Map of Saint-Martin | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Although sighted by Christopher COLUMBUS 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 Saint Martin to the French and Dutch who divided it between themselves in 1648. Friction between the two sides caused the border to frequently fluctuate over the next two centuries with the French eventually holding the greater portion of the island (about 57%). 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. 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 Dutch portion of the island became an independent nation within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.


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Location: 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

Geographic coordinates: 18 05 N 63 57 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 54.4 km²
Rank: 230
Land: 54.4 km²
Water: NEGL
Comparative: more than one-third the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries
Total: 15 km
Border countries: (1) Sint Maarten 15 km

Coastline: 58.9 km (for entire island)

Maritime claims

Climate: temperature averages 80-85 degrees all year long; low humidity gentle trade winds brief intense rain showers; July-November is the hurricane season

Terrain

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Caribbean Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Pic du Paradis 424 m

Natural resources: salt

Land use

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: subject to hurricanes from July to November

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


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Population: 30,615 (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 214

Nationality

Ethnic groups: creole (mulatto) black Guadeloupe Mestizo (French-East Asia) white East Indian

Languages: French (official) English Dutch French Patois Spanish Papiamento (dialect of Netherlands Antilles)

Religions: Roman Catholic Jehovah's Witnesses Protestant Hindu

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 26.9%
15-64 years: 67.1% (male 9,807/female 10,737)
65 years and over: 6% (male 829/female 1017) (2011 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 31 years
Male: 29.9 years
Female: 31.8 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate

Birth rate

Death rate

Net migration rate

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: freshwater supply is dependent on desalinization of sea water

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.04 male/female
Under 15 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education: NA

Youth unemployment


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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

Government type

Capital
Name: Marigot
Geographical coordinates: 18 04 N 63 05 W
Time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions

Dependent areas

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: French civil law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY represented by Prefect Philippe CHOPIN (since 16 November 2011)
Head of government: President of the Territorial Council Frantz GUMBS (since 5 May 2009)
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 elected by the members of the Council for a five-year term
Election results: Frantz GUMBS elected president by the Territorial Council on 7 August 2008 but election was declared invalid on 10 April 2009

Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial Council (23 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held on 1 and 8 July 2007 (next to be held in 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
Note: Saint Martin elects one member to the French Senate; election last held on 21 September 2008 (next to be held in September 2014); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 1

Judicial branch

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)
From the us: none (overseas collectivity of France)

Flag description: the flag of France is used

National symbols: brown pelican

National anthem
Name: 'O Sweet Saint Martin's Land'
Lyricsmusic: Gerard KEMPS
Note: the song written in 1958 is used as an unofficial anthem for the entire island (both French and Dutch sides); as a collectivity of France in addition to the local anthem 'La Marseillaise' remains official on the French side (see France); as a constituent part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in addition to the local anthem 'Het Wilhelmus' remains official on the Dutch side (see Netherlands)

National heritage


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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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1%
Industry: 15%
Services: 84% (2000)

Agriculture products

Industries: tourism light industry and manufacturing heavy industry

Industrial production growth rate

Labor force
By occupation: 85% directly or indirectly employed in tourist industry

Unemployment rate

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports

Imports
Commodities: crude petroleum food manufactured items

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system
General assessment: fully integrated access
Domestic: direct dial capability with both fixed and wireless systems
International: country code - 590; undersea fiber-optic cable provides voice and data connectivity to Puerto Rico and Guadeloupe

Broadcast media: 1 local TV station; receives television broadcasts from the Netherlands Antilles; access to about 20 radio stations including RFO Guadeloupe radio broadcasts via repeater (2008)

Internet
Country code: .mf; note - .gp the Internet country code for Guadeloupe and .fr the Internet country code for France might also be encountered

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 1 (2010)
Rank: 231
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2010)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs