CATEGORIES
◆ COMMUNICATIONS(6 fields)
Internet country code
.sx; note - IANA has designated .sx for Sint Maarten, but has not yet assigned it to a sponsoring organization
Internet hosts
NA
Internet users
NA
Telephone system
general assessment: generally adequate facilities domestic: extensive interisland microwave radio relay links international: country code - 599 (country code changes to 1-721 effective 30 September 2011); the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and the Americas-2 submarine cable systems provide connectivity to Central America, parts of South America and the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use
5,153 (2001) country comparison to the world: 210
Telephones - mobile cellular
NA
◆ ECONOMY(15 fields)
Agriculture - products
sugar
Economy - overview
The economy of Sint Maarten centers around tourism with nearly four-fifths of the labor force engaged in this sector. Over one million visitors come to the island each year - 1.3 million in 2008 - with most arriving through the Princess Juliana International Airport. Cruise ships and yachts also call on Sint Maarten's numerous ports and harbors. No significant agriculture and limited 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.
Electricity - production
304.3 million kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 168
Exchange rates
Netherlands Antillean guilders (ANG) per US dollar - 1.79 (2010) 1.79 (2009) 1.79 (2008) 1.79 (2007) 1.79 (2006)
Exports - commodities
sugar
GDP (official exchange rate)
$794.7 million (2008)
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$794.7 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 206 $748.9 million (2007 est.) $703.2 million (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 0.4% industry: 18.3% services: 81.3% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$15,400 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 73
GDP - real growth rate
1.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 158 4.5% (2007 est.)
Industries
tourism, light industry, and manufacturing
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
0.7% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 17 4.6% (2008 est.)
Labor force
23,200 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 206
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture: 1.1% industry: 15.2% services: 83.7% (2008 est.)
Unemployment rate
10.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 114
◆ GEOGRAPHY(17 fields)
Area
total: 34 sq km country comparison to the world: 235 land: 34 sq km water: 0 sq km note: Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin
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 1500 mm/year; July-November is the hurricane season
Coastline
364 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Flagstaff 386 m
Environment - current issues
NA
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
Irrigated land
NA
Land boundaries
total: 15 km border countries: Saint Martin (France) 15 km
Land use
arable land: 10% permanent crops: 0% other: 90%
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
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
Natural hazards
subject to hurricanes from July to November
Natural resources
fish, salt
Terrain
low, hilly terrain, volcanic origin
◆ GOVERNMENT(18 fields)
Administrative divisions
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Capital
name: Philipsburg geographic coordinates: 18 1 N, 63 2 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Constitution
Staatsregeling, 10 October 2010; revised Kingdom Charter pending
Country name
Dutch long form: Land Sint Maarten Dutch short form: Sint Maarten English long form: Country of Sint Maarten English short form: Sint Maarten former: Netherlands Antilles; Curacao and Dependencies
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
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
chief of state: Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980); represented by Governor General Eugene HOLIDAY (since 10 October 2010) head of government: Sarah WESCOTT-WILLIAMS (since 10 October 2010) cabinet: Cabinet (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website) elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch for a six-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually elected prime minister by the legislature
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: 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
Independence
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Judicial branch
Common Court of Justice, Joint High Court of Justice (judges appointed by the monarch)
Legal system
based on Dutch civil law system with some English common law influence
Legislative branch
unicameral parliament or Staten (15 seats; members elected by popular vote for four year term) elections: last held 17 September 2010 (next to be held in 2014) election results: percent of vote by party - National Alliance 45.9%, UPP 36.1%, Democratic Party 17.1%; seats by party - National Alliance 7, UPP 6, Democratic Party 2
National anthem
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" 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
Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA and accession to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX), 30 April (1909 and 1980)
Political parties and leaders
Democratic Party or DP [Sarah WESCOTT-WILLIAMS]; National Alliance or NA [William MARLIN]; United People's Party or UPP [Theodore HEYLIGER]; Concordia Political Alliance or CPA [Jeffery RICHARDSON]
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
◆ INTRODUCTION(1 fields)
Background
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 the island of Saint Martin to the French and Dutch, who divided it amongst themselves in 1648. The establishment of cotton, tobacco, and sugar plantations dramatically expanded 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. The change in status became effective in October of 2010 with the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles.
◆ MILITARY(3 fields)
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Military branches
the Royal Netherlands Navy maintains a permanent and active presence in the region from its main operating base on Curacao and through a detachment on Sint Maarten; other local security forces include a coast guard, paramilitary National Guard (Vrijwilligers Korps Sint Maarten), and Police Force (KPSM) (2010)
Military service age and obligation
no conscription (2010)
◆ PEOPLE AND SOCIETY(16 fields)
Age structure
0-14 years: 23.4% (male 4,299/female 4,455) 15-64 years: 73% (male 13,053/female 14,259) 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 608/female 755) (2010 est.)
Birth rate
NA
Death rate
3 deaths/1,000 population (2009) country comparison to the world: 217
Education expenditures
NA
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
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 census)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: NA male: 73.1 years female: 78.2 years (2009)
Net migration rate
14.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008) country comparison to the world: 6
Population
37,429 (January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 211
Population growth rate
NA
Religions
Roman Catholic 39%, Protestant 44.8% (Pentecostal 11.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6.2%, other Protestant 27%), none 6.7%, other 5.4%, Jewish 3.4%, not reported 0.7% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
NA
Sex ratio
at birth: 0.98 male(s)/female under 15 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2010)
Total fertility rate
1.7 children born/woman (2009) country comparison to the world: 168
◆ TRANSPORTATION(4 fields)
Airports
1 country comparison to the world: 233
Airports - with paved runways
total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2010)
Ports and terminals
Philipsburg oil terminals: Coles Bay oil terminal
Roadways
total: 53 km country comparison to the world: 217