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

Area
Rank: 231
Comparative: more than one-third the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries

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

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: 30,959 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 216

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

Dependency ratios

Median age

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

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

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type

Capital

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

Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial Council (23 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

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]; Saint-Martin pour tous; Team Daniel Gibbs

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

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 products

Industries

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

Broadcast media: 1 local TV station; 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 (2012)
Rank: 236

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs