2021 Edition

Background

Although sighted by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 and claimed for Spain, it was the Dutch who occupied the island in 1631 and began exploiting its salt deposits. The Spanish retook the island in 1633, but the Dutch continued to assert their claims. The Spanish finally relinquished the island of Saint Martin to the French and Dutch, who divided it between themselves in 1648. 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 October 2010. On 6 September 2017, Hurricane Irma hit Saint Martin/Sint Maarten, causing extensive damage to roads, communications, electrical power, and housing. The UN estimated the storm destroyed or damaged 90% of the buildings, and Princess Juliana International Airport was heavily damaged and closed to commercial air traffic for five weeks.

Area

land

34 sq km

note

note: Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin

total

34 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

one-fifth the size of Washington, DC

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

Coastline

58.9 km (for entire island)

Elevation

highest point

Mount Flagstaff 383 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

Geographic coordinates

18 4 N, 63 4 W

Geography - note

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 shared by two self-governing states

Land boundaries

border countries

Saint Martin (France) 16 km

total

16 km

Location

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

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

subject to hurricanes from July to November

Natural resources

fish, salt

Population distribution

most populous areas are Lower Prince's Quarter (north of Philipsburg), followed closely by Cul de Sac

Terrain

low, hilly terrain, volcanic origin

Age structure

0-14 years

18.64% (male 4,242/female 3,932)

15-24 years

13.26% (male 2,967/female 2,849)

25-54 years

39.08% (male 8,417/female 8,717)

55-64 years

17.47% (male 3,638/female 4,020)

65 years and over

11.55% (male 2,385/female 2,680) (2020 est.)

Birth rate

12.75 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current Health Expenditure

NA

Death rate

5.9 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

NA

potential support ratio

NA

total dependency ratio

NA

youth dependency ratio

NA

Drinking water source

improved: total

total: 95.1% of population

unimproved: total

total: 4.9% of population (2017 est.)

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

Saint Maarten 29.9%, Dominican Republic 10.2%, Haiti 7.8%, Jamaica 6.6%, Saint Martin 5.9%, Guyana 5%, Dominica 4.4%, Curacao 4.1%, Aruba 3.4%, Saint Kitts and Nevis 2.8%, India 2.6%, Netherlands 2.2%, US 1.6%, Suriname 1.4%, Saint Lucia 1.3%, Anguilla 1.1%, other 8%, unspecified 1.7% (2011 est.)

note

note:  data represent population by country of birth

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

female

7.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

male

9 deaths/1,000 live births

total

8.16 deaths/1,000 live births

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.)

Life expectancy at birth

female

81.51 years (2021 est.)

male

76.67 years

total population

79.03 years

Major urban areas - population

1,327 PHILIPSBURG (capital) (2011)

Median age

female

42.7 years (2020 est.)

male

39.6 years

total

41.1 years

Net migration rate

5.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Population

44,564 (July 2021 est.)

Population distribution

most populous areas are Lower Prince's Quarter (north of Philipsburg), followed closely by Cul de Sac

Population growth rate

1.28% (2021 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.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: total

total: 98.8% of population

unimproved: total

total: 1.2% of population (2017)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

12 years (2014)

male

12 years

total

12 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.08 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.97 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.9 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.89 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

2 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.16% annual rate of change (2020-25 est. est.)

urban population

100% of total population (2021)

Administrative divisions

none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

note

note: Sint Maarten is one of four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; the other three are the Netherlands, Aruba, and Curacao

Capital

etymology

founded and named in 1763 by John PHILIPS, a Scottish captain in the Dutch navy

geographic coordinates

18 1 N, 63 2 W

name

Philipsburg

time difference

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

Citizenship

see the Netherlands

Constitution

amendments

proposals initiated by the Government or by Parliament; passage requires at least a two-thirds majority of the Parliament membership; passage of amendments relating to fundamental rights, authorities of the governor and of Parliament must include the "views" of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Government prior to ratification by Parliament

history

previous 1947, 1955; latest adopted 21 July 2010, entered into force 10 October 2010 (regulates governance of Sint Maarten but is subordinate to the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

Country name

conventional long form

Country of Sint Maarten

conventional short form

Sint Maarten

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

former

Netherlands Antilles; Curacao and Dependencies

local long form

Land Sint Maarten (Dutch); Country of Sint Maarten (English)

local short form

Sint Maarten (Dutch and English)

Dependency status

constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 2010; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy

the US does not have an embassy in Sint Maarten; the Consul General to Curacao is accredited to Sint Maarten

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet nominated by the prime minister and appointed by the governor-general

chief of state

King WILLEM-ALEXANDER of the Netherlands (since 30 April 2013); represented by Governor General Eugene HOLIDAY (since 10 October 2010)

elections/appointments

the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch for a 6-year term; following parliamentary elections, the leader of the majority party usually elected prime minister by Parliament

head of government

Interim Prime Minister Silveria JACOBS (since 16 January 2020)

note

note - on 16 January 2020, Governor Eugene HOLIDAY appoints Silveria JACOBS as formateur of a new government

