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Collectivity of Saint Martin

The Collectivity of Saint Martin (French: Collectivité de Saint-Martin), commonly known as simply Saint Martin (Saint-Martin, French pronunciation: [sɛ̃ maʁtɛ̃]), is an overseas collectivity of France in the West Indies in the Caribbean, on the northern half of the island of Saint Martin, as well as some smaller adjacent islands.[6] Saint Martin is separated from the island of Anguilla by the Anguilla Channel.[7] Its capital is Marigot.[6]

Saint Martin
Saint-Martin (French)
Collectivity of Saint Martin
Collectivité de Saint-Martin
Anthem: La Marseillaise
("The Marseillaise")
Territorial song: "O Sweet Saint Martin's Land"
Location of Saint Martin in the Leeward Islands
Sovereign state France
Partition of island23 March 1648
Separated from Guadeloupe15 July 2007
Capital
and largest city
Marigot
Official languagesFrench
Demonym(s)Saint-Martinois
GovernmentDevolved parliamentary dependency
Emmanuel Macron
• Prefect
Serge Gouteyron[1]
Louis Mussington[2]
LegislatureTerritorial Council
French Parliament
• Senate
1 senator (of 377)
1 seat shared with Saint Barthélemy (of 577)
Area
• Total
53.2[3] km2 (20.5 sq mi)
• Water (%)
negligible
Population
• Jan. 2019 census
32,489[4]
• Density
611/km2 (1,582.5/sq mi)
GDP (nominal)2014 estimate
• Total
US$771.9 million (€581.8 million)[5]
• Per capita
US$21,987 (€16,572)[5]
Currency
Time zoneUTC-4:00 (AST)
Driving sideright
Calling code+590
ISO 3166 code
Internet TLD

With a population of 32,489 as of January 2019[4] on an area of 53.2 square kilometres (20.5 sq mi),[3] it encompasses the northern 60% of the divided island of Saint Martin, and some neighbouring islets, the largest of which is Île Tintamarre. The southern 40% of the island of Saint Martin constitutes Sint Maarten, which has been a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands[6] since 2010 following the dissolution of Netherlands Antilles. This marks the only place in the world where France borders the Netherlands.

Before 2007, the French part of Saint Martin was a commune belonging to the French overseas department and region of Guadeloupe. Despite seceding from Guadeloupe in 2007 and gaining more autonomy as an overseas collectivity of France, Saint Martin has remained an outermost region of the European Union and is part of the eurozone. For statistical purposes, it is still included in the NUTS 2 (FRY1) and NUTS 3 (FRY10) of Guadeloupe by Eurostat.

Etymology edit

The island was named by Christopher Columbus in honour of St Martin of Tours because he first sighted it on the saint's feast day on 11 November 1493.[6]

History edit

Pre-colonial edit

Saint Martin was inhabited by Amerindian peoples for many centuries, with archaeological evidence pointing to a human presence on the island as early as 2000 BC.[8] These people most likely migrated from South America.[8] The earliest known people were the Arawak who settled there between 800 and 300 BC.[8] Circa 1300-1400 AD, they began to be displaced by hostile groups of Carib people.[8]

Arrival of Europeans edit

 
The 1633 Spanish capture of Saint Martin, as painted by Juan de la Corte

It is commonly believed that Christopher Columbus named the island in honor of Saint Martin of Tours when he encountered it on his second voyage of discovery. However, he actually applied the name to the island now called Nevis when he anchored offshore on 11 November 1493, the feast day of Saint Martin. The confusion of numerous poorly charted small islands in the Leeward Islands meant that this name was accidentally transferred to the island now known as Saint-Martin/Sint Maarten.[9][10]

Nominally a Spanish territory, the island became the focus of the competing interest of the European powers, notably France and the United Provinces. Meanwhile, the Amerindian population began to decline precipitously, dying from diseases brought by the Europeans.

In 1631, the Dutch built Fort Amsterdam on Saint Martin and the Dutch West India Company began mining salt there. Tensions between the Netherlands and Spain were already high due to the ongoing Eighty Years' War, and in 1633 the Spanish captured St Martin and drove off the Dutch colonists. The Dutch, under Peter Stuyvesant, attempted to regain control in 1644 but were unsuccessful.[11] However, in 1648 the Eighty Years' War ended and the island lost its strategic and economic value to Spain. The Spanish abandoned it and the Dutch returned.[8] The French also began settling, and rather than fight for control of the entire island the two powers agreed to divide it in two with the Treaty of Concordia.[12] The first governor of French Saint Martin was Robert de Longvilliers. Various adjustments to the precise alignment of the border occurred, with the boundary settling at its current position by 1817.

18th–19th centuries edit

To work the new cotton, tobacco and sugar plantations the French and Dutch began importing large numbers of African slaves, who soon came to outnumber the Europeans.[8] The French eventually abolished slavery in 1848, followed by the Dutch in 1863 (though after 1848, slavery had scarcely been enforceable as slaves could simply move from the Dutch to the French side of the island).[8] Meanwhile, in 1763, Saint Martin was merged into France's Guadeloupe colony.[8]

20th–21st centuries edit

By the first decades of the 20th century Saint Martin's economy was in a poor state, prompting many to emigrate.[8] Things improved during the Second World War as the Americans built an airstrip on the Dutch side of the island.[8]

In 1946 Saint Martin (along with Saint Barthélemy) was formally subsumed as an arrondissement into the Guadeloupe département.[8] Tourism started expanding from the 1960s–70s onward, eventually becoming the dominant sector of Saint Martin's economy.[8]

Hurricane Luis hit the island in 1995, causing immense destruction and resulting in 12 deaths.[8]

In 2007 Saint Martin was detached from Guadeloupe and became a territorial collectivity with its own Prefect and Territorial Council.[6]

In 2017 Saint Martin was again devastated by a hurricane, Irma, causing widespread destruction across the entire island.[13]

Geography edit

 
Topographic map of the island of Saint Martin

The Collectivity of Saint Martin occupies the northern half of the island of Saint Martin in the Leeward Islands; the southern half forms the Dutch territory of Sint Maarten. To the north across the Anguilla Channel lies the British Overseas Territory of Anguilla, to the south-east of the island lies the French island of Saint Barthélemy and further south are the Dutch islands of Saba and Saint Eustatius.

