaNorth Atlantic Ocean , coor ...
meant that this name was accidentally transferred to the island now known as Saint-Martin/Sint Maarten. Nominally a Spanish territory, the island became the focus of the competing interest of the European powers, notably France and the United Provinces. Meanwhile, the Amerindian population began to decline precipitously, dying from diseases brought by the Europeans. In 1631, the Dutch built Fort Amsterdam on Saint Martin and the
Dutch West India Company The Dutch West India Company ( nl, Geoctrooieerde Westindische Compagnie, ''WIC'' or ''GWC''; ; en, Chartered West India Company) was a chartered company of Dutch merchants as well as foreign investors. Among its founders was Willem Usselincx ( ...
began mining salt there. Tensions between the Netherlands and Spain were already high due to the ongoing
Eighty Years' War The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt ( nl, Nederlandse Opstand) ( c.1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish government. The causes of the war included the Refo ...
, and in 1633 the Spanish captured St Martin and drove off the Dutch colonists. The Dutch, under
Peter Stuyvesant Peter Stuyvesant (; in Dutch also ''Pieter'' and ''Petrus'' Stuyvesant, ; 1610 – August 1672)Mooney, James E. "Stuyvesant, Peter" in p.1256 was a Dutch colonial officer who served as the last Dutch director-general of the colony of New Net ...
, attempted to regain control in 1644 but were unsuccessful. However, in 1648 the Eighty Years' War ended and the island lost its strategic and economic value to Spain. The Spanish abandoned it and the Dutch returned. The French also began settling, and rather than fight for control of the entire island the two powers agreed to divide it in two with the
Treaty of Concordia The Treaty of Concordia, or the Partition Treaty of 1648, was signed on March 23, 1648, between the Kingdom of France and the Dutch Republic and divided the island of Saint Martin. Signature The treaty was signed by the two governors of the islan ...
. The first governor of French Saint Martin was
Robert de Longvilliers Robert de Longvilliers de Poincy (or Lonvilliers; 1611 – 1 April 1666) was a French local governor of Saint Christophe and Saint Martin in the French Antilles. His uncle, Phillippe de Longvilliers de Poincy, was commander of the French colonie ...
. Various adjustments to the precise alignment of the border occurred, with the boundary settling at its current position by 1817.


18th–19th centuries

To work the new cotton, tobacco and sugar plantations the French and Dutch began importing large numbers of African slaves, who soon came to outnumber the Europeans. The French eventually abolished slavery in 1848, followed by the Dutch in 1863 (though after 1848, slavery had scarcely been enforceable as slaves could simply move from the Dutch to the French side of the island). Meanwhile, in 1763, Saint Martin was merged into France's
Guadeloupe Guadeloupe (; ; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Gwadloup, ) is an archipelago and overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Désirade, and the ...
colony.


20th–21st centuries

By the first decades of the 20th century Saint Martin's economy was in a poor state, prompting many to emigrate. Things improved during the Second World War as the Americans built an airstrip on the Dutch side of the island. In 1946 Saint Martin (along with Saint Barthélemy) was formally subsumed as an into the Guadeloupe . Tourism started expanding from the 1960s–70s onward, eventually becoming the dominant sector of Saint Martin's economy.
Hurricane Luis Hurricane Luis was a long lived and powerful Category 4 hurricane. It was the strongest hurricane to make landfall and the third-most intense hurricane recorded during the 1995 Atlantic hurricane season. The storm, along with Humberto, Iris, an ...
hit the island in 1995, causing immense destruction and resulting in 12 deaths. In 2007 Saint Martin was detached from Guadeloupe and became a territorial collectivity with its own Prefect and Territorial Council. In 2017 Saint Martin was again devastated by a hurricane, Irma, causing widespread destruction across the entire island.Dutch officials: Irma damaged or destroyed 70 percent of St. Maarten homes, leaving island vulnerable to Jose's approach. ''The Washington Post'' 9 September 2017

