Saint Martin
Overseas Collectivity of Saint MartinCollectivité d'outre mer de Saint-Martin
parliamentary democracy (Territorial Council)Independence none (overseas collectivity of France)
Saint Martin as the 2025 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 76 fields, one of 19 editions from 2007 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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.
Geography
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
14 fieldsLand useshare of 50 sq 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
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
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
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
People and Society
20 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2024 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2025 est.)
Male · female
Ethnic groups
Creole (Mulatto), Black, Guadeloupe Mestizo (French-East Asian), White, East Indian, other
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.
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
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.04 male(s)/female
- 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
- total population:
- 0.92 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Infant mortality rate
- total:
- 6.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- male:
- 7.6 deaths/1,000 live births
- female:
- 5.3 deaths/1,000 live births
Environment
4 fieldsLand use(2022 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
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
Government
Parliamentary democracy (Territorial Council); President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017); President of Territorial Council Louis MUSSINGTON (since 3 April 2022)
19 fieldsCountry name
- conventional long form:
- Overseas Collectivity of Saint Martin
- conventional short form:
- Saint Martin
- local long form:
- Collectivité d'outre mer de Saint-Martin
- local 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
Dependency status
overseas collectivity of France note: the only French overseas collectivity that is part of the EU
Capital
- name:
- Marigot
- geographic coordinates:
- 18 04 N, 63 05 W
- time difference:
- UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- 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
Constitution
- history:
- 4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
- amendment process:
- amendment procedures of France's constitution apply
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017); represented by Prefect Cyrille LE VELY (since 10 February 2025)
- head of government:
- President of Territorial Council Louis MUSSINGTON (since 3 April 2022)
- cabinet:
- Executive Council, as well as an advisory economic, social, and cultural council
- 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
- most recent election date:
- 3 April 2022
- 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
- expected date of next election:
- 2027
Legislative branch
- legislature name:
- Territorial Council
- legislative structure:
- unicameral
- number of seats:
- 23 (directly elected)
- electoral system:
- plurality/majority
- scope of elections:
- full renewal
- term in office:
- 5 years
- most recent election date:
- 3/27/2022
- 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%
- expected date of next election:
- March 2027
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
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
National holiday
Fête de la Fédération, 14 July (1790)
note 1: local holiday is Schoelcher Day (Slavery Abolition Day) 12 July (1848), as well as St. Martin's Day, 11 November (1985); the latter holiday celebrated on both halves of the island
note 2: often incorrectly referred to as Bastille Day, France's national celebration commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison on 14 July 1789 and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy; other names for the holiday are la Fête nationale (National Holiday) and le Quatorze Juillet (14th of July)
National anthem(s)
- title:
- "O Sweet Saint Martin's Land"
- lyrics/music:
- Gerard KEMPS
- history:
- the song, written in 1958, is used as an unofficial anthem for the entire island (both French and Dutch sides); _____
- title:
- "La Marseillaise" (The Song of Marseille)
- lyrics/music:
- Claude-Joseph ROUGET de Lisle
- history:
- official anthem, as a French collectivity
Economy
9 fieldsTrading partnersexports left, imports right
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
Exports - commodities
gold, special use vessels, furniture, scrap aluminum, rum (2019); top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Exchange rates
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.924 (2024 est.) · 0.925 (2023 est.) · 0.95 (2022 est.) · 0.845 (2021 est.) · 0.876 (2020 est.)
Energy
1 fieldElectrification% of population · (2022 est.)
Communications
4 fieldsPer 100 inhabitants(2012–22 est.)
Broadcast media
1 local TV station; access to about 20 radio stations, including RFO Guadeloupe radio broadcasts via repeater
Transportation
1 fieldMilitary and Security
No regular military forces; Ministry of Justice: Police Force of Sint Maaten (Korps Politie Sint Marteen, KPSM) (2025)
2 fieldsMilitary and security forces
no regular military forces; Ministry of Justice: Police Force of Sint Maaten (Korps Politie Sint Marteen, KPSM) (2025)
Transnational Issues
1 fieldCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Saint Martin.” The World Factbook 2025. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/saint-martin.