Saint Martin's land area is 53.2 km2 (20.5 sq mi)[3] The terrain is generally hilly, with the highest peak being Pic Paradis at 424 m (1,391 ft), which is also the highest peak on the island as a whole.[6] The Terres Basses region lying west of the capital Marigot, which contains the French half of the Simpson Bay Lagoon, is flatter. There are a few small lakes on Saint Martin, such as Chevrise Pond, Great Pond and Red Pond. The land is part of the Leeward Islands xeric scrub ecoregion.[14]

Numerous small islands lie off the coast, including Rock of the Cove Marcel, Creole Rock, Little Key, Pinel Island, Green Cay Grand Islet (within the Simpson Bay Lagoon) and the largest Tintamarre Island.

Hurricane Irma edit

Hurricane Irma hit Saint Martin on 6 September 2017; 95% of the structures on the French side were damaged or destroyed.[13][15] Looting or "pillaging" was a problem initially; France subsequently sent 240 gendarmes to help control the situation.[16][17][18]

On 11 September President Emmanuel Macron visited St Martin to view the damage and to assure residents of support for relief efforts.[19] At that time, only tourists and visitors from France (mainlanders) had been evacuated from St. Martin, leading to complaints by black and mixed-race residents that whites were being given priority.[20] Macron pledged 50 million euros of aid for the French islands and said the rebuilding will be done quickly but very well.[21] By March 2018 much of the territory's infrastructure was back up and running.[22]

Politics and government edit

 
View of the capital Marigot from Fort St. Louis

Saint Martin was for many years a French commune, forming part of Guadeloupe, which is an overseas région and département of France. In 2003 the population of the French part of the island voted in favour of secession from Guadeloupe in order to form a separate overseas collectivity (COM) of France.[6][23] On 9 February 2007, the French Parliament passed a bill granting COM status to both the French part of Saint Martin and (separately) the neighbouring Saint Barthélemy.[24] The new status took effect on 15 July 2007, once the local assemblies were elected,[25] with the second round of the vote ultimately occurring on 15 July 2007.[26] Saint Martin remains part of the European Union.[27]

The new governance structure befitting an overseas collectivity took effect on 15 July 2007 with the first session of the Territorial Council (French: Conseil territorial). This is a unicameral body of 23 members, with elections held every five years.[7][6] The first President of the Territorial Council was Louis-Constant Fleming, however on 25 July 2008 Fleming resigned after being sanctioned by the Conseil d'État for one year over problems with his 2007 election campaign.[28] On 7 August, Frantz Gumbs was elected as President of the Territorial Council.[29] However, his election was declared invalid on 10 April 2009 and Daniel Gibbs appointed as Acting President of the Territorial Council on 14 April 2009.[30] Gumbs was re-elected on 5 May 2009.[31]

The Chief of State is the President of France (currently Emmanuel Macron), who is represented locally by a Prefect appointed by him/her on the advice of the Minister of the Interior (France).[6][7] The current Prefect is Sylvie Feucher.[32] Saint Martin elects one member to the French Senate, and one to the French National Assembly (note that the latter post is shared with Saint Barthélemy).[6]

Before 2007, Saint Martin was coded as GP (Guadeloupe) in ISO 3166-1. In October 2007, it received the ISO 3166-1 code MF (alpha-2 code), MAF (alpha-3 code), and 663 (numeric code).[33]

There currently exists a movement in Saint Martin aiming for the unification of island of Saint Martin,[34] which has its own flag.[35]

Demographics edit

Saint Martin had a population of 32,489 according to the January 2019 census,[4] which means a population density of 611 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,580/sq mi). At the 2017 French census the population was 35,334[36] (up from only 8,072 inhabitants at the 1982 census). The population decrease between 2017 and 2019 is largely due to the impact of Hurricane Irma which hit the island in early September 2017 and destroyed most of its infrastructure.

Most residents live on the coastal region in the towns of Marigot (the capital), Grand-Case and Quartier-d'Orleans.[6] Most residents are of black or mixed Creole ancestry, with smaller numbers of Europeans and Indians.[6]

French is the official language of the territory.[6] Other languages spoken include English, Dutch, Papiamento and Spanish. A local English-based dialect is spoken in informal situations on both the French and Dutch sides of the island.[37] The sizable Haitian community (7,000 in 2000) also uses Haitian Creole.[38]

The main religions are Roman Catholicism, Jehovah's Witnesses, various Protestant denominations, Hinduism and Islam.[6]

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1885 3,400—    
1954 3,366−0.01%
1961 4,502+4.08%
1967 5,061+1.96%
1974 6,191+2.92%
1982 8,072+3.65%
1990 28,518+17.05%
1999 29,078+0.22%
2007 35,925+2.74%
2012 35,742−0.10%
2017 35,334−0.23%
2019 32,489−4.11%
Official figures from French censuses. Census date for censuses after 1999 is 1 January.

Structure of the population edit

Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.I.2021) (Provisional): [39]
Age Group Male Female Total %
Total 14 191 16 095 30 286 100
0–4 993 979 1 972 6.51
5–9 1 062 1 075 2 137 7.06
10–14 1 154 1 132 2 286 7.55
15–19 1 152 1 120 2 272 7.50
20–24 876 882 1 758 5.80
25–29 722 857 1 579 5.21
30–34 761 957 1 718 5.67
35–39 766 1 002 1 768 5.84
40–44 785 990 1 775 5.86
45–49 907 1 106 2 013 6.65
50–54 1 006 1 180 2 186 7.22
55–59 1 046 1 159 2 205 7.28
60–64 891 982 1 873 6.18
65-69 732 823 1 555 5.13
70-74 539 641 1 180 3.90
75-79 358 460 818 2.70
80-84 237 351 588 1.94
85-89 133 223 356 1.18
90-94 53 119 172 0.57
95-99 16 44 60 0.20
100+ 2 13 15 0.05
Age group Male Female Total Percent
0–14 3 209 3 186 6 395 21.12
15–64 8 912 10 235 19 147 63.22
65+ 2 070 2 674 4 744 15.66

