Map of the island of Saint Martin.
Saint-Martin Island (French version - Saint-Martin) - an island in the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles archipelago, located in the northeastern part of caribbean south of and northwest of . On Dutch maps, it has always been referred to as Sint Maarten or St. Maarten (Sint Maarten or Sint-Maarten). In some Russian-language sources, it is designated as St. Martin's Island. The name of the island was given by Christopher Columbus in honor of the Catholic saint on whose day he put the island on the map.
The area of the island of Saint Martin is 87 square kilometers.
Geographical coordinates of the island of Saint-Martin: 18°03′30″ s. sh. 63°03′25″ W d.
Saint Maarten is the smallest island in the world, which is governed by two states. In the northern part of the island is the French overseas community of Saint-Martin, and in the southern part is the self-governing state of Sint Maarten (status aparte), which is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Photograph of the island of Saint Martin from space.
Story.
In the pre-Columbian era, the island of Saint Martin was inhabited by the Arawaks, who came here around the 5th-6th centuries AD. They called it the Island of Salt or the Land of Women. The second Indian name came from the matriarchy that reigned on the island at that time, which was not typical for the Lesser Antilles archipelago.
It is believed that Christopher Columbus discovered the island on November 11, 1493, but most sources believe that this happened a few days earlier, and the indicated date corresponds to the moment the island was mapped.
Saint-Martin was not initially interested in the Spaniards, since, apart from salt deposits, he had no other useful resources. This was used almost simultaneously by the French and the Dutch, who, after half a century, founded their settlements on the island.
At the end of the 16th century, Spain decided to regain the island of Saint Martin, so the Dutch and French colonists entered into a coalition to repel the attack. Repeated attempts by the Spaniards to seize the island by force failed, after which the question arose of dividing the island. In 1648, the island was divided between the Netherlands and France on the basis of a bilateral treaty, which is still in force today.
In the period from 1651 to 1665, the power of the Order of Malta was restored in the French part of the island. After the "Maltese" left the island, France transferred its part of Saint-Martin to the control of the colonial administration.
Britain captured Saint Martin three times between 1690 and 1699, from 3 February to 26 November 1781 and from 24 March 1801 to 1 December 1802.
During the Napoleonic Wars in Europe in 1810, Saint-Martin was occupied by Britain for the fourth time, but in 1816 it was returned to the jurisdiction of the Netherlands and France.
Something similar happened in 1940, when, after the occupation of France and the Netherlands by Germany, the island of San Martin was occupied first by British troops, who were replaced in 1942 by the Americans. In 1946, the Americans, having closed their base on the island, handed it over to the rightful owners.
In 1919, the Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin, together with the islands and Sint Eustatius, became part of the Netherlands Windward Antilles ( Netherlands Windward Islands).
In 1946, the French authorities formed overseas department Guadeloupe, which, in addition to the islands, also included the French part of the island of Saint Martin.
On December 15, 1954, the Netherlands Windward Antilles (with the Dutch part of St. Maarten) were merged with the Aruba Islands, and into the Netherlands Antilles or the Netherlands Antilles (Netherlands Antilles) under the jurisdiction of the Netherlands Crown.
On July 23, 2000, a referendum was held in the Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin, on the basis of which this territorial entity was granted status aparte, that is, the status of a self-governing state within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
On February 22, 2007, based on the results of the referendum, the French part of the island of Saint Martin (as well as) was granted the status of an overseas community of France with broad autonomous powers and withdrawal from jurisdiction.
Gulf of Marigot.
Origin and geography of the island.
Saint Martin, like all islands in the Windward Islands, is of volcanic origin. According to scientists, it was formed during the rise of the seabed as a result of seismic activity and the eruption of an underwater volcano about 9 million years ago.
The island of Saint Martin in the north is separated from the island of Anguilla by the strait of the same name, it is also separated by the strait of the same name in the southeast from the island of Saint Barthélemy. The western coast of Saint-Martin is washed by the waters of the Caribbean Sea, and the eastern coast by the open Atlantic.
Saint-Martin has a complex geometric shape with a strongly meandering coastline, which along its length forms many bays and bays, as well as peninsulas and capes protruding far into the sea. Among the bays, it is worth highlighting Marigot, Grand Case, Orient, Down, Big Bay and the almost closed Simpson Bay lagoon, connected to the sea by channels. The largest peninsulas on the island include Terre Basse, Marseille and Amsterdam. The relief of Saint-Martin is mostly low-lying and flat, this is especially observed near the coast, which along the entire perimeter of the island is sandy beaches with white and yellow sands. In the central part of the island, there is an uplift in the form of hills, turning into low mountains. The highest point of the island of Saint Martin is Mount Paradis Peak (Pic Paradis) with a height of 424 (according to other sources 414) meters above sea level. The natural sources of fresh water in Saint-Martin are small streams fed by rainwater. In addition to them, there are quite a lot of salt lakes on the island, on which industrial developments are being carried out even at this time.
Panorama of the city of Marigot.
Climate.
The climate on the island of Saint Martin is dry, temperate tropical. Relative humidity is provided by trade winds constantly blowing from the northwest. The air temperature does not fluctuate significantly throughout the year. Its average value in this case is about + 23-26 ° С. During the year, about 500-550 millimeters of precipitation falls on the island in the form of short-term, but heavy rains. The greatest number of them falls in winter during a relatively dry summer.
