Saint Martin
Overseas Collectivity of Saint MartinCollectivity d'outre mer de Saint-Martin
Independence none (overseas collectivity of France)
Saint Martin as the 2007 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 46 fields, one of 19 editions from 2007 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Although sighted by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 and claimed for Spain, it was the Dutch who occupied the island in 1631 and set about exploiting its salt deposits. The Spanish retook the island in 1633, but continued to be harassed by the Dutch. The Spanish finally relinquished St. Martin to the French and Dutch, who divided it amongst themselves in 1648. The cultivation of sugar cane introduced slavery to the island in the late 18th century; the practice was not abolished until 1848.
The island became a free port in 1939; the tourism industry was dramatically expanded during the 1970s and 1980s. In 2003, the populace of St. Martin voted to secede from Guadeloupe and in 2007, the northern portion of the island became a French overseas collectivity.
Geography
Island 300 km southeast of Puerto Rico
12 fieldsClimate
- temperature averages 80-85 degrees all year long;
- low humidity, gentle trade winds, brief, intense rain showers;
- July-Novemeber is the hurricane season
Geography - note
the island of Saint Martin is the smallest landmass in the World shared by two independent states, the French territory of Saint Martin and the Dutch territory of Sint Maarten
People
4 fieldsLanguages
French (official language), English, Dutch, French Patois, Spanish, Papiamento (dialect of Netherlands Antilles)
Government
14 fieldsTerritorial Council, 23 seats, elected 1 and 8 July 2007one dot, one seat
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Overseas Collectivity of Saint Martin
- conventional short form:
- Saint Martin
- local long form:
- Collectivity d'outre mer de Saint-Martin
- local short form:
- Saint-Martin
Capital
- name:
- Marigot
- geographical coordinates:
- 18 04 N, 63 05 W
- time difference:
- UTC-4 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- daylight savings:
- +1 hour
National holiday
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789); note - local holiday is Schoalcher Day (Slavery Abolition Day) 12 July (1848)
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007), represented by Prefect Dominique LACROIX (since 21 March 2007)
- head of government:
- President of the Territorial Council Louis-Constant FLEMING (since 16 July 2007)
- cabinet:
- Executive Council; note - there is also an advisory economic, social, and cultural council
- election:
- French president elected by popular vote to a five-year term;
- prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior;
- president of the Territorial Council is elected by the members of the Council for a five-year term
- election results:
- Louis-Constant FLEMING unanimously elected president by the Territorial Council on 16 July 2007
Legislative branch
unicameral Territorial Council (23 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
- elections:
- last held 1 and 8 July 2007 (next to be held July 2012)
- election results:
- percent of seats by party - UPP 49%, RRR 42.2%, Reussir Saint-Martin 8.9%; seats by party - UPP 16, RRR 6, Reussir Saint-Martin 1
Political parties and leaders
- Union Pour le Progres or UPP [Louis Constant FLEMING];
- Rassemblement Responsabilite Reussite or RRR [Alain RICHARDSON];
- Reussir Saint-Martin [Jean-Luc HAMLET]
Economy
The economy of Saint Martin centers around tourism with 85% of the labor force engaged in this sector.
8 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2000)
Economy - overview
The economy of Saint Martin centers around tourism with 85% of the labor force engaged in this sector. Over one million visitors come to the island each year with most arriving through the Princess Juliana International Airport in Sint Maarten. No significant agriculture and limited local fishing means that almost all food must be imported.
Energy resources and manufactured goods are also imported, primarily from Mexico and the United States. Saint Martin is reported to have the highest per capita income in the Caribbean.
Exchange rates
euros per US dollar - 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002)
Communications
3 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- fully integrated access
- domestic:
- direct dial capability with both fixed and wireless systems
- international:
- country code - 590; undersea fiber-optic cable provides voice and data connectivity to Puerto Rico and Gudaloupe
Internet country code
.mf; note - .gp, the ccTLD for Guadeloupe, and .fr, the ccTLD for France, might also be encountered
Transportation
3 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved only
Transportation - note
nearest airport for international flights is Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) located in Sint Maarten
Military
1 fieldCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Saint Martin.” The World Factbook 2007. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/saint-martin/2007.