Background: Although sighted by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 and claimed for Spain, it was the Dutch who occupied the island in 1631 to exploit 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 61%). The cultivation of sugar cane 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; 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. On 6 September 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.

Geographic coordinates: 18 05 N, 63 57 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 54 km²
Land: 54.4 km²
Rank: 230
Comparative: more than one-third the size of Washington, DC

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

Coastline: 58.9 km
Note: (for entire island)

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

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

Natural resources: salt

Natural hazards: subject to hurricanes from July to November

Geography
Note: the southern border is shared with Sint Maarten, a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; together, these two entities make up the smallest landmass in the world shared by two self-governing states

Population
Distribution: most of the population is found along the coast, with a largest concentrations around the capital Marigot, Orleans, and Grand-Case: 32,556 (July 2020 est.)
Rank: 216
Growth rate: 0.4% (2020 est.)
Growth rate rank: 159

Ethnic groups: other 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 Witness, Protestant, Hindu

Age structure
0-14 years: 25.63% (male 4,148/female 4,197)
15-24 years: 10.28% (male 1647/female 1701)
25-54 years: 46.2% (male 7,201/female 7,841)
55-64 years: 8.71% (male 1328/female 1508)
65 years and over: 9.17% (male 1305/female 1680) (2020 est.)

Median age
Total: 33.3 years
Male: 32.5 years
Female: 34.1 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 100

Population growth rate: 0.4% (2020 est.)
Rank: 159

Birth rate: 14.3 births/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 130

Death rate: 4.6 deaths/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 205

Net migration rate: -6 migrant(s)/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 204

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

Environment
Current issues: excessive population pressure (increasing settlement); waste management; salinity intrusions into the main land of the island; fresh water supply is dependent on desalination of sea water; over exploitation of marine resources (reef fisheries, coral and shell); indiscriminate anchoring of boats damages coral reefs,causing underwater pollution and changes the sediment dynamics of Saint Martin's Island

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.88 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 5.6 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 6.4 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 4.8 deaths/1000 live births (2020 est.)
Rank: 169

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 80.2 years
Male: 77 years
Female: 83.4 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 47

Total fertility rate: 1.81 children born/woman (2020 est.)
Rank: 149

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate note: NA
People living with hivaids note: NA

Education expenditures
Note: NA

Country name
Conventional long form: Overseas Collectivity of Saint Martin
Conventional short form: Saint Martin
Local long form: Collectivite doutre mer de Saint-Martin
Local short form: Saint-Martin
Etymology: explorer Christopher COLUMBUS named the island after Saint MARTIN of Tours because the 11 November 1493 day of discovery was the saints feast day

Government type: parliamentary democracy (Territorial Council); overseas collectivity of France

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: marigot is a French term referring to a body of water, a watercourse, a side-stream, or a tributary rivulet; the name likely refers to a stream at the site of the city's original founding

Independence: none (overseas collectivity of France)

National holiday: Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1790); note - local holiday is Schoelcher Day (Slavery Abolition Day) 12 July (1848), as well as St. Martin's Day, 11 November (1985), which commemorates the discovery of the island by COLUMBUS on Saint Martin's Day, 11 November 1493; the latter holiday celebrated on both halves of the island

Constitution
History: 4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
Amendments: amendment procedures of Frances constitution apply

Legal system: French civil law

Citizenship: see France

Suffrage: 18 years of age, universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017); represented by Prefect Serge GOUTEYRON (since 25 November 2020)
Head of government: President of Territorial Council Daniel GIBBS (since 2 April 2017); First Vice President Valerie DAMASEAU (since 2 April 2017)
Cabinet: Executive Council; note - there is also an advisory economic, social, and cultural council
Electionsappointments: 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; election last held on 26 March 2017
Election results: Daniel GIBBS (TDG) elected president; Territorial Council vote - 18 votes, 4 blank, 1 invalid

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral Territorial Council (23 seats; members directly elected by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed to serve 5-year terms); Saint Martin elects 1 member to the French Senate and one member (shared with Saint Barthelemy) to the French National Assembly
Elections: Territorial Council - last held on 18 and 25 March 2017 (next to be held in March 2022)
Election results: Territorial Council - percent of vote by party (first round) - TDG 49.1%, MJP 13.7%, MVP 12.3%, HOPE 8.7%, Continuons pour Saint-Martin 6.5%, other 9.7%; seats by party - NA; percent of vote by party (second round) - TDG 64.3%, MJP 24.2%, MVP 11.5.5%; seats by party - TDG 18, MJP 4, MVP 1; composition - men 13, women 10, percent of women 43.5%: French Senate - held on 28 September 2014 (next to be held not later than September 2020) French National Assembly - last held on 11 and 18 June 2017 (next to be held by June 2022) French Senate - 1 seat: UMP 1 French National Assembly - 1 seat: UMP 1

Political parties and leaders: Continuons pour St. Martin [Aline HANSON]En marche vers le progres or MVP [Alain RICHARDSON]Gereration Hope or HOPE [Jules CHARVILLE]Movement for Justice and Prosperity or MJP [Louis MUSSINGTON]New Direction [Jeanne VANTERPOOL]Rally Responsibility Success (Rassemblement Responsabilite Reussite or RRR [Alain RICHARDSON]Team Daniel Gibbs 2017 or TDG [Daniel GIBBS]Union for Progress (Union Pour le Progres or UPP) [Louis-Constant FLEMING]; affiliated with UMP

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 Martins 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)

Real gdp purchasing power parity
Real: $561.5 million (2005 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $19,300 (2005 est.)
Rank: 74

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

Industries: tourism, light industry and manufacturing, heavy industry

Labor force: 17,300
Note: (2008 est.)
Rank: 213
By occupation: 85 directly or indirectly employed in tourist industry

Imports
Commodities: crude petroleum, food, manufactured items

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2020)

Broadcast media: 1 local TV station; access to about 20 radio stations, including RFO Guadeloupe radio broadcasts via repeater

Internet
Country code: .mf; note - .gp, the Internet country code for Guadeloupe, and .fr, the Internet country code for France, might also be encountered
Users total: 1100
Users percent of population: 3.5% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 224

Airports: 1 (2013)
Rank: 234
With paved runways total: 1 (2019)
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1