Accessed 9 September 2017


Geography

The Collectivity of Saint Martin occupies the northern half 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 ...
in the
Leeward Islands french: Îles-Sous-le-Vent , image_name = , image_caption = ''Political'' Leeward Islands. Clockwise: Antigua and Barbuda, Guadeloupe, Saint kitts and Nevis. , image_alt = , locator_map = , location = Caribbean SeaNorth Atlantic Ocean , coor ...
; the southern half forms the Dutch territory of Sint Maarten. To the north across the
Anguilla Channel The Anguilla Channel (french: Canal d'Anguilla) is a strait in the Caribbean Sea. It separates the island of Anguilla (a British Overseas Territory) in the north from the Collectivity of Saint Martin, an overseas collectivity of France on the is ...
lies the British Overseas Territory of Anguilla, to the south-east of the island lies the French island of Saint Barthélemy and further south are the Dutch islands of Saba (island), Saba and
Saint Eustatius Sint Eustatius (, ), also known locally as Statia (), is an island in the Caribbean. It is a Caribbean Netherlands, special municipality (officially "Public body (Netherlands), public body") of the Netherlands. The island lies in the northern ...
. Saint Martin's land area is The terrain is generally hilly, with the highest peak being Pic Paradis at , which is also the highest peak on the island as a whole. The Terres Basses region lying west of the capital Marigot, which contains the French half of the
Simpson Bay Lagoon Simpson Bay Lagoon (also spelt Simson Bay Lagoon, or referred to simply as The Great Pond) is one of the largest inland lagoons in the West Indies of the Caribbean. It is located on the island of Saint Martin. The border between the French and ...
, is flatter. There are a few small lakes on Saint Martin, such as Chevrise Pond, Great Pond and Red Pond. The land is part of the Leeward Islands xeric scrub ecoregion. Numerous small islands lie off the coast, most notably
Rock of the Cove Marcel Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
,
Creole Rock Creole Rock (in French, Rocher Créole) is a small island in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of the island of Saint Martin, and is administered as part of the French overseas collectivity of Saint Martin. It is part of the National nature reser ...
, Little Key,
Pinel Island Pinel is the surname of: * Raquel Pinel, Spanish football forward currently playing for Valencia CF in the Spanish league * Germain Pinel (c. 1600–1661), French lutenist and composer * François Pinel (c. 1624-18 May 1709), French lutenist and ...
,
Green Cay Green Cay is an uninhabited island of the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. It sits between the eastern tip of Little Jost Van Dyke and Tortola. It is in area. Environment The island, with its surrounding waters, has been designated a ...
Grand Islet Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor * Grand Mixer DXT, American turntablist * Grand Puba (born 1966), American rapper Places * Grand, Oklahoma * Grand, Vosges, village and comm ...
(within the Simpson Bay Lagoon) and the largest
Tintamarre Island ''Tintamarre'' is an Acadian tradition of marching through one's community making noise with improvised instruments and other noisemakers, usually in celebration of National Acadian Day. The term originates from the Acadian French word meaning ...
.


Hurricane Irma

Hurricane Irma hit Saint Martin on 6 September 2017; 95% of the structures on the French side were damaged or destroyed. Looting or "pillaging" was a problem initially; France subsequently sent 240 gendarmes to help control the situation. On 11 September President
Emmanuel Macron Emmanuel Macron (; born 21 December 1977) is a French politician who has served as President of France since 2017. ''Ex officio'', he is also one of the two Co-Princes of Andorra. Prior to his presidency, Macron served as Minister of Econ ...
visited St Martin to view the damage and to assure residents of support for relief efforts. At that time, only tourists and visitors from France (mainlanders) had been evacuated from St. Martin, leading to complaints by black and mixed-race residents that whites were being given priority. Macron pledged 50 million euros of aid for the French islands and said the rebuilding will be done quickly but very well. By March 2018 much of the territory's infrastructure was back up and running.


Politics and government

Saint Martin was for many years a French commune, forming part of
Guadeloupe Guadeloupe (; ; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Gwadloup, ) is an archipelago and overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Désirade, and the ...
, which is an overseas région and département of France. In 2003 the population of the French part of the island voted in favour of secession from Guadeloupe in order to form a separate overseas collectivity (COM) of France. On 9 February 2007, the French Parliament passed a bill granting COM status to both the French part of Saint Martin and (separately) the neighbouring Saint Barthélemy. The new status took effect on 15 July 2007, once the local assemblies were elected, with the second round of the vote ultimately occurring on 15 July 2007. Saint Martin remains part of the European Union. The new governance structure befitting an overseas collectivity took effect on 15 July 2007 with the first session of the Territorial Council (french: Conseil territorial). This is a unicameral body of 23 members, with elections held every five years. The first President of the Territorial Council was Louis-Constant Fleming, however on 25 July 2008 Fleming resigned after being sanctioned by the for one year over problems with his 2007 election campaign. On 7 August,
Frantz Gumbs Frantz Gumbs (born 21 January 1954) is a French Saint Martinois politician from La République En Marche! and Saint-Martinois Rally. He is Member of Parliament for Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin's 1st constituency after defeating Republican ...
was elected as President of the Territorial Council. However, his election was declared invalid on 10 April 2009 and Daniel Gibbs appointed as Acting President of the Territorial Council on 14 April 2009. Gumbs was re-elected on 5 May 2009. The Chief of State is the President of France (currently
Emmanuel Macron Emmanuel Macron (; born 21 December 1977) is a French politician who has served as President of France since 2017. ''Ex officio'', he is also one of the two Co-Princes of Andorra. Prior to his presidency, Macron served as Minister of Econ ...
), who is represented locally by a Prefect appointed by him/her on the advice of the
Minister of the Interior (France) Minister of the Interior (french: Ministre de l'Intérieur; ) is a prominent position in the Government of France. The position is equivalent to the interior minister in other countries, like the Home Secretary in the United Kingdom, the Minist ...
. The current Prefect is
Sylvie Feucher Sylvie Feucher (née Daniélo; born 26 February 1959 in Brest, France) is a French civil servant and was the Prefect of Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy from 2018 until 2020. In 2004 Feucher was Chief Commissioner of the National Police in ...
. Saint Martin elects one member to the French Senate, and one to the
French National Assembly The National Assembly (french: link=no, italics=set, Assemblée nationale; ) is the lower house of the bicameral French Parliament under the Fifth Republic, the upper house being the Senate (). The National Assembly's legislators are known a ...
( note that the latter post is shared with Saint Barthélemy). Before 2007, Saint Martin was coded as GP (Guadeloupe) in ISO 3166-1. In October 2007, it received the ISO 3166-1 code MF (alpha-2 code), MAF (alpha-3 code), and 663 (numeric code). There currently exists a movement in Saint Martin aiming for the unification of island of Saint Martin, which has its own flag.