Education edit

The collectivity has the following public preschool, primary, and elementary schools:[40]

  • Preschools: Jean Anselme, Jérôme Beaupère, Elaine Clarke, Evelina Halley, Ghyslaine Rogers, Trott Simeone
  • Primary schools: Omer Arrondell, Émile Choisy, Nina Duverly, Elie Gibs, Aline Hanson, Émile Larmonnie, Marie-Amélie Ledee, Clair Saint-Maximin, Hervé Williams
  • École élémentaire M-Antoinette Richard

There are three junior high schools (collège) and one senior high school:[41]

  • Junior highs: #1 Mont Des Accords, #2 Soualiga, #3 Quartier d'Orleans
  • Lycée Professionnel des Îles Nord (senior high/sixth-form)
  • Cité Scolaire Robert Weinum is a joint public junior-senior high school in Saint Martin

Religion edit

The majority of the inhabitants of the island of St. Martin profess Christianity,[42] and in the French part the Catholic Church is the faith of the majority.[42] There are also other Christian groups and religions represented on the island.

 
Mary Star of the Sea, a Catholic church in Grand-Case

The French territory of St. Martin is part of the Diocese of Basse-Terre and Pointe-à-Pitre (in Latin, Dioecesis Imae Telluris and in French, Diocèse de Basse-Terre et Pointe-à-Pitre), attached to the organization of the Catholic Church in France. The diocese includes the territories of Guadeloupe, St. Barthélemy and St. Martin. This diocese is part of the ecclesiastical province of Fort-de-France, in the ecclesiastical region of the Antilles, and has as neighbors to the northwest, the diocese of Saint John-Basseterre and to the southeast, the diocese of Roseau.

About sixty priests are active in the diocese[42] and serve several churches, among them the Church of Saint Martin de Tours (Saint-Martin-de-Tours)[43] in Marigot, the Church of Mary Star of the Sea (Église de Marie Etoile de la Mer)[44] in Grand Case and the Church of Saint Martin in Quartier d'Orléans (Église de Saint-Martin).[45]

The episcopal see is located in Basse-Terre, city of Guadeloupe,[46] with the cathedral of Our Lady of Guadeloupe as the main or mother church, (cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Guadeloupe).

Economy edit

 
Marigot in 2017 after Hurricane Irma, which severely impacted the tourism-dependent economy

As a part of France, the official currency of Saint Martin is the euro,[6] though the US dollar is also widely accepted. Tourism is the main economic activity – with over one million visitors annually some 85% of the population is employed in this sector.[6] The other major sector is the financial services industry.[6] Though limited, agriculture and fishing are also practiced, though these sectors are very small and most food is imported.[6]

INSEE estimated that the nominal GDP of Saint Martin amounted to 581.8 million euros in 2014 (US$771.9 million at 2014 exchanges rates; US$660.3 million at Feb. 2022 exchange rates).[5] In that same year the nominal GDP per capita of Saint Martin was 16,572 euros (US$21,987 at 2014 exchanges rates; US$18,806 at Feb. 2022 exchange rates),[5] which was only half the GDP per capita of metropolitan France in 2014, and 79% of Guadeloupe's GDP per capita.[47] In comparison, the nominal GDP per capita on the Dutch side of the island, Sint Maarten, was US$33,536 in 2014.[48]

Newspapers edit

The following newspapers are published in Saint Martin:

