2024 Edition Primary

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, DC

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 Ocean 0 m

Geographic coordinates

18 05 N, 63 57 W

Geography - note

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 statesnote 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 

Land boundaries

border countries

Sint Maarten 16 km

total

16 km

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 a largest concentrations around the capital Marigot, 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

13.9 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

NA

Death rate

4.8 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

15.6

potential support ratio

6.4 (2021)

total dependency ratio

49.1 N

youth dependency ratio

33.5

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

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

Gross reproduction rate

0.88 (2024 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

5.3 deaths/1,000 live births

male

7.6 deaths/1,000 live births

total

6.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 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.)

Literacy

female

NA

male

NA

total population

NA

Median age

female

34.9 years

male

33.4 years

total

34.2 years (2024 est.)

Net migration rate

-6.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Physician density

NA

Population

female

17,205 (2024 est.)

male

15,791

total

32,996

Population distribution

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

Population growth rate

0.3% (2024 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Protestant, Hindu

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

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 (2024 est.)

Capital

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

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

amendments

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 because the 11 November 1493 day of discovery was 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

note

note: the only French overseas collectivity that is part of the EU

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; note - there is also an advisory economic, social, and cultural council

chief of state

President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017); represented by Prefect Vincent BERTON (since 28 March 2022)

election results

2022: Louis MUSSINGTON (RSM) elected president; Territorial Council vote - unanimous2017: Daniel Gibbs (UD) elected president; Territorial Council vote - 18 of 23 votes

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 2027)

head of government

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

Flag description

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

description

unicameral Territorial Council (23 seats; members directly elected by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed to serve 5-year terms)

election results

Territorial Council - percent of vote by party in first round - RSM 25.4%, UD 24.7%, HOPE 17.5%, Saint Martin with You 13.8%, Alternative 11.2%, Future Saint Martin 7.5%; percent of vote by party in second round - RSM and Alternative 49.1%; UD 33.3%; HOPE, Saint Martin with You, and Future Saint Martin 17.6%; seats by party - RSM and Alternative 16; UD 5, HOPE, Saint Martin with You, and Future Saint Martin 2; composition - men 13, women 10, percentage women 43.5%French Senate - 1 seat - UMP 1French National Assembly - 1 seat - UMP 1

elections

Territorial Council - first round held on 20 March and second round held on 27 March 2022 (next to be held in March 2027)French Senate - last held on 27 September 2020 (next to be held not later than September 2023)French National Assembly - last held on 12 and 19 June 2022 (next to be held by June 2027)

note

note: 1 senator is indirectly elected to the French Senate by an electoral college for a 6-year term, and 1 deputy (shared with Saint Barthelemy) is directly elected to the French National Assembly for a 5-year term

National anthem

lyrics/music

Gerard KEMPS

name

"O Sweet Saint Martin's Land"

note

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)

National holiday

Fête de la Fédération, 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

National symbol(s)

brown pelican

Political parties

AlternativeFuture Saint Martin (Avenir Saint Martin)Generation Hope or HOPERassemblement Saint-Martinois or RSM (formerly Movement for Justice and Prosperity or MJP)Saint Martin with YouUnion 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 2019

0.893 (2019 est.)

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.)

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.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

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

Industrial production growth rate

4.3% (2014 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

tourism, light industry and manufacturing, heavy industry

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

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; note - .gp, the Internet country code for Guadeloupe, and .fr, the Internet country code for France, might also be encountered

Internet users

percent of population

48.5% (2022 est.)

total

19,284 (2022 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

direct dial capability with both fixed and wireless systems (2018)

general assessment

fully integrated access; good interisland and international connections; broadband access; expanded FttP (Fiber to the Home) and LTE markets; regulatory development; telecom sector contributes greatly to the overall GDP; telecom sector is a growth area (2020)

international

country code - 590; landing points for the SMPR-1, Southern Caribbean Fiber and the Saba, Statia Cable System submarine cables providing connectivity to numerous Caribbean islands (2019)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

196 (2012 est.)

total subscriptions

68,840 (2012 est.)

Airports

1 (2024)

Transportation - note

nearest airport for international flights is Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) located on Sint Maarten

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of France

Military and security forces

no armed forces; Saint Martin Police Force (Korps Politie Sint Marteen)

Illicit drugs

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

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

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 

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

15,480 tons (2012 est.)