CATEGORIES
◆ COMMUNICATIONS(5 fields)
Broadcast media
1 local TV station; access to about 20 radio stations, including RFO Guadeloupe radio broadcasts via repeater
Internet country code
.mf; note - .gp, the Internet country code for Guadeloupe, and .fr, the Internet country code for France, might also be encountered
Internet users
total: 19,284 (2022 est.) percent of population: 48.5% (2022 est.)
Telecommunication systems
general assessment: fully integrated access; good interisland and international connections; broadband access; expanded FttP (Fiber to the Home) and LTE markets; regulatory development; telecom sector contributes greatly to the overall GDP; telecom sector is a growth area (2020) domestic: direct dial capability with both fixed and wireless systems (2018) international: country code - 590; landing points for the SMPR-1, Southern Caribbean Fiber and the Saba, Statia Cable System submarine cables providing connectivity to numerous Caribbean islands (2019)
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 68,840 (2012 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 196 (2012 est.)
◆ ECONOMY(10 fields)
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
Exchange rates
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.925 (2023 est.) 0.95 (2022 est.) 0.845 (2021 est.) 0.876 (2020 est.) 0.893 (2019 est.)
Exports - commodities
gold, special use vessels, furniture, scrap aluminum, rum (2019)
Exports - partners
United States 35%, Netherlands 26%, Antigua and Barbuda 21%, France 10% (2019)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$649.206 million (2021 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
Imports - commodities
jewelry, diamonds, pearls, recreational boats, cars (2019)
Imports - partners
United States 76%, Netherlands 7%, France 7% (2019)
Industrial production growth rate
4.3% (2014 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Industries
tourism, light industry and manufacturing, heavy industry
Real GDP growth rate
4.9% (2021 est.) -12.5% (2020 est.) 6.5% (2019 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
◆ ENERGY(1 fields)
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
◆ ENVIRONMENT(3 fields)
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
Environment - current issues
excessive population pressure (increasing settlement); waste management; salinity intrusions into the mainland of the island; fresh water supply is dependent on desalination of sea water; over-exploitation of marine resources (reef fisheries, coral and shell); indiscriminate anchoring of boats damages coral reefs, causing underwater pollution and sedimentation
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 15,480 tons (2012 est.)
◆ GEOGRAPHY(13 fields)
Area
total : 50 sq km land: 50 sq km water: negligible
Area - comparative
more than one-third the size of Washington, DC
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
Coastline
58.9 km (for entire island)
Elevation
highest point: Pic du Paradis 424 m lowest point: Caribbean Ocean 0 m
Geographic coordinates
18 05 N, 63 57 W
Geography - note
note 1: the southern border is shared with Sint Maarten, a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; together, these two entities make up the smallest landmass in the world shared by two self-governing states note 2: Simpson Bay Lagoon (aka as 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 of Saint Martin runs across the center of the lagoon, which is shared by both of the island's entities
Land boundaries
total: 16 km border countries (1): Sint Maarten 16 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
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Natural hazards
subject to hurricanes from July to November
Natural resources
salt
Population distribution
most of the population is found along the coast, with a largest concentrations around the capital Marigot, Orleans, and Grand-Case
◆ GOVERNMENT(19 fields)
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: marigot is a French term referring to a body of water, a watercourse, a side-stream, or a tributary rivulet; the name likely refers to a stream at the site of the city's original founding
Citizenship
see France
Constitution
history: 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) amendments: amendment procedures of France's constitution apply
Country name
conventional long form: Overseas Collectivity of Saint Martin conventional short form: Saint Martin local long form: Collectivit d'outre mer de Saint-Martin local short form: Saint-Martin etymology: explorer Christopher COLUMBUS named the island after Saint MARTIN of Tours because the 11 November 1493 day of discovery was the saint's feast day
Dependency status
overseas collectivity of France note: the only French overseas collectivity that is part of the EU
Diplomatic representation from the US
embassy: none (overseas collectivity of France)
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (overseas collectivity of France)
Executive branch
chief of state: President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017); represented by Prefect Vincent BERTON (since 28 March 2022) head of government: President of Territorial Council Louis MUSSINGTON (since 3 April 2022) cabinet: Executive Council; note - there is also an advisory economic, social, and cultural council elections/appointments: 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; election last held on 3 April 2022 (next to be held in 2027) 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
Flag description
the flag of France is used
Government type
parliamentary democracy (Territorial Council); overseas collectivity of France
Independence
none (overseas collectivity of France)
International organization participation
ACS (associate), UPU
Legal system
French civil law
Legislative branch
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
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" 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)
National holiday
F te de la F d ration, 14 July (1790); note - local holiday is Schoelcher Day (Slavery Abolition Day) 12 July (1848), as well as St. Martin's Day, 11 November (1985), which commemorates the discovery of the island by COLUMBUS on Saint Martin's Day, 11 November 1493; the latter holiday celebrated on both halves of the island
National symbol(s)
brown pelican
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
Suffrage
18 years of age, universal
◆ INTRODUCTION(1 fields)
Background
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.
◆ MILITARY AND SECURITY(2 fields)
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of France
Military and security forces
no armed forces; Saint Martin Police Force (Korps Politie Sint Marteen)
◆ PEOPLE AND SOCIETY(25 fields)
Age structure
0-14 years: 24.7% (male 4,039/female 4,100) 15-64 years: 64.5% (male 10,216/female 11,068) 65 years and over: 10.8% (2024 est.) (male 1,536/female 2,037)
Birth rate
13.9 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
NA
Contraceptive prevalence rate
NA
Current health expenditure
NA
Death rate
4.8 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 49.1 N youth dependency ratio: 33.5 elderly dependency ratio: 15.6 potential support ratio: 6.4 (2021)
Drinking water source
improved: urban: 100% of population rural: NA total: 100% of population unimproved: urban: 0% of population rural: NA total: 0% of population (2020)
Education expenditures
NA
Ethnic groups
Creole (Mulatto), Black, Guadeloupe Mestizo (French-East Asian), White, East Indian, other
Gross reproduction rate
0.88 (2024 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 6.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.) male: 7.6 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.3 deaths/1,000 live births
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.
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 81 years (2024 est.) male: 78 years female: 84.2 years
Literacy
total population: NA male: NA female: NA
Median age
total: 34.2 years (2024 est.) male: 33.4 years female: 34.9 years
Net migration rate
-6.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Physician density
NA
Population
total: 32,996 male: 15,791 female: 17,205 (2024 est.)
Population distribution
most of the population is found along the coast, with a largest concentrations around the capital Marigot, Orleans, and Grand-Case
Population growth rate
0.3% (2024 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Protestant, Hindu
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban: 100% of population rural: NA total: 100% of population unimproved: urban: 0% of population rural: NA total: 0% of population (2020)
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.)
Total fertility rate
1.8 children born/woman (2024 est.)
◆ TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES(1 fields)
Illicit drugs
transshipment point for cocaine, heroin, and marijuana destined for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands as well as Europe.
◆ TRANSPORTATION(2 fields)
Airports
1 (2024)
Transportation - note
nearest airport for international flights is Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) located on Sint Maarten