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Saint Martin -
Flag of Sint MaartenSaint Martin is a tropical
island in the northeast Caribbean, approximately
150 miles east of Puerto Rico. The 88 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 (with the
possible exception of a small island in Boundary
Lake, between the U.S. and Canada). 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 NT (Netherlands Antilles). |
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Saint Martin
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 2002
supplementary French census, the population in
the French part of the island was 31,349
inhabitants (up from only 8,072 inhabitants at
the 1982 census, a quadrupling in just 20
years), which means a population density of 589
inh. per km² in 2002.
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 of Saint-Martin/Sint Maarten
In 1493, Christopher Columbus, the Genoese sea
captain financed by Spanish royalty, 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-MartinWhen
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.
As the Spanish conquered each island, they
rounded up its "Indians" and put them to work.
By 1550, a few Arawaks remained on Cuba and
Trinidad. 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.
Characteristics and tourist information
Simpson Bay, Sint MaartenSint 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 sexy daylife of 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
the 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/60-70 ft over
relaxing tourists at the beach have been
dismissed as photoshopped many times, but are
nevertheless real [1].
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 sideRental cars are the primary mode of
transportation for visitors staying on island.
The island is served by several well-known
agencies. It is common and recommended to
reserve a rental car over the Internet through a
discount Caribbean specialist, well in advance
of arrival. If any driving is expected off the
major roads (such as to some of the more
secluded beaches), a 4-wheel drive is
recommended.
The island occasionally is menaced by hurricane
activity, especially in the late summer and
early fall and tourism is usually down
dramatically during this time. Many shops,
restaurants, and other local businesses close
completely during hurricane season.
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 Barths
(French, formerly Swedish), 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.
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The Netherlands Antilles (Dutch:
Nederlandse Antillen), previously known as the
Netherlands West Indies, are part of the Lesser
Antilles and consist of two groups of islands in
the Caribbean Sea that form an autonomous part
of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (none of the
other Antilles use this term in their name). The
islands' economy is dependent mostly upon
tourism and petroleum.
History
Main articles: History of the Netherlands
Antilles,
Both the lewards(Alonso de Ojeda, 1499) and
Windward (Christopher Columbus, 1493) island
groups were discovered and initially settled by
the Spanish. In the 17th century, the islands
were conquered by the Dutch West India Company
and were used as bases for slave trade. Only in
1863 was slavery abolished.
In 1954, the islands were promoted from colony
to a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The
island of Aruba was part of the Netherlands
Antilles until 1986, when it was granted a
"status apart", and became a separate part of
the kingdom. Some of the other islands have
indicated that they wish to obtain the same
status, but no agreements on this have yet been
reached. Other options sometimes considered are
independence or together becoming a province of
the Netherlands. (see: Dutch colonial empire)
Future status
Beatrix
Queen of the NetherlandsIn 2004 a commission of
the governments of the Netherlands Antilles and
the Netherlands reported on a future status for
the Netherlands Antilles. The commission advised
to revise the Statute of the Kingdom of the
Netherlands in order to dissolve the Netherlands
Antilles. Two new countries inside the Kingdom
of the Netherlands would be formed, Curaçao and
Sint Maarten. Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius
would become directly part of the Netherlands as
Kingdom Islands. On November 28, 2005, an
agreement was signed between the Dutch
government and the governments of each island
that would put into effect the commission's
findings by July 2007. [1]
Islands
Main articles: Islands of the Netherlands
Antilles,
The Netherland Antilles have no major
administrative divisions, although each island
has its own local government.
The two island groups of which the Netherlands
Antilles consists are:
the "Leeward Islands" (Benedenwindse Eilanden)
off the Venezuelan coast (with also Aruba
nearby):
Bonaire, including an islet called Klein Bonaire
("Little Bonaire")
Curaçao, including an islet called Klein Curaçao
("Little Curaçao")
the "Windward Islands" (Bovenwindse Eilanden)
east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
These are part of what are in English called the
Leeward Islands, but in e.g. French, Spanish,
German, Dutch and the English spoken locally
these are considered part of the Windward
Islands.
Saba
Sint Eustatius
Sint Maarten, the southern half of the island
Saint Martin (the northern half, Saint-Martin,
is French and part of the overseas department of
Guadeloupe). |
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Background:
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Guadeloupe has been a French possession since 1635.
The island of Saint Martin is shared with the
Netherlands; its southern portion is named Sint
Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles and
its northern portion is named Saint-Martin and is
part of Guadeloupe |
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Location:
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Caribbean, islands in the eastern Caribbean Sea,
southeast of Puerto Rico |
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Geographic coordinates:
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16 15 N, 61 35 W
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Map references:
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Central America and the Caribbean |
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Area:
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total: 1,780 sq km
note: Guadeloupe is an archipelago of nine
inhabited islands, including Basse-Terre,
Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Desirade, Iles des
Saintes (2), Saint-Barthelemy, Iles de la Petite
Terre, and Saint-Martin (French part of the island
of Saint Martin)
water: 74 sq km
land: 1,706 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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10 times the size of Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 10.2 km
border countries: Netherlands Antilles (Sint
Maarten) 10.2 km |
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Climate:
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subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high
humidity |
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Terrain:
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Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior
mountains; Grande-Terre is low limestone formation;
most of the seven other islands are volcanic in
origin |
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Geography - note:
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a narrow channel, the Riviere Salee, divides
Guadeloupe proper into two islands: the larger,
western Basse-Terre and the smaller, eastern
Grande-Terre |
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Nationality:
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noun: Guadeloupian(s)
adjective: Guadeloupe |
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Ethnic groups:
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black or mulatto 90%, white 5%, East Indian,
Lebanese, Chinese less than 5% |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 4%,
Protestant 1% |
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Languages:
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French (official) 99%, Creole patois |
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Currency:
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euro (EUR); French franc (FRF) |
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Currency code:
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EUR; FRF |
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Exchange rates:
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Euros per US dollar - 1.1324 (January 2002), 1.1175
(2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs
per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997) |
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