Transport edit

 
Passengers disembarking at Grand Case-Espérance Airport

Saint Martin has one airport, Grand Case-Espérance Airport, which provides flights to Guadeloupe, Martinique and Saint Barthélemy.[55][56] For international tourists Saint Martin relies on Princess Juliana International Airport on the Dutch side of the island.[7]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Serge Gouteyron, nouveau préfet de Saint-Martin et de Saint-Barthélémy]". Outremers 360 (in French). 25 December 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  2. ^ "Louis Mussington becomes the 6th president of French Saint Martin on Sunday". SMX Island Time. 3 April 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  3. ^ a b c "Mise à jour du plan de prévention des risques naturels de la collectivité territoriale de Saint-Martin" (PDF). Preferecture of Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin (in French). Government of France. p. 14. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  4. ^ a b c "Populations légales des collectivités d'outre-mer en 2019". INSEE (in French). Government of France. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d "Estimation of per capita GDP in Saint-Martin" (PDF). CEROM. INSEE. May 2018. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "CIA World Factbook – Saint Martin". Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  7. ^ a b c d "Encyclopedia Britannica – Saint Martin". Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "History of Saint Martin". Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  9. ^ Hubbard, Vincent K. (2002). A History of St Kitts. MacMillan Caribbean. p. 13. ISBN 0333747607.
  10. ^ Morison, Samuel Eliot (1974). The European Discovery of America, The Southern Voyages. Oxford University Press. pp. 108-109.
  11. ^ Caribbean: The Lesser Antilles Karl Luntta
  12. ^ Henocq, Christophe (15 March 2010), "Concordia Treaty, 23rd March 1648", Heritage, 6: 13, retrieved 17 September 2018
  13. ^ a b Dutch officials: Irma damaged or destroyed 70 percent of St. Maarten homes, leaving island vulnerable to Jose's approach. The Washington Post 9 September 2017. Accessed 9 September 2017
  14. ^ Dinerstein, Eric; et al. (2017). "An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm". BioScience. 67 (6): 534–545. doi:10.1093/biosci/bix014. ISSN 0006-3568. PMC 5451287. PMID 28608869.
  15. ^ Hurricane Irma destroys '95%' of French part of St. Martin—official, Agence France-Presse 7 September 2017. [2] Accessed 9 September 2017
  16. ^ Whelan, Robbie; Pop, Valentina (9 September 2017). "Looting Reported on Caribbean Island Struck by Hurricane Irma". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  17. ^ . Archived from the original on 8 September 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  18. ^ . ABC News. Archived from the original on 13 September 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  19. ^ Hilary Clarke; Samantha Beech (11 September 2017). "European leaders step up Irma relief effort in Caribbean". CNN. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  20. ^ "In Irma's aftermath, Black residents of St. Martin complain France is evacuating white tourists first – The Star". Toronto Star. 11 September 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  21. ^ Staff and agencies (12 September 2017). "Emmanuel Macron pledges €50m to help Irma-ravaged Caribbean territories". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  22. ^ . travelweekly.com. Archived from the original on 29 April 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  23. ^ . Caribbean Net News. 9 December 2003. Archived from the original on 18 March 2009. Retrieved 9 February 2007. However voters on the two tiny French dependencies of Saint-Barthelemy and Saint-Martin, which have been administratively attached to Guadeloupe, approved the referendum and are set to acquire the new status of "overseas collectivity".
  24. ^ "Saint-Barth To Become An Overseas Collectivity" (PDF). St. Barth Weekly. 9 February 2007. p. 2. Retrieved 9 February 2007.
  25. ^ NewMedia. . newmedia-fr.info. Archived from the original on 18 December 2009.
  26. ^ See J. P. Thiellay, Droit des outre-mers, Paris:Dalloz, 2007.
  27. ^ "Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Article 355". Official Journal of the European Union. 7 June 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  28. ^ "Louis-Constant Fleming démissionné par le conseil d'Etat" (in French). fxgpariscaraibe. 28 July 2008. Retrieved 17 August 2008.
  29. ^ . The Daily Herald. 8 August 2008. Archived from the original on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 17 August 2008. Frantz Gumbs, formerly president of Union Pour le Progrès (UPP) party, swept into power as new president of the Collectivité at an extraordinary meeting of the Territorial Council on Thursday after winning the 23-councillor vote with a clear majority over Marthe Ogoundélé-Tessi.
  30. ^ . thedailyherald.com. Archived from the original on 19 April 2009.
  31. ^ "May 2009". rulers.org.
  32. ^ Government of the French Republic (18 June 2018). "Décret du 18 juin 2018 portant nomination de la préfète déléguée auprès du représentant de l'Etat dans les collectivités de Saint-Barthélemy et de Saint-Martin – Mme DANIELO-FEUCHER (Sylvie)". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  33. ^ ISO 3166-1 Newsletter. Assignment of code elements for Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin and update of France and other French Territories
  34. ^ Badejo, Fabian Adekunle (25 December 2004). "The reunification of St. Martin: A pipe dream or an inevitable choice?". House of Nehesi Publishers.
  35. ^ "12th anniversary of St. Martin's "Unity Flag" observed Saturday on Conscious Lyrics; students raise money for unity bumper stickers". House of Nehesi Publishers. 29 August 2002.
  36. ^ "Populations légales 2017 des départements et collectivités d'outre-mer". INSEE (in French). Government of France. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  37. ^ Holm (1989) Pidgins and Creoles, vol. 2
  38. ^ Klomp, Ank. "Saint Martin: Communal Identities on a Divided Caribbean Island." In: Niedermüller, Peter and Bjarne Stoklund (editors). Journal of European Ethnology Volume 30:2, 2000: Borders and Borderlands: An Anthropological Perspective. Museum Tusculanum Press, 2000. ISBN 8772896779, 9788772896779. Start: p. 73. CITED: p. 80.
  39. ^ "UNSD — Demographic and Social Statistics". unstats.un.org. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  40. ^ "LISTE DES ÉCOLES PUBLIQUES ET PRIVÉES SOUS CONTRAT." Académie de la Guadeloupe [fr]. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  41. ^ "Établissements du 2nd degré PUBLIC 2017-2018." Académie de la Guadeloupe [fr]. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  42. ^ a b c "Basse-Terre". Église catholique en France (in French). Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  43. ^ "Église de Saint Martin de Tours". GCatholic. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  44. ^ "Église de Marie Étoile de la Mer". GCatholic. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  45. ^ "Église de Saint-Martin". GCatholic. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  46. ^ "Diocèse de Guadeloupe" (in French). Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  47. ^ "Produits intérieurs bruts régionaux et valeurs ajoutées régionales de 2000 à 2020". INSEE. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  48. ^ Total 2014 GDP of Sint Maarten ("GDP 2018 – Press Release" (PDF). Department of Statistics, Sint Maarten. Retrieved 21 February 2022.) divided by the number of inhabitants in 2014 ("Population Estimates and Vital Statistics 2021" (PDF). Retrieved 21 February 2022.), then converted from Netherlands Antillean gulden to US dollars at the 1.79 official peg.
  49. ^ "Qui sommes nous?". lepelican-journal.com. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  50. ^ "Contact". Faxinfo. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  51. ^ "Contacter la rédaction de SXMINFO". Saint Martin Island | sxminfo.fr (in French). 2 June 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  52. ^ "Mentions Légales". SoualigaPost.com (in French). Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  53. ^ "Politique Editoriale retenue". Le St Martin's Week (in French). Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  54. ^ "St. Martin News Network – Contact Us". smn-news.com. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  55. ^ . St. Martin Tourist Office. Archived from the original on 25 October 2007.
  56. ^ . Archived from the original on 22 September 2007. Retrieved 24 July 2019.

External links edit

  • Official website of the Collectivity of Saint Martin (in French)
  • Official website of the Tourist Office of Saint Martin
  •   Wikimedia Atlas of Saint Martin (France)
  •   Collectivity of Saint Martin travel guide from Wikivoyage
  • Saint Martin. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency.

