Saint Martin

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.

description:

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

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)

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 1; French National Assembly - 1 seat - UMP 1

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

name:

"O Sweet Saint Martin's Land"

lyrics/music:

Gerard KEMPS

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)