CATEGORIES
◆ COMMUNICATIONS(4 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, are also used
Internet users
percent of population: 48.5% (2022 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 68,840 (2012 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 196 (2012 est.)
◆ ECONOMY(9 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 - 0.924 (2024 est.) 0.925 (2023 est.) 0.95 (2022 est.) 0.845 (2021 est.) 0.876 (2020 est.)
Exports - commodities
gold, special use vessels, furniture, scrap aluminum, rum (2019) top five export commodities based on value in dollars
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)
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(4 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
Environmental issues
waste management; salinity intrusions; limited freshwater resources; over-exploitation of marine resources (reef fisheries, coral, and shell); water pollution and damage to coral reefs from boats
Land use
agricultural land: 0% (2022 est.) forest: 24.8% (2022 est.) other: 75.2% (2022 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 15,500 tons (2024 est.)
◆ GEOGRAPHY(14 fields)
Area
total : 50 sq km land: 50 sq km water: negligible
Area - comparative
more than one-third the size of Washington, D.C.
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 Sea 0 m
Geographic coordinates
18 05 N, 63 57 W
Geography - note
note 1: the southern border is shared with Sint Maarten, which is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; together, these two entities make up the smallest landmass in the world that is shared by two self-governing states note 2: Simpson Bay Lagoon (aka 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 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
Land use
agricultural land: 0% (2022 est.) forest: 24.8% (2022 est.) other: 75.2% (2022 est.)
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 the largest concentration around the capital of Marigot, as well as 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: the name is taken from the French word marigot , meaning "backwater" or "swampy area;" it probably comes from the original fishing village's location next to a water-logged area on a lagoon
Citizenship
see France
Constitution
history: 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) amendment process: 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 during a visit on 11 November 1493, 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 Cyrille LE VELY (since 10 February 2025) head of government: President of Territorial Council Louis MUSSINGTON (since 3 April 2022) cabinet: Executive Council, as well as an advisory economic, social, and cultural council election/appointment process: 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 most recent election date: 3 April 2022 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 expected date of next election: 2027
Flag
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
legislature name: Territorial Council legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 23 (directly elected) electoral system: plurality/majority scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 3/27/2022 parties elected and seats per party: RSM and Alternative (16); UD (5); HOPE, Saint Martin with You, and Future Saint Martin (2) percentage of women in chamber: 43.5% expected date of next election: March 2027 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(s)
title: "O Sweet Saint Martin's Land" lyrics/music: Gerard KEMPS history: the song, written in 1958, is used as an unofficial anthem for the entire island (both French and Dutch sides) _____ title: "La Marseillaise" (The Song of Marseille) lyrics/music: Claude-Joseph ROUGET de Lisle history: official anthem, as a French collectivity
National holiday
F te de la F d ration, 14 July (1790) note 1: local holiday is Schoelcher Day (Slavery Abolition Day) 12 July (1848), as well as St. Martin's Day, 11 November (1985); the latter holiday celebrated on both halves of the island note 2: often incorrectly referred to as Bastille Day, France's national celebration commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison on 14 July 1789 and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy; other names for the holiday are la F te nationale (National Holiday) and le Quatorze Juillet (14th of July)
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 regular military forces; Ministry of Justice: Police Force of Sint Maaten (Korps Politie Sint Marteen, KPSM) (2025)
◆ PEOPLE AND SOCIETY(20 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
13.78 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate
4.83 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 55.4 (2025 est.) N youth dependency ratio: 38 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 17.4 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 5.7 (2025 est.)
Drinking water source
total: 100% of population urban: 0% of population
Education expenditure
3.9% of GDP (2023 est.) NA 23% national budget (2023 est.)
Ethnic groups
Creole (Mulatto), Black, Guadeloupe Mestizo (French-East Asian), White, East Indian, other
Gross reproduction rate
0.88 (2025 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 6.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 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
Median age
total: 34.3 years (2025 est.) male: 33.4 years female: 34.9 years
Net migration rate
-6.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Population
total: 33,093 (2025 est.) male: 15,825 female: 17,268
Population distribution
most of the population is found along the coast, with the largest concentration around the capital of Marigot, as well as Orleans and Grand-Case
Population growth rate
0.29% (2025 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Protestant, Hindu
Sanitation facility access
urban: 100% of population (2022 est.) total: 100% of population (2022 est.) urban: 0% of population (2022 est.) total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
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 (2025 est.)
◆ TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES(1 fields)
Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees: 156 (2024 est.)
◆ TRANSPORTATION(1 fields)
Airports
1 (2025)