18°4′31″N 63°3′36″W / 18.07528°N 63.06000°W / 18.07528; -63.06000

collectivity, saint, martin, saint, martin, france, redirects, here, other, uses, saint, martin, france, french, collectivité, saint, martin, commonly, known, simply, saint, martin, saint, martin, french, pronunciation, maʁtɛ, overseas, collectivity, france, w. Saint Martin France redirects here For other uses see Saint Martin France The Collectivity of Saint Martin French Collectivite de Saint Martin commonly known as simply Saint Martin Saint Martin French pronunciation sɛ maʁtɛ is an overseas collectivity of France in the West Indies in the Caribbean on the northern half of the island of Saint Martin as well as some smaller adjacent islands 6 Saint Martin is separated from the island of Anguilla by the Anguilla Channel 7 Its capital is Marigot 6 Saint MartinSaint Martin French Overseas collectivity of France and outermost region of the European UnionCollectivity of Saint MartinCollectivite de Saint MartinFlagAnthem La Marseillaise The Marseillaise source source track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track track Territorial song O Sweet Saint Martin s Land source source Location of Saint Martin in the Leeward IslandsSovereign state FrancePartition of island23 March 1648Separated from Guadeloupe15 July 2007Capitaland largest cityMarigotOfficial languagesFrenchDemonym s Saint MartinoisGovernmentDevolved parliamentary dependency President of FranceEmmanuel Macron PrefectSerge Gouteyron 1 President of the Territorial CouncilLouis Mussington 2 LegislatureTerritorial CouncilFrench Parliament Senate1 senator of 377 National Assembly1 seat shared with Saint Barthelemy of 577 Area Total53 2 3 km2 20 5 sq mi Water negligiblePopulation Jan 2019 census32 489 4 Density611 km2 1 582 5 sq mi GDP nominal 2014 estimate TotalUS 771 9 million 581 8 million 5 Per capitaUS 21 987 16 572 5 CurrencyEuro EUR unofficially United States dollar US USD Time zoneUTC 4 00 AST Driving siderightCalling code 590ISO 3166 codeMFFR MFInternet TLD mf fr gpWith a population of 32 489 as of January 2019 4 on an area of 53 2 square kilometres 20 5 sq mi 3 it encompasses the northern 60 of the divided island of Saint Martin and some neighbouring islets the largest of which is Ile Tintamarre The southern 40 of the island of Saint Martin constitutes Sint Maarten which has been a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands 6 since 2010 following the dissolution of Netherlands Antilles This marks the only place in the world where France borders the Netherlands Before 2007 the French part of Saint Martin was a commune belonging to the French overseas department and region of Guadeloupe Despite seceding from Guadeloupe in 2007 and gaining more autonomy as an overseas collectivity of France Saint Martin has remained an outermost region of the European Union and is part of the eurozone For statistical purposes it is still included in the NUTS 2 FRY1 and NUTS 3 FRY10 of Guadeloupe by Eurostat Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2 1 Pre colonial 2 2 Arrival of Europeans 2 3 18th 19th centuries 2 4 20th 21st centuries 3 Geography 3 1 Hurricane Irma 4 Politics and government 5 Demographics 5 1 Structure of the population 5 2 Education 5 3 Religion 6 Economy 7 Newspapers 8 Transport 9 See also 10 References 11 External linksEtymology editThe island was named by Christopher Columbus in honour of St Martin of Tours because he first sighted it on the saint s feast day on 11 November 1493 6 History editMain articles History of Saint Martin and French West Indies Pre colonial edit Saint Martin was inhabited by Amerindian peoples for many centuries with archaeological evidence pointing to a human presence on the island as early as 2000 BC 8 These people most likely migrated from South America 8 The earliest known people were the Arawak who settled there between 800 and 300 BC 8 Circa 1300 1400 AD they began to be displaced by hostile groups of Carib people 8 Arrival of Europeans edit nbsp The 1633 Spanish capture of Saint Martin as painted by Juan de la CorteIt is commonly believed that Christopher Columbus named the island in honor of Saint Martin of Tours when he encountered it on his second voyage of discovery However he actually applied the name to the island now called Nevis when he anchored offshore on 11 November 1493 the feast day of Saint Martin The confusion of numerous poorly charted small islands in the Leeward Islands meant that this name was accidentally transferred to the island now known as Saint Martin Sint Maarten 9 10 Nominally a Spanish territory the island became the focus of the competing interest of the European powers notably France and the United Provinces Meanwhile the Amerindian population began to decline precipitously dying from diseases brought by the Europeans In 1631 the Dutch built Fort Amsterdam on Saint Martin and the Dutch West India Company began mining salt there Tensions between the Netherlands and Spain were already high due to the ongoing Eighty Years War and in 1633 the Spanish captured St Martin and drove off the Dutch colonists The Dutch under Peter Stuyvesant attempted to regain control in 1644 but were unsuccessful 11 However in 1648 the Eighty Years War ended and the island lost its strategic and economic value to Spain The Spanish abandoned it and the Dutch returned 8 The French also began settling and rather than fight for control of the entire island the two powers agreed to divide it in two with the Treaty of Concordia 12 The first governor of French Saint Martin was Robert de Longvilliers Various adjustments to the precise alignment of the border occurred with the boundary settling at its current position by 1817 18th 19th centuries edit To work the new cotton tobacco and sugar plantations the French and Dutch began importing large numbers of African slaves who soon came to outnumber the Europeans 8 The French eventually abolished slavery in 1848 followed by the Dutch in 1863 though after 1848 slavery had scarcely been enforceable as slaves could simply move from the Dutch to the French side of the island 8 Meanwhile in 1763 Saint Martin was merged into France s Guadeloupe colony 8 20th 21st centuries edit By the first decades of the 20th century Saint Martin s economy was in a poor state prompting many to emigrate 8 Things improved during the Second World War as the Americans