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.

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 0% (2022 est.)
Forest: 10.9% (2022 est.)
Other: 89.1% (2022 est.)

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

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.)

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.)

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.)

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)

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.)

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.)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Industries: tourism, light industry

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

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

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

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

Internet
Users percent of population: 89.5% (2022)

Airports: 1 (2025)