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.
Geography
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
Geographic coordinates
18 05 N, 63 57 W
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Area
total : 50 sq km
land: 50 sq km
water: negligible
comparison ranking: total 230
Area – comparative
more than one-third the size of Washington, D.C.
Land boundaries
total: 16 km
border countries (1): Sint Maarten 16 km
Coastline
58.9 km (for entire island)
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
Elevation
highest point: Pic du Paradis 424 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Natural resources
salt
Land use
agricultural land: 0% (2022 est.)
forest: 24.8% (2022 est.)
other: 75.2% (2022 est.)
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
Natural hazards
subject to hurricanes from July to November
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
People and Society
Population
total: 32,996 (2024 est.)
male: 15,791
female: 17,205
comparison rankings: total 215; female 215; male 215
Ethnic groups
Creole (Mulatto), Black, Guadeloupe Mestizo (French-East Asian), White, East Indian, other
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.
French audio sample:
Religions
Roman Catholic, Jehovah’s Witness, Protestant, Hindu
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)
2024 population pyramid:
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 55 (2024 est.) N
youth dependency ratio: 38.2 (2024 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 16.8 (2024 est.)
potential support ratio: 6 (2024 est.)
Median age
total: 34.2 years (2024 est.)
male: 33.4 years
female: 34.9 years
comparison ranking: total 106
Population growth rate
0.3% (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 166
Birth rate
13.9 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 121
Death rate
4.8 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 202
Net migration rate
-6.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 211
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
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.)
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
comparison ranking: total 160
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 81 years (2024 est.)
male: 78 years
female: 84.2 years
comparison ranking: total population 46
Total fertility rate
1.8 children born/woman (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 140
Gross reproduction rate
0.88 (2024 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
NA
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)
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)
Education expenditure
3.9% of GDP (2023 est.) NA
23% national budget (2023 est.)
comparison ranking: Education expenditure (% GDP) 117
Literacy
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA
Environment
Environment – current 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
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
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: 15,480 tons (2012 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form: Overseas Collectivity of Saint Martin
conventional short form: Saint Martin
local long form: Collectivité 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
Government type
parliamentary democracy (Territorial Council); overseas collectivity of France
Dependency status
overseas collectivity of France
note: the only French overseas collectivity that is part of the EU
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
Legal system
French civil law
Constitution
history: 4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
amendment process: amendment procedures of France’s constitution apply
Citizenship
see France
Suffrage
18 years of age, universal
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
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
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
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
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (overseas collectivity of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US
embassy: none (overseas collectivity of France)
International organization participation
ACS (associate), UPU
Independence
none (overseas collectivity of France)
National holiday
Fête de la Fédération, 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
Flag description
the flag of France is used
National symbol(s)
brown pelican
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)
Economy
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
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
comparison ranking: 58
GDP (official exchange rate)
$649.206 million (2021 est.)
note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
Industries
tourism, light industry and manufacturing, heavy industry
Industrial production growth rate
4.3% (2014 est.)
note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
comparison ranking: 71
Exports – partners
United States 35%, Netherlands 26%, Antigua and Barbuda 21%, France 10% (2019)
Exports – commodities
gold, special use vessels, furniture, scrap aluminum, rum (2019)
top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Imports – partners
United States 76%, Netherlands 7%, France 7% (2019)
Imports – commodities
jewelry, diamonds, pearls, recreational boats, cars (2019)
Exchange rates
euros (EUR) per US dollar –
Exchange rates:
0.924 (2024 est.)
0.925 (2023 est.)
0.95 (2022 est.)
0.845 (2021 est.)
0.876 (2020 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification – total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Communications
Telephones – mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 68,840 (2012 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 196 (2012 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 199
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
percent of population: 48.5% (2022 est.)
Transportation
Airports
1 (2025)
comparison ranking: 231
Military and Security
Military and security forces
no regular military forces; Ministry of Justice: Police Force of Sint Maaten (Korps Politie Sint Marteen, KPSM) (2025)
Military – note
defense is the responsibility of France
Transnational Issues
Illicit drugs
transshipment point for cocaine, heroin, and marijuana destined for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands as well as Europe.