built an airstrip on the Dutch side of the island 8 In 1946 Saint Martin along with Saint Barthelemy was formally subsumed as an arrondissement into the Guadeloupe departement 8 Tourism started expanding from the 1960s 70s onward eventually becoming the dominant sector of Saint Martin s economy 8 Hurricane Luis hit the island in 1995 causing immense destruction and resulting in 12 deaths 8 In 2007 Saint Martin was detached from Guadeloupe and became a territorial collectivity with its own Prefect and Territorial Council 6 In 2017 Saint Martin was again devastated by a hurricane Irma causing widespread destruction across the entire island 13 Geography edit nbsp Topographic map of the island of Saint MartinThe Collectivity of Saint Martin occupies the northern half of the island of Saint Martin in the Leeward Islands the southern half forms the Dutch territory of Sint Maarten To the north across the Anguilla Channel lies the British Overseas Territory of Anguilla to the south east of the island lies the French island of Saint Barthelemy and further south are the Dutch islands of Saba and Saint Eustatius Saint Martin s land area is 53 2 km2 20 5 sq mi 3 The terrain is generally hilly with the highest peak being Pic Paradis at 424 m 1 391 ft which is also the highest peak on the island as a whole 6 The Terres Basses region lying west of the capital Marigot which contains the French half of the Simpson Bay Lagoon is flatter There are a few small lakes on Saint Martin such as Chevrise Pond Great Pond and Red Pond The land is part of the Leeward Islands xeric scrub ecoregion 14 Numerous small islands lie off the coast including Rock of the Cove Marcel Creole Rock Little Key Pinel Island Green Cay Grand Islet within the Simpson Bay Lagoon and the largest Tintamarre Island Hurricane Irma edit Hurricane Irma hit Saint Martin on 6 September 2017 95 of the structures on the French side were damaged or destroyed 13 15 Looting or pillaging was a problem initially France subsequently sent 240 gendarmes to help control the situation 16 17 18 On 11 September President Emmanuel Macron visited St Martin to view the damage and to assure residents of support for relief efforts 19 At that time only tourists and visitors from France mainlanders had been evacuated from St Martin leading to complaints by black and mixed race residents that whites were being given priority 20 Macron pledged 50 million euros of aid for the French islands and said the rebuilding will be done quickly but very well 21 By March 2018 much of the territory s infrastructure was back up and running 22 Politics and government editMain article Politics of the Collectivity of Saint Martin nbsp View of the capital Marigot from Fort St LouisSaint Martin was for many years a French commune forming part of Guadeloupe which is an overseas region and departement of France In 2003 the population of the French part of the island voted in favour of secession from Guadeloupe in order to form a separate overseas collectivity COM of France 6 23 On 9 February 2007 the French Parliament passed a bill granting COM status to both the French part of Saint Martin and separately the neighbouring Saint Barthelemy 24 The new status took effect on 15 July 2007 once the local assemblies were elected 25 with the second round of the vote ultimately occurring on 15 July 2007 26 Saint Martin remains part of the European Union 27 The new governance structure befitting an overseas collectivity took effect on 15 July 2007 with the first session of the Territorial Council French Conseil territorial This is a unicameral body of 23 members with elections held every five years 7 6 The first President of the Territorial Council was Louis Constant Fleming however on 25 July 2008 Fleming resigned after being sanctioned by the Conseil d Etat for one year over problems with his 2007 election campaign 28 On 7 August Frantz Gumbs was elected as President of the Territorial Council 29 However his election was declared invalid on 10 April 2009 and Daniel Gibbs appointed as Acting President of the Territorial Council on 14 April 2009 30 Gumbs was re elected on 5 May 2009 31 The Chief of State is the President of France currently Emmanuel Macron who is represented locally by a Prefect appointed by him her on the advice of the Minister of the Interior France 6 7 The current Prefect is Sylvie Feucher 32 Saint Martin elects one member to the French Senate and one to the French National Assembly note that the latter post is shared with Saint Barthelemy 6 Before 2007 Saint Martin was coded as GP Guadeloupe in ISO 3166 1 In October 2007 it received the ISO 3166 1 code MF alpha 2 code MAF alpha 3 code and 663 numeric code 33 There currently exists a movement in Saint Martin aiming for the unification of island of Saint Martin 34 which has its own flag 35 Demographics editSaint Martin had a population of 32 489 according to the January 2019 census 4 which means a population density of 611 inhabitants per square kilometre 1 580 sq mi At the 2017 French census the population was 35 334 36 up from only 8 072 inhabitants at the 1982 census The population decrease between 2017 and 2019 is largely due to the impact of Hurricane Irma which hit the island in early September 2017 and destroyed most of its infrastructure Most residents live on the coastal region in the towns of Marigot the capital Grand Case and Quartier d Orleans 6 Most residents are of black or mixed Creole ancestry with smaller numbers of Europeans and Indians 6 French is the official language of the territory 6 Other languages spoken include English Dutch Papiamento and Spanish A local English based dialect is spoken in informal situations on both the French and Dutch sides of the island 37 The sizable Haitian community 7 000 in 2000 also uses Haitian Creole 38 The main religions are Roman Catholicism Jehovah s Witnesses various Protestant denominations Hinduism and Islam 6 Historical populationYearPop p a 18853 400 19543 366 0 01 19614 502 4 08 19675 061 1 96 19746 191 2 92 19828 072 3 65 199028 518 17 05 199929 078 0 22 200735 925 2 74 201235 742 0 10 201735 334 0 23 201932 489 4 11 Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues Official figures from French censuses Census date for censuses after 1999 is 1 January Structure of the population edit Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group 01 I 2021 