2020 Edition

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 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, and 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. In 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.

Area

land

50 sq km

total

50 sq km

water

negligible

Area - comparative

more than one-third the size of Washington, D.C.

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

Coastline

58.9 km (for entire island)

Elevation

highest point

Pic du Paradis 424 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

Geographic coordinates

18 05 N, 63 57 W

Geography - note

note 1: the southern border is shared with Sint Maarten, which is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; together, these two entities make up the smallest landmass in the world that is shared by two self-governing states 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 runs across the center of the lagoon, which is shared by both of the island's entities

Land boundaries

border countries

Sint Maarten 16 km

total

16 km

Land use

agricultural land

0% (2022 est.)

forest

24.8% (2022 est.)

other

75.2% (2022 est.)

Location

Caribbean, located in the Leeward Islands (northern) group; French part of the island of Saint Martin in the Caribbean Sea; Saint Martin lies east of the US Virgin Islands

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Natural hazards

subject to hurricanes from July to November

Natural resources

salt

Population distribution

most of the population is found along the coast, with the largest concentration around the capital of Marigot, as well as Orleans and Grand-Case

Age structure

0-14 years

24.7% (male 4,039/female 4,100)

15-64 years

64.5% (male 10,216/female 11,068)

65 years and over

10.8% (2024 est.) (male 1,536/female 2,037)

Birth rate

13.78 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

4.83 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

17.4 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

5.7 (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio

55.4 (2025 est.) N

youth dependency ratio

38 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: total

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

3.9% of GDP (2023 est.) NA

Education expenditure (% national budget)

23% national budget (2023 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Gross reproduction rate

0.88 (2025 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

5.3 deaths/1,000 live births

male

7.6 deaths/1,000 live births

total

6.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

Languages

French (official), Dutch, English, Guadeloupian Creole, Haitian Creole, Italian, Martiniquan Creole, Papiamento (dialect of Netherlands Antilles), Spanish

major-language sample(s)

The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

84.2 years

male

78 years

total population

81 years (2024 est.)

Median age

female

34.9 years

male

33.4 years

total

34.3 years (2025 est.)

Net migration rate

-6.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Population

female

17,268

male

15,825

total

33,093 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

0.29% (2025 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Protestant, Hindu

Sanitation facility access

improved: total

total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

0.99 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.92 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.75 male(s)/female

at birth

1.04 male(s)/female

total population

0.92 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.8 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Capital

etymology

the name is taken from the French word marigot, meaning "backwater" or "swampy area;" it probably comes from the original fishing village's location next to a water-logged area on a lagoon

geographic coordinates

18 04 N, 63 05 W

name

Marigot

time difference

UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

see France

Constitution

amendment process

amendment procedures of France's constitution apply

history

4 October 1958 (French Constitution)

Country name

conventional long form

Overseas Collectivity of Saint Martin

conventional short form

Saint Martin

etymology

explorer Christopher COLUMBUS named the island after Saint MARTIN of Tours during a visit on 11 November 1493, the saint's feast day

local long form

Collectivité d'outre mer de Saint-Martin

local short form

Saint-Martin

Dependency status

overseas collectivity of France

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy

none (overseas collectivity of France)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas collectivity of France)

Executive branch

cabinet

Executive Council, as well as an advisory economic, social, and cultural council

chief of state

President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017); represented by Prefect Cyrille LE VELY (since 10 February 2025)

election results

2022: Louis MUSSINGTON (RSM) elected president; Territorial Council vote - unanimous 2017: Daniel Gibbs (UD) elected president; Territorial Council vote - 18 of 23 votes

election/appointment process

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

expected date of next election

2027

head of government

President of Territorial Council Louis MUSSINGTON (since 3 April 2022)

most recent election date

3 April 2022

Flag

the flag of France is used

Government type

parliamentary democracy (Territorial Council); overseas collectivity of France

Independence

none (overseas collectivity of France)

International organization participation

ACS (associate), UPU

Legal system

French civil law

Legislative branch

electoral system

plurality/majority

expected date of next election

March 2027

legislative structure

unicameral

legislature name

Territorial Council

most recent election date

3/27/2022

number of seats

23 (directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

RSM and Alternative (16); UD (5); HOPE, Saint Martin with You, and Future Saint Martin (2)

percentage of women in chamber

43.5%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

National anthem(s)

history

official anthem, as a French collectivity

lyrics/music

Claude-Joseph ROUGET de Lisle

title

"La Marseillaise" (The Song of Marseille)

National holiday

Fête de la Fédération, 14 July (1790)

National symbol(s)

brown pelican

Political parties

Alternative Future Saint Martin (Avenir Saint Martin) Generation Hope or HOPE Rassemblement Saint-Martinois or RSM (formerly Movement for Justice and Prosperity or MJP) Saint Martin with You Union for Democracy or UD

Suffrage

18 years of age, universal

Economic 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

Exchange rates

Currency

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

0.876 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.845 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

0.95 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

0.925 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

0.924 (2024 est.)

Exports - commodities

gold, special use vessels, furniture, scrap aluminum, rum (2019)

Exports - partners

United States 35%, Netherlands 26%, Antigua and Barbuda 21%, France 10% (2019)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$649.206 million (2021 est.)

Imports - commodities

jewelry, diamonds, pearls, recreational boats, cars (2019)

Imports - partners

United States 76%, Netherlands 7%, France 7% (2019)

Industries

tourism, light industry and manufacturing, heavy industry

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

6.5% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-12.5% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

4.9% (2021 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Broadcast media

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

Internet country code

.mf

Internet users

percent of population

48.5% (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

196 (2012 est.)

total subscriptions

68,840 (2012 est.)

Airports

1 (2025)

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of France

Military and security forces

no regular military forces; Ministry of Justice: Police Force of Sint Maaten (Korps Politie Sint Marteen, KPSM) (2025)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees

156 (2024 est.)

Environmental issues

waste management; salinity intrusions; limited freshwater resources; over-exploitation of marine resources (reef fisheries, coral, and shell); water pollution and damage to coral reefs from boats

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

15,500 tons (2024 est.)