Demographics

Saint Martin has a population of 32,489 (Jan. 2019 census), which means a population density of . At the Jan. 2017 French census the population was 35,334 (up from only 8,072 inhabitants at the 1982 census). The population decrease between January 2017 and January 2019 is due to Hurricane Irma which affected Saint Martin in early September 2017 and destroyed most of the territory's infrastructure. Most residents live on the coastal region in the towns of Marigot (the capital),
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, on the west coast of the island. Grand Case has a long sandy beach. It is well known for its many restaurants and be ...
and
Quartier-d'Orleans Quartier-d'Orleans (french: Quartier-d'Orléans) is a seaside village on the eastern coast of the island of Saint Martin, on the French side of the Antilles. Lower Prince's Quarter, the largest town on the Dutch side of the island is located 3.5 ...
. Most residents are of black or mixed Creole ancestry, with smaller numbers of Europeans and Indians.
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
is the official language of the territory. Other languages spoken include English, Dutch,
Papiamento Papiamento () or Papiamentu (; nl, Papiaments) is a Portuguese-based creole language spoken in the Dutch Caribbean. It is the most widely spoken language on the Caribbean ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao), with official status in Arub ...
and Spanish. A local English-based dialect is spoken in informal situations on both the French and Dutch sides of the island. The sizable Haitian community (7,000 in 2000) also use
Haitian Creole Haitian Creole (; ht, kreyòl ayisyen, links=no, ; french: créole haïtien, links=no, ), commonly referred to as simply ''Creole'', or ''Kreyòl'' in the Creole language, is a French-based creole language spoken by 10–12million people wor ...
.Klomp, Ank. "Saint Martin: Communal Identities on a Divided Caribbean Island." In: Niedermüller, Peter and Bjarne Stoklund (editors). ''
Journal of European Ethnology A journal, from the Old French ''journal'' (meaning "daily"), may refer to: *Bullet journal, a method of personal organization *Diary, a record of what happened over the course of a day or other period *Daybook, also known as a general journal, a ...
'' Volume 30:2, 2000: ''Borders and Borderlands: An Anthropological Perspective''. Museum Tusculanum Press, 2000. , 9788772896779. Start: p
73
CITED: p
80
The main religions are
Roman Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
,
Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The group reports a worldwide membership of approximately 8.7 million adherents involved in ...
, various Protestant denominations, Hinduism and
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
.


Education

The collectivity has the following public preschool, primary, and elementary schools:LISTE DES ÉCOLES PUBLIQUES ET PRIVÉES SOUS CONTRAT
" . Retrieved 10 March 2018.
* Preschools: Jean Anselme, Jérôme Beaupère, Elaine Clarke, Evelina Halley, Ghyslaine Rogers, Trott Simeone * Primary schools: Omer Arrondell, Émile Choisy, Nina Duverly, Elie Gibs, Aline Hanson, Émile Larmonnie, Marie-Amélie Ledee, Clair Saint-Maximin, Hervé Williams * M-Antoinette Richard There are three junior high schools () and one senior high school:Établissements du 2nd degré PUBLIC 2017-2018
" . Retrieved 10 March 2018.
* Junior highs: #1 , #2 , #3 *
Lycée Professionnel des Îles Nord In France, secondary education is in two stages: * ''Collèges'' () cater for the first four years of secondary education from the ages of 11 to 15. * ''Lycées'' () provide a three-year course of further secondary education for children between ...
(senior high/sixth-form) *
Cité Scolaire Robert Weinum Cité may refer to: Places * Cité (Paris Métro), the metro station on the ''Île de la Cité'' * Cité (Quebec), type of municipality in Quebec * Citadel, the historical centre of an old city, originally fortified * Housing estate, a group of ...
is a joint public junior-senior high school in Saint Martin