Provisional 39 Age Group Male Female Total Total 14 191 16 095 30 286 1000 4 993 979 1 972 6 515 9 1 062 1 075 2 137 7 0610 14 1 154 1 132 2 286 7 5515 19 1 152 1 120 2 272 7 5020 24 876 882 1 758 5 8025 29 722 857 1 579 5 2130 34 761 957 1 718 5 6735 39 766 1 002 1 768 5 8440 44 785 990 1 775 5 8645 49 907 1 106 2 013 6 6550 54 1 006 1 180 2 186 7 2255 59 1 046 1 159 2 205 7 2860 64 891 982 1 873 6 1865 69 732 823 1 555 5 1370 74 539 641 1 180 3 9075 79 358 460 818 2 7080 84 237 351 588 1 9485 89 133 223 356 1 1890 94 53 119 172 0 5795 99 16 44 60 0 20100 2 13 15 0 05Age group Male Female Total Percent0 14 3 209 3 186 6 395 21 1215 64 8 912 10 235 19 147 63 2265 2 070 2 674 4 744 15 66 Education edit The collectivity has the following public preschool primary and elementary schools 40 Preschools Jean Anselme Jerome Beaupere Elaine Clarke Evelina Halley Ghyslaine Rogers Trott Simeone Primary schools Omer Arrondell Emile Choisy Nina Duverly Elie Gibs Aline Hanson Emile Larmonnie Marie Amelie Ledee Clair Saint Maximin Herve Williams Ecole elementaire M Antoinette RichardThere are three junior high schools college and one senior high school 41 Junior highs 1 Mont Des Accords 2 Soualiga 3 Quartier d Orleans Lycee Professionnel des Iles Nord senior high sixth form Cite Scolaire Robert Weinum is a joint public junior senior high school in Saint MartinReligion edit The majority of the inhabitants of the island of St Martin profess Christianity 42 and in the French part the Catholic Church is the faith of the majority 42 There are also other Christian groups and religions represented on the island nbsp Mary Star of the Sea a Catholic church in Grand CaseThe French territory of St Martin is part of the Diocese of Basse Terre and Pointe a Pitre in Latin Dioecesis Imae Telluris and in French Diocese de Basse Terre et Pointe a Pitre attached to the organization of the Catholic Church in France The diocese includes the territories of Guadeloupe St Barthelemy and St Martin This diocese is part of the ecclesiastical province of Fort de France in the ecclesiastical region of the Antilles and has as neighbors to the northwest the diocese of Saint John Basseterre and to the southeast the diocese of Roseau About sixty priests are active in the diocese 42 and serve several churches among them the Church of Saint Martin de Tours Saint Martin de Tours 43 in Marigot the Church of Mary Star of the Sea Eglise de Marie Etoile de la Mer 44 in Grand Case and the Church of Saint Martin in Quartier d Orleans Eglise de Saint Martin 45 The episcopal see is located in Basse Terre city of Guadeloupe 46 with the cathedral of Our Lady of Guadeloupe as the main or mother church cathedrale Notre Dame de Guadeloupe Economy editMain article Economy of Saint Martin nbsp Marigot in 2017 after Hurricane Irma which severely impacted the tourism dependent economyAs a part of France the official currency of Saint Martin is the euro 6 though the US dollar is also widely accepted Tourism is the main economic activity with over one million visitors annually some 85 of the population is employed in this sector 6 The other major sector is the financial services industry 6 Though limited agriculture and fishing are also practiced though these sectors are very small and most food is imported 6 INSEE estimated that the nominal GDP of Saint Martin amounted to 581 8 million euros in 2014 US 771 9 million at 2014 exchanges rates US 660 3 million at Feb 2022 exchange rates 5 In that same year the nominal GDP per capita of Saint Martin was 16 572 euros US 21 987 at 2014 exchanges rates US 18 806 at Feb 2022 exchange rates 5 which was only half the GDP per capita of metropolitan France in 2014 and 79 of Guadeloupe s GDP per capita 47 In comparison the nominal GDP per capita on the Dutch side of the island Sint Maarten was US 33 536 in 2014 48 Newspapers editThe following newspapers are published in Saint Martin Le Pelican 49 Faxinfo 50 SXMInfo fr 51 Soualiga Post 52 St Martin s Week 53 St Martin News Network also covers Sint Maarten 54 Transport edit nbsp Passengers disembarking at Grand Case Esperance AirportSaint Martin has one airport Grand Case Esperance Airport which provides flights to Guadeloupe Martinique and Saint Barthelemy 55 56 For international tourists Saint Martin relies on Princess Juliana International Airport on the Dutch side of the island 7 See also editCulture of Saint Martin Economy of Saint Martin History of Saint Martin List of divided islandsReferences edit Serge Gouteyron nouveau prefet de Saint Martin et de Saint Barthelemy Outremers 360 in French 25 December 2020 Retrieved 16 August 2022 Louis Mussington becomes the 6th president of French Saint Martin on Sunday SMX Island Time 3 April 2022 Retrieved 16 August 2022 a b c Mise a jour du plan de prevention des risques naturels de la collectivite territoriale de Saint Martin PDF Preferecture of Saint Barthelemy and Saint Martin in French Government of France p 14 Retrieved 21 February 2022 a b c Populations legales des collectivites d outre mer en 2019 INSEE in French Government of France Retrieved 21 February 2022 a b c d Estimation of per capita GDP in Saint Martin PDF CEROM INSEE May 2018 Retrieved 21 February 2022 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r CIA World Factbook Saint Martin Retrieved 24 July 2019 a b c d Encyclopedia Britannica Saint Martin Retrieved 24 July 2019 a b c d e f g h i j k l m History of Saint Martin Retrieved 24 July 2019 Hubbard Vincent K 2002 A History of St Kitts MacMillan Caribbean p 13 ISBN 0333747607 Morison Samuel Eliot 1974 The European Discovery of America The Southern Voyages Oxford University Press pp 108 109 Caribbean The Lesser Antilles Karl Luntta Henocq Christophe 15 March 2010 Concordia Treaty 23rd March 1648 Heritage 6 13 retrieved 17 September 2018 a b Dutch officials Irma damaged or destroyed 70 percent of St Maarten homes leaving island vulnerable to Jose s approach The Washington Post 9 September 2017 1 Accessed 9 September 2017 Dinerstein Eric et al 2017 An Ecoregion Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm BioScience 67 6 534 545 doi 10 1093 biosci bix014 ISSN 0006 3568 PMC 5451287 PMID 28608869 Hurricane Irma destroys 95 of French part of St Martin official Agence France Presse 7 September 2017 2 Accessed 9 September 2017 Whelan Robbie Pop Valentina 9 September 2017 Looting Reported on