Map of Sint Maarten | 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 Dutch eventually holding the smaller portion of the island (about 39%) and adopting the Dutch spelling of the island's name for their territory. The establishment of cotton, tobacco, and sugar plantations dramatically expanded African slavery on the island in the 18th and 19th centuries; the practice was not abolished in the Dutch half until 1863. The island's economy declined until 1939 when it became a free port; the tourism industry was dramatically expanded beginning in the 1950s. In 1954, Sint Maarten and several other Dutch Caribbean possessions became part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands as the Netherlands Antilles. In a 2000 referendum, the citizens of Sint Maarten voted to become a self-governing country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, effective in 2010. In 2017, Hurricane Irma hit Saint-Martin/Sint Maarten, 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: 34 km²
Land: 34 km²
Water: 0 km²
Note: Dutch part of the island of Saint-Martin
Comparative: one-fifth the size of Washington, D.C.

Land boundaries
Total: 16 km
Border countries (1): (0) Saint-Martin (France) 16 km

Coastline: 58.9 km (for entire island)

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate: tropical marine climate, ameliorated by northeast trade winds, results in moderate temperatures; average rainfall of 150 cm/year; hurricane season stretches from July to November

Terrain: low, hilly terrain, volcanic origin

Elevation
Highest point: 250 m SW of Mount Flagstaff summit, 383 m
Lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

Natural resources

Land use
Agricultural land: 0% (2022 est.)
Forest: 10.9% (2022 est.)
Other: 89.1% (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 northern border is shared with the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Martin; 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 of Saint-Martin runs across the center of the lagoon, which is shared


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Population
Total: 46,215 (2024 est.)
Male: 22,817
Female: 23,398
Distribution: the most populous areas are Lower Prince's Quarter (north of Philipsburg) and Cul de Sac
Growth rate: 1.15% (2024 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic groups

Languages: English (official) 67.5%, Spanish 12.9%, Creole 8.2%, Dutch (official) 4.2%, Papiamento (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect) 2.2%, French 1.5%, other 3.5% (2001 est.)

Religions: Protestant 41.9% (Pentecostal 14.7%, Methodist 10.0%, Seventh Day Adventist 6.6%, Baptist 4.7%, Anglican 3.1%, other Protestant 2.8%), Roman Catholic 33.1%, Hindu 5.2%, Christian 4.1%, Jehovah's Witness 1.7%, Evangelical 1.4%, Muslim/Jewish 1.1%, other 1.3% (includes Buddhist, Sikh, Rastafarian), none 7.9%, no response 2.4% (2011 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 18.4% (male 4,409/female 4,114)
15-64 years: 66.3% (male 15,158/female 15,496)
65 years and over: 15.2% (2024 est.) (male 3,250/female 3,788)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 50.8 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 27.8 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 23 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 4.4 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 41 years (2024 est.)
Male: 39 years
Female: 42.8 years

Population growth rate: 1.15% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 12.2 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 6.4 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Net migration rate

Population distribution: the most populous areas are Lower Prince's Quarter (north of Philipsburg) and Cul de Sac

Urbanization
Urban population: 100% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.16% annual rate of change (2020-25 est. est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 1,327 PHILIPSBURG (capital) (2011)

Environment

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 7.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 8.4 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 6.8 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 79.7 years (2024 est.)
Male: 77.4 years
Female: 82.2 years

Total fertility rate: 1.97 children born/woman (2024 est.)

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

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type

Capital
Name: Philipsburg
Geographic coordinates: 18 1 N, 63 2 W
Time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: founded and named in 1763 by John PHILIPS, a Scottish captain in the Dutch navy

Administrative divisions

Dependent areas

Independence

National holiday

Constitution

Legal system: based on Dutch civil law system with some English common law influence

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage

Executive branch
Chief of state: King WILLEM-ALEXANDER of the Netherlands (since 30 April 2013); represented by Governor Ajamu G. BALY (since 10 October 2022)
Head of government: Prime Minister Luc MERCELINA (since 3 May 2024)
Cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the prime minister and appointed by the governor
Election/appointment process: the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch for a 6-year term; following legislative elections, the Parliament usually elects the leader of the majority party as prime minister

Legislative branch
Legislature name: Parliament of Sint Maarten
Legislative structure: unicameral
Number of seats: 15 (directly elected)
Electoral system: proportional representation
Scope of elections: full renewal
Term in office: 4 years
Most recent election date: 1/11/2024
Parties elected and seats per party: NA (4); UPP (3); URSM (2); DP (2); PFP (2); NOW (2)
Percentage of women in chamber: 46.7%
Expected date of next election: 2,028

Judicial branch

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and blue, with a white isosceles triangle based on the left side; the national coat of arms is in the center of the triangle, with an orange-bordered blue shield that displays the white courthouse in Philipsburg, as well as yellow sage (the national flower) in the upper left and the silhouette of a Dutch-French friendship monument in the upper right; over the shield is a yellow rising sun and a brown pelican in flight; a yellow scroll below the shield has the motto SEMPER PROGREDIENS (Always Progressing)

National symbols

National anthem
Title: “Het Wilhelmus” (The William)
Lyrics/music: Philips VAN MARNIX van Sint Aldegonde (presumed)/unknown
History: adopted 1932

National heritage


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Economy overview

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 3.5% (2024 est.); 3.8% (2023 est.); 9.8% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: 3.5% (2024 est.); 3.8% (2023 est.); 9.8% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 6% (2021 est.)
Services: 89.3% (2021 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Agriculture products

Industries: tourism, light industry

Industrial production growth rate: 0.5% (2021 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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: $1.504 billion (2023 est.); $1.375 billion (2022 est.); $790.938 million (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: scrap iron, ships, jewelry, flavored water, liquor (2023)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $1.489 billion (2023 est.); $1.32 billion (2022 est.); $1.003 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: jewelry, refined petroleum, ships, pearl products, diamonds (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

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: 89.5% (2022)

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