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

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Background: Christopher COLUMBUS claimed Saint-Martin for Spain in 1493, naming it after the feast day of St. Martin of Tours, but it was the Dutch who occupied the island in 1631 to exploit its salt deposits. The Spanish retook Saint-Martin in 1633, but the Dutch continued to assert their claims. The Spanish finally relinquished the island to the French and Dutch, who divided it between themselves in 1648. The border frequently fluctuated over the next 200 years because of friction between the two countries, with the French eventually holding the greater portion of the island (about 61%). The cultivation of sugarcane introduced African slavery to the island in the late 18th century; the practice was not abolished until 1848. The island became a free port in 1939, and 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 southern Dutch portion of the island became the independent nation of Sint Maarten within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In 2017, Hurricane Irma passed over the island of Saint-Martin, causing extensive damage to roads, communications, electrical power, and housing; the UN estimated that 90% of the buildings were damaged or destroyed.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area
Total: 50 km²
Land: 50 km²
Water: negligible
Comparative: more than one-third the size of Washington, D.C.

Land boundaries
Total: 16 km
Border countries (1): (1) Sint Maarten 16 km

Coastline: 58.9 km (for entire island)

Maritime claims

Climate: temperature averages 27-29 degrees Celsius all year long; low humidity, gentle trade winds, brief, intense rain showers; hurricane season stretches from July to November

Terrain

Elevation
Highest point: Pic du Paradis 424 m
Lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

Natural resources

Land use
Agricultural land: 0% (2022 est.)
Forest: 24.8% (2022 est.)
Other: 75.2% (2022 est.)

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 note 1: the southern border is shared with Sint Maarten, which is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; together, these two entities make up the smallest landmass in the world that is shared by two self-governing states
Note note 2: Simpson Bay Lagoon (aka Simson Bay Lagoon or The Great Pond) is one of the largest inland lagoons in the West Indies; the border between the French and Dutch halves of the island runs across the center of the lagoon, which is shared by both of the island's entities


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Population
Total: 32,996 (2024 est.)
Male: 15,791
Female: 17,205
Distribution: most of the population is found along the coast, with the largest concentration around the capital of Marigot, as well as Orleans and Grand-Case
Growth rate: 0.3% (2024 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic groups

Languages: French (official), Dutch, English, Guadeloupian Creole, Haitian Creole, Italian, Martiniquan Creole, Papiamento (dialect of Netherlands Antilles), Spanish
Major-language sample(s): ; The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French); The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions: Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Protestant, Hindu

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 24.7% (male 4,039/female 4,100)
15-64 years: 64.5% (male 10,216/female 11,068)
65 years and over: 10.8% (2024 est.) (male 1,536/female 2,037)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 55 (2024 est.) N
Youth dependency ratio: 38.2 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 16.8 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 6 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 34.2 years (2024 est.)
Male: 33.4 years
Female: 34.9 years

Population growth rate: 0.3% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 13.9 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 4.8 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Net migration rate

Population distribution: most of the population is found along the coast, with the largest concentration around the capital of Marigot, as well as Orleans and Grand-Case

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 6.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 7.6 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 5.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 81 years (2024 est.)
Male: 78 years
Female: 84.2 years

Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source
Total: 100% of population
Urban: 0% of population

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type

Capital
Name: Marigot
Geographic coordinates: 18 04 N, 63 05 W
Time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: the name is taken from the French word marigot, meaning 'backwater' or 'swampy area;' it probably comes from the original fishing village's location next to a water-logged area on a lagoon

Administrative divisions

Dependent areas

Independence

National holiday

Constitution

Legal system: French civil law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017); represented by Prefect Cyrille LE VELY (since 10 February 2025)
Head of government: President of Territorial Council Louis MUSSINGTON (since 3 April 2022)
Cabinet: Executive Council, as well as an advisory economic, social, and cultural council
Election/appointment process: French president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prefect appointed by French president on the advice of French Ministry of Interior; president of Territorial Council elected by its members for a 5-year term
Most recent election date: 3 April 2022
2022: Louis MUSSINGTON (RSM) elected president; Territorial Council vote - unanimous
2017: Daniel Gibbs (UD) elected president; Territorial Council vote - 18 of 23 votes
Expected date of next election: 2,027

Legislative branch
Legislature name: Territorial Council
Legislative structure: unicameral
Number of seats: 23 (directly elected)
Electoral system: plurality/majority
Scope of elections: full renewal
Term in office: 5 years
Most recent election date: 3/27/2022
Parties elected and seats per party: RSM and Alternative (16); UD (5); HOPE, Saint-Martin with You, and Future Saint-Martin (2)
Percentage of women in chamber: 43.5%
Expected date of next election: March 2,027
Note: 1 senator is indirectly elected to the French Senate by an electoral college for a 6-year term, and 1 deputy (shared with Saint-Barthélemy) is directly elected to the French National Assembly for a 5-year term

Judicial branch

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation

Diplomatic representation

Flag description

National symbols

National anthem
Title: 'La Marseillaise' (The Song of Marseille)
Lyrics/music: Claude-Joseph ROUGET de Lisle
History: official anthem, as a French collectivity

National heritage


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Economy overview

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 4.9% (2021 est.); -12.5% (2020 est.); 6.5% (2019 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: 4.9% (2021 est.); -12.5% (2020 est.); 6.5% (2019 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products

Industries: tourism, light industry and manufacturing, heavy industry

Industrial production growth rate

Labor force

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
Commodities: gold, special use vessels, furniture, scrap aluminum, rum (2019); top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports
Commodities: jewelry, diamonds, pearls, recreational boats, cars (2019)

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
Access electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 68,840 (2012 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 196 (2012 est.)

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet
Users percent of population: 48.5% (2022 est.)

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 (2025)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs