Overview of Sint Maarten

Profile

Sint Maarten is located in the Leeward Islands of the Caribbean and, despite its compact area of 34 km², is a popular tourist destination attracting over 1 million visitors annually. Centered on the capital Philipsburg, duty-free shopping streets, cruise ports, and casinos line up, surrounded by white sandy beaches and emerald seas. It is a multicultural society where English is widely used, and the unique history of Dutch and French coexistence on one island has shaped today's tolerant and cheerful national character. The main industries are tourism and services, with the US dollar as the de facto circulating currency. The climate is warm year-round, but July to November is hurricane season.

Official name: Sint Maarten
Common name: Sint Maarten
Numeric code: 534
Alpha-3 code: SXM
Alpha-2 code: SX
Population: 43,000 (2023)
Population density: approximately 1,300 persons/km²
Primary languages: Dutch, English
Major religions: Protestantism, Catholicism
National anthem: O Sweet Saint Martin's Land
Calling code: +1-721
Internet TLD: .sx

History

The 1648 Treaty of Concordia divided the island between France and the Netherlands, and in October 2010, it transitioned to an autonomous nation as a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands following the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles.

After Columbus named it in 1493, France and the Netherlands fiercely competed over salt trade in the 17th century, with the 1648 treaty establishing peaceful division. Ownership changed hands several times thereafter, but the current border was fixed by the 1815 Treaty of Paris. The plantation economy declined after 19th-century slave emancipation, and tourism developed following the 1939 declaration of a duty-free port and airport expansion in the 1950s. As momentum for strengthening autonomy grew in the 2000s, the Netherlands Antilles dissolved in 2010, and "constituent country Sint Maarten" gained complete internal autonomy.

Geography & climate

Volcanic terrain with intricate hills and coves where coastal sandbars form lagoons, and mangrove wetlands and coral reefs support a rich ecosystem.

oceanic tropical savanna climate

Area: North America (Caribbean Sea) / 34 km²
Capital: Philipsburg
Largest city: Lower Prince's Quarter
Coastal status: Yes
Major lakes: Great Salt Pond, Simpson Bay Lagoon
Bordering countries: Saint Martin (French part)

Natural resources

sea salt, coastal fishing grounds, coral reefs, mangroves, trade winds (wind power resources), solar power, limestone, beautiful beach sand, guavaberry trees, tourism resources

Politics

Government: Parliamentary democracy under constitutional monarchy (constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

Economy

Currency: Netherlands Antillean Guilder (ANG)

GDP (nominal): 10.0 hundred million US dollars (2022)

GDP (PPP): 17.0 hundred million international dollars (2022)

Language & timezone

Primary languages: Dutch, English

Time zone: Atlantic Standard Time (AST)

Culture & customs

Ethnic groups

Afro-Caribbean, Creole, Dutch, French, Indian, Chinese, South American, Lebanese, Syrian

Life expectancy

78.9 years

Literacy rate

96.5%

National sports

soccer, cricket, yacht sailing, beach volleyball, basketball