City of Philipsburg and the adjacent beach.
Population.
The total population in both the French and the Dutch parts of Saint Martin exceeds 74,000 people. In ethno-racial terms, the vast majority of the islanders are descendants of Negro slaves, previously imported from Africa to work on plantations, as well as mulattos. Europeans and Indians are in the minority (no more than 20% of the total population).
The main direction of the economy of Saint Martin and the area of employment of the local population is offshore financial activities, salt mining and servicing tourists arriving on the island.
The official languages in the south of the island are Dutch, and in its northern part - French, in everyday life you can hear a mixed Creole speech, which comes from the two above-mentioned languages. In addition to all this, on the island, when communicating, both Spanish and English are often heard.
The largest city in terms of population on the island is the administrative center of the French part - the city of Marigot, located on the northwest coast and has a population of about six thousand inhabitants. The administrative center of the Dutch part of the island is the small port town of Philipsburg, located in the southern part of the island and inhabited by about a thousand inhabitants. Among other more or less large and significant settlements Saint Martin are celebrated: in the Dutch part of the towns of Princes Quarty, Kuulbaai and Simonbaai, and in the French part - Oyster Point, Colombier and Quarty Orleans.
The monetary unit that is in circulation on the territory of the French part of the island of Saint Martin is the euro (EUR, code 978), consisting of 100 euro cents, and in the Dutch - the Netherlands Antillean guilder (ANG, code 532), which consists of 100 cents.
View of the Simpson Bay lagoon.
Flora and fauna.
The flora and fauna of the island of Saint-Martin is not distinguished by its special diversity. Prior to European colonization, the island was covered in lush, dry rainforest that was cut down to develop plantations and grazing land for imported livestock. Now, outside the urbanized areas, plantings of secondary forests resistant to drought are being created. The main tree crop in them is acacia. The remaining small forest areas are dominated by the island's indigenous tree species, such as white and red rubber trees, as well as red and iron trees.
The fauna of Saint-Martin is limited to a few species of mammals. Raccoons, mongooses, rats and mice stand out among them. All of them in different periods were brought to the island by man. There are more than a hundred species of sea and land birds here. Reptiles include coal turtles, kokyu and cube frogs, gecko lizards, iguanas, and two types of small, non-venomous snakes. Among the insects on Saint-Martin, butterflies and mosquitoes prevail, in addition to them, centipedes and arachnids live here.
The beach near the airport named after Princess Juliana and the plane landing over the beach.
Tourism.
Tourists and guests can get to Saint-Martin quite easily. In the south of the island, the airport named after Princess Juliana was built and operates, which is one of the ten largest airports in the region. The airport has international status, as it receives flights from Caribbean countries, America and Europe. In the north of the island, near the city of Marigot, there is also an international airport, which also receives flights from foreign countries. The cities of Marigot and Philipsburg are port cities, and their berthing facilities are capable of receiving various passenger ships small and middle classes. In addition, Saint Martin is connected to the island of Anguilla by regular ferry service.
There are about 70 hotels of various levels of service on the island at the service of tourists who have arrived on Saint-Martin. Hotels and inns were built, as a rule, in coastal areas near salt lakes and beaches. Most of them are included in beach and hotel complexes with bars, restaurants, golf clubs and tennis courts. Among the most widely known hotels on the island are such as The Westin St. Maarten Dawn Beach Resort Spa, La Samanna, Hotel Beach Plaza, Cap Caraibes Resort and others. In addition to hotels, tourists who have arrived on the island can also stay in rented private apartments and apartments of local residents in both the French and Dutch parts. By the way, you can rent an apartment in Moscow by using the services of the Internet service http://cityinnmsk.ru, which is always convenient, reliable and of high quality.
Hotels and mansions on the waterfront in the city of Marigot.
Despite the mountainous terrain in the central part of the island, the coast of Saint Martin is replete with beaches with white and yellow Caribbean sands, which are washed by the purest azure waters of the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. In both the French and Dutch parts of the island, along the coast, there is a this moment about 30 beaches, among which stand out Cole, Gret, Rouge, Longhi, Orient, Grand Cas and many others. There are always a lot of surfers on the beaches of Saint Martin, trying to catch, though rare, but sometimes quite high waves.
Saint Martin, in comparison with the neighboring islands of the region, does not have its own conditions for diving. However, the presence coral reef in which it lives a large number of tropical fish and other marine life, make every deep dive memorable and unique. In addition, divers can dive to the frigate Proselyta, which sank in the Middle Ages near Fort Amsterdam, which lies almost in shallow water.
Salt lakes and inland salt lagoons make Saint Martin the most famous spa resort not only in the region, but also in the world. Numerous spa centers and boarding houses are always ready to receive tourists for the treatment of cardiopulmonary and musculoskeletal systems.
Guests of the island and tourists interested in sights can visit the old defensive forts of Saint-Louis (near Marigot) and Amsterdam (on a spit west of Philipsburg) on Saint-Martin.
Saint Martin the most unusual island in the Caribbean, there seems to be too much uniqueness in this island, let