Religion

The majority of the inhabitants of the island of St. Martin profess Christianity, in the French part the Catholic Church is the majority. There are also other Christian groups and other religions.The French territory of St. Martin is part of the Diocese of Basse-Terre and Pointe-à-Pitre (in Latin, ''Dioecesis Imae Telluris'' and in
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
, ''Diocèse de Basse-Terre et Pointe-à-Pitre''), attached to the organization of the Catholic Church in France. The diocese includes the territories of
Guadeloupe Guadeloupe (; ; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Gwadloup, ) is an archipelago and overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Désirade, and the ...
,
St. Barthélemy ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy ...
and St. Martin. This diocese is part of the ecclesiastical province of Fort-de-France, in the ecclesiastical region of the Antilles, and has as neighbors to the northwest, the diocese of Saint John-Basseterre and to the southeast, the diocese of Roseau. About sixty priests are active in the diocese and serve several churches, among them the Church of Saint Martin de Tours (''Saint-Martin-de-Tours'') in Marigot, the Church of Mary Star of the Sea (''Église de Marie Etoile de la Me''r) in Grand Case and the Church of Saint Martin in Quartier d'Orléans (''Église de Saint-Martin''). The episcopal see is located in Basse-Terre, city of Guadeloupe, with the cathedral of Our Lady of Guadeloupe as the main or mother church, (''cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Guadeloupe'').


Economy

As a part of France, the official currency of Saint Martin is the euro, though the US dollar is also widely accepted. Tourism is the main economic activity – with over one million visitors annually some 85% of the population is employed in this sector. The other major sector is the financial services industry. Though limited, agriculture and fishing are also practiced, though these sectors are very small and most food is imported. INSEE estimated that the nominal GDP of Saint Martin amounted to 581.8 million euros in 2014 (US$771.9 million at 2014 exchanges rates; US$660.3 million at Feb. 2022 exchange rates). In that same year the
nominal GDP per capita The figures presented here do not take into account differences in the cost of living in different countries, and the results vary greatly from one year to another based on fluctuations in the exchange rates of the country's currency. Such flu ...
of Saint Martin was 16,572 euros (US$21,987 at 2014 exchanges rates; US$18,806 at Feb. 2022 exchange rates), which was only half the GDP per capita of metropolitan France in 2014, and 79% of Guadeloupe's GDP per capita. In comparison, the nominal GDP per capita on the Dutch side of the island, Sint Maarten, was US$33,536 in 2014. *


Newspapers

The following newspapers are published in Saint Martin: * Le Pelican * Faxinfo * SXMInfo.fr * Soualiga Post *
St. Martin's Week ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy an ...
*
St. Martin News Network ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy an ...
(also covers Sint Maarten)


Transport

Saint Martin has one airport,
Grand Case-Espérance Airport L'Espérance AirportSt-Martin.org (o ...
, which provides flights to
Guadeloupe Guadeloupe (; ; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Gwadloup, ) is an archipelago and overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Désirade, and the ...
, Martinique and Saint Barthélemy. For international tourists Saint Martin relies on Princess Juliana International Airport on the Dutch side of the island.


See also

*
Culture of Saint Martin Saint Martin (french: Saint-Martin; nl, Sint Maarten) is an island in the northeast Caribbean Sea, approximately east of Puerto Rico. The island is divided roughly 60:40 between the French Republic () and the Kingdom of the Netherlands (), bu ...
*
Economy of Saint Martin The economy of Saint Martin, divided between the French Collectivity of Saint Martin (north side) and the Dutch Sint Maarten (south side), is predominately dependent on tourism. For more than two centuries, the main commodity exports have generall ...
*
History of Saint Martin St. Martin's history shares many commonalities with other Caribbean islands. Its earliest inhabitants were Amerindians, followed by Europeans who brought slavery to exploit commercial interests. Early history Ancient relics date the island's f ...
*
List of divided islands This is a list of islands whose land is divided by one or more border, international borders. Sea islands Lake islands *''De facto'' between Russia (Crimea) (''Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, disputed'') and Ukraine **Syvas ...


References


External links


Official website of the Collectivity of Saint Martin

Official website of the Tourist Office of Saint Martin
* *
Saint Martin
'' The World Factbook''. Central Intelligence Agency. {{Coord, 18, 4, 31, N, 63, 3, 36, W, display=title Saint Martin (island) Saint Martin, Collectivity of Dependent territories in the Caribbean French Caribbean
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 ...
Outermost regions of the European Union French-speaking countries and territories Former dependencies of Guadeloupe States and territories established in 2007 2007 establishments in France 2007 establishments in North America