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 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; 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: 50 km²
Land: 50 km²
Water: negligible
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 (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
Highest point: Pic du Paradis 424 m
Lowest point: Caribbean Ocean 0 m

Natural resources: salt

Natural hazards: subject to hurricanes from July to November

Geography
Note 1: 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
Note 2: Simpson Bay Lagoon (aka as 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 by both of the island's entities 

Population
Distribution: most of the population is found along the coast, with a largest concentrations around the capital Marigot, Orleans, and Grand-Case: 32,897 (2023 est.)
Growth rate: 0.31% (2023 est.)

Ethnic groups: Creole (Mulatto), Black, Guadeloupe Mestizo (French-East Asian), White, East Indian, other

Languages: French (official), Dutch, English, Guadeloupian Creole, Haitian Creole, Italian, Martiniquan Creole, Papiamento (dialect of Netherlands Antilles), Spanish
Major-language samples:

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

Age structure
0-14 years: 24.9% (male 4,067/female 4,125)
15-64 years: 64.65% (male 10,205/female 11,063)
65 years and over: 10.45% (2023 est.) (male 1,484/female 1,953)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 49.1 N
Youth dependency ratio: 33.5
Elderly dependency ratio: 15.6
Potential support ratio: 6.4 (2021)

Median age
Total: 34 years (2023 est.)
Male: 33.2 years
Female: 34.8 years

Population growth rate: 0.31% (2023 est.)

Birth rate: 14 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate: 4.7 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate: -6.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

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 mainland 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 sedimentation 

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: 0.76 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 6.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Male: 7.7 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 5.4 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 80.8 years (2023 est.)
Male: 77.7 years
Female: 84 years

Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: NA

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 100% of population
Improved rural: NA
Improved total: 100% of population
Unimproved urban: 0% of population
Unimproved rural: NA
Unimproved total: 0% of population (2020)

Current health expenditure: NA

Physicians density: NA

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: NA

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy
Total population: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA

Country name
Conventional long form: Overseas Collectivity of Saint Martin
Conventional short form: Saint Martin
Local long form: Collectivite d'outre 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 saint's 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 France's 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 Vincent BERTON (since 28 March 2022)
Head of government: President of Territorial Council Louis MUSSINGTON (since 3 April 2022); First Vice President Alain RICHARDSON (since 3 April 2022)
Cabinet: Executive Council; note - there is also an advisory economic, social, and cultural council
Elections/appointments: 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 3 April 2022 (next to be held in 2,027)
Election results:

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 1 member (shared with Saint Barthelemy) to the French National Assembly
Elections: Territorial Council - first round held on 20 March and second round held on 27 March 2022 (next to be held in March 2,027)
Election results:

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: UPU

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (overseas collectivity of France)
From the us embassy: 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"
Lyrics/music: 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)

Economy overview: high-income French Caribbean territorial economy; extremely reliant on tourism, with severe COVID-19 impacts; near-total destruction from Hurricane Irma in 2017; some offshore banking; import-dependent; duty-free commerce; yachting destination

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

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

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 (2008 est.)

Exports
Partners: United States 35%, Netherlands 26%, Antigua and Barbuda 21%, France 10% (2019)
Commodities: gold, special use vessels, furniture, scrap aluminum, rum (2019)

Imports
Partners: United States 76%, Netherlands 7%, France 7% (2019)
Commodities: jewelry, diamonds, pearls, recreational boats, cars (2019)

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access electrification-total population: 100% (2021)

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

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: 19,284 (2022 est.)
Users percent of population: 48.5% (2022 est.)

Military and security forces: no armed forces; Saint Martin Police Force (Korps Politie Sint Marteen)

Airports: 1 (2021)
With paved runways: 1
With paved runways note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

Disputes international: none identified

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine, heroin, and marijuana destined for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands as well as Europe.