Caribbean Island Struck by Hurricane Irma The Wall Street Journal Retrieved 3 October 2018 Irma shatters Caribbean drives toward Florida with Hurricane Jose in wake the Globe and Mail Archived from the original on 8 September 2017 Retrieved 10 September 2017 International News Latest Headlines Video and Photographs from Around the World People Places Crisis Conflict Culture Change Analysis and Trends ABC News Archived from the original on 13 September 2017 Retrieved 3 October 2018 Hilary Clarke Samantha Beech 11 September 2017 European leaders step up Irma relief effort in Caribbean CNN Retrieved 3 October 2018 In Irma s aftermath Black residents of St Martin complain France is evacuating white tourists first The Star Toronto Star 11 September 2017 Retrieved 3 October 2018 Staff and agencies 12 September 2017 Emmanuel Macron pledges 50m to help Irma ravaged Caribbean territories The Guardian Retrieved 3 October 2018 Updated Mapping what s open and closed in the Caribbean Travel Weekly travelweekly com Archived from the original on 29 April 2018 Retrieved 3 October 2018 French Caribbean voters reject change Caribbean Net News 9 December 2003 Archived from the original on 18 March 2009 Retrieved 9 February 2007 However voters on the two tiny French dependencies of Saint Barthelemy and Saint Martin which have been administratively attached to Guadeloupe approved the referendum and are set to acquire the new status of overseas collectivity Saint Barth To Become An Overseas Collectivity PDF St Barth Weekly 9 February 2007 p 2 Retrieved 9 February 2007 NewMedia Les elections du futur conseil territorial font debat Politique Ixprim News NewMedia Newmedia newmedia fr info Archived from the original on 18 December 2009 See J P Thiellay Droit des outre mers Paris Dalloz 2007 Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union Article 355 Official Journal of the European Union 7 June 2016 Retrieved 19 August 2016 Louis Constant Fleming demissionne par le conseil d Etat in French fxgpariscaraibe 28 July 2008 Retrieved 17 August 2008 Frantz Gumbs elected new president of Collectivite The Daily Herald 8 August 2008 Archived from the original on 8 July 2011 Retrieved 17 August 2008 Frantz Gumbs formerly president of Union Pour le Progres UPP party swept into power as new president of the Collectivite at an extraordinary meeting of the Territorial Council on Thursday after winning the 23 councillor vote with a clear majority over Marthe Ogoundele Tessi The Daily Herald New Domain Redirect thedailyherald com Archived from the original on 19 April 2009 May 2009 rulers org Government of the French Republic 18 June 2018 Decret du 18 juin 2018 portant nomination de la prefete deleguee aupres du representant de l Etat dans les collectivites de Saint Barthelemy et de Saint Martin Mme DANIELO FEUCHER Sylvie legifrance gouv fr in French Retrieved 24 April 2020 ISO 3166 1 Newsletter Assignment of code elements for Saint Barthelemy and Saint Martin and update of France and other French Territories Badejo Fabian Adekunle 25 December 2004 The reunification of St Martin A pipe dream or an inevitable choice House of Nehesi Publishers 12th anniversary of St Martin s Unity Flag observed Saturday on Conscious Lyrics students raise money for unity bumper stickers House of Nehesi Publishers 29 August 2002 Populations legales 2017 des departements et collectivites d outre mer INSEE in French Government of France Retrieved 29 January 2021 Holm 1989 Pidgins and Creoles vol 2 Klomp Ank Saint Martin Communal Identities on a Divided Caribbean Island In Niedermuller Peter and Bjarne Stoklund editors Journal of European Ethnology Volume 30 2 2000 Borders and Borderlands An Anthropological Perspective Museum Tusculanum Press 2000 ISBN 8772896779 9788772896779 Start p 73 CITED p 80 UNSD Demographic and Social Statistics unstats un org Retrieved 10 May 2023 LISTE DES ECOLES PUBLIQUES ET PRIVEES SOUS CONTRAT Academie de la Guadeloupe fr Retrieved 10 March 2018 Etablissements du 2nd degre PUBLIC 2017 2018 Academie de la Guadeloupe fr Retrieved 10 March 2018 a b c Basse Terre Eglise catholique en France in French Retrieved 10 August 2022 Eglise de Saint Martin de Tours GCatholic Retrieved 10 August 2022 Eglise de Marie Etoile de la Mer GCatholic Retrieved 10 August 2022 Eglise de Saint Martin GCatholic Retrieved 10 August 2022 Diocese de Guadeloupe in French Retrieved 10 August 2022 Produits interieurs bruts regionaux et valeurs ajoutees regionales de 2000 a 2020 INSEE Retrieved 21 February 2022 Total 2014 GDP of Sint Maarten GDP 2018 Press Release PDF Department of Statistics Sint Maarten Retrieved 21 February 2022 divided by the number of inhabitants in 2014 Population Estimates and Vital Statistics 2021 PDF Retrieved 21 February 2022 then converted from Netherlands Antillean gulden to US dollars at the 1 79 official peg Qui sommes nous lepelican journal com Retrieved 16 September 2020 Contact Faxinfo Retrieved 16 September 2020 Contacter la redaction de SXMINFO Saint Martin Island sxminfo fr in French 2 June 2010 Retrieved 16 September 2020 Mentions Legales SoualigaPost com in French Retrieved 16 September 2020 Politique Editoriale retenue Le St Martin s Week in French Retrieved 16 September 2020 St Martin News Network Contact Us smn news com Retrieved 16 September 2020 St Martin Tourist Office Coming to SXM by air or sea St Martin Tourist Office Archived from the original on 25 October 2007 StBarthCommuter com L Esperance Airport Grand Case SFG Archived from the original on 22 September 2007 Retrieved 24 July 2019 External links editSaint Martin France at Wikipedia s sister projects nbsp Definitions from Wiktionary nbsp Media from Commons nbsp News from Wikinews nbsp Quotations from Wikiquote nbsp Texts from Wikisource nbsp Textbooks from Wikibooks nbsp Resources from Wikiversity Official website of the Collectivity of Saint Martin in French Official website of the Tourist Office of Saint Martin nbsp Wikimedia Atlas of Saint Martin France nbsp Collectivity of Saint Martin travel guide from Wikivoyage Saint Martin The World Factbook Central Intelligence Agency 18 4 31 N 63 3 36 W 18 07528 N 63 06000 W 18 07528 63 06000 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Collectivity of Saint Martin amp oldid 1181423131, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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