Flag description

two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and blue with a white isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; the center of the triangle displays the Sint Maarten coat of arms; the arms consist of an orange-bordered  blue shield prominently displaying the white court house in Philipsburg, as well as a bouquet of yellow sage (the national flower) in the upper left,  and the silhouette of a Dutch-French friendship monument in the upper right; the shield is surmounted by a yellow rising sun in front of which is a brown pelican in flight; a yellow scroll below the shield bears the motto: SEMPER PROGREDIENS (Always Progressing); the three main colors are identical to those on the Dutch flag

note

note: the flag somewhat resembles that of the Philippines but with the main red and blue bands reversed; the banner more closely evokes the wartime Philippine flag

Government type

parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy

Independence

none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

International organization participation

Caricom (observer), ILO, Interpol, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WMO

Judicial branch

highest courts

Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten, and of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba or "Joint Court of Justice" (consists of the presiding judge, other members, and their substitutes); final appeals heard by the Supreme Court (in The Hague, Netherlands); note - prior to 2010, the Joint Court of Justice was the Common Court of Justice of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba

judge selection and term of office

Joint Court judges appointed by the monarch serve for life

subordinate courts

Courts in First Instance

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

description

unicameral Parliament of Sint Maarten (15 seats; members directly elected by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA 35.2%, UP 24.2%, US Party 13.2%, PFP 10.6%, UD 8.7%, other 8.1%; seats by party - NA 6, UP 4, PFP 2, US Party 2, UD 1

elections

last held 9 January 2020 (next to be held in 2024)

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" is 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" is official on the Dutch side (see Netherlands)

National holiday

King's Day (birthday of King WILLEM-ALEXANDER), 27 April (1967); note - King's or Queen's Day are observed on the ruling monarch's birthday; celebrated on 26 April if 27 April is a Sunday; local holiday Sint Maarten's Day, 11 November (1985), commemorates the discovery of the island by COLUMBUS on Saint Martin's Day, 11 November 1493; celebrated on both halves of the island

National symbol(s)

brown pelican, yellow sage (flower); national colors: red, white, blue

Political parties and leaders

National Alliance or NA [William MARLIN]Party for Progress or PFP [Melissa GUMBS]Sint Maarten Christian Party or SMCP [Wycliffe SMITH]United Democrats Party or UD [Theodore HEYLIGER]United Peoples Party or UP [NA]United Sint Maarten Party or US Party [Frans RICHARDSON]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

sugar

Economic overview

The economy of Sint Maarten centers around tourism with nearly four-fifths of the labor force engaged in this sector. Nearly 1.8 million visitors came to the island by cruise ship and roughly 500,000 visitors arrived through Princess Juliana International Airport in 2013. Cruise ships and yachts also call on Sint Maarten's numerous ports and harbors. Limited agriculture and local fishing means that almost all food must be imported. Energy resources and manufactured goods are also imported. Sint Maarten had the highest per capita income among the five islands that formerly comprised the Netherlands Antilles.

Exchange rates

currency

Netherlands Antillean guilders (ANG) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

1.79 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

1.79 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2015

1.79 (2015 est.)

Exchange rates 2016

1.79 (2016 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

1.79 (2017 est.)

Exports

Exports 2018

$800 million note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Exports 2019

$1.09 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Exports - commodities

sugar

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

0.4% (2008 est.)

industry

18.3% (2008 est.)

services

81.3% (2008 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$304.1 million (2014 est.)

Imports

Imports 2018

$1.22 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Imports 2019

$1.23 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Industries

tourism, light industry

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2009

0.7% (2009 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2012

4% (2012 est.)

Labor force

23,200 (2008 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

1.1%

industry

15.2%

services

83.7% (2008 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2014 US dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2017

$1.538 billion (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$1.436 billion (2018 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2012

1.9% (2012 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2013

4.1% (2013 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2014

3.6% (2014 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2015 US dollars

Real GDP per capita 2017

$37,914 (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2018

$35,342 (2018 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2008

10.6% (2008 est.)

Unemployment rate 2012

12% (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Electricity - production

304.3 million kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2020)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

10,600 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

10,440 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Internet country code

.sx; note - IANA has designated .sx for Sint Maarten, but has not yet assigned it to a sponsoring organization

Internet users

total

29,600 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

extensive interisland microwave radio relay links; 196 per 100 mobile-cellular teledensity (2019)

general assessment

generally adequate facilities; growth sectors include mobile telephone and data segments; effective competition; LTE expansion; tourism and telecom sector contribute greatly to the GDP (2018)

international

country code - 1-721; landing points for SMPR-1 and the ECFS submarine cables providing connectivity to the Caribbean; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

196 (2019 est.)

total subscriptions

68,840 (2017)

Airports

total

1 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1 (2019)

note

note: Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) was severely damaged on 6 September 2017 by hurricane Irma, but resumed commercial operations on 10 October 2017

total

1

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Philipsburg

oil terminal(s)

Coles Bay oil terminal

Roadways

total

53 km

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Military and security forces

no regular military forces; Police Department for local law enforcement, supported by the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (Gendarmerie), the Dutch Caribbean Police Force (Korps Politie Caribisch Nederland, KPCN), and the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard (DCCG or Kustwacht Caribisch Gebied (KWCARIB))

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

Environment - current issues

scarcity of potable water (increasing percentage provided by desalination); inadequate solid waste management; pollution from construction, chemical runoff, and sewage harms reefs

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.16% annual rate of change (2020-25 est. est.)

urban population

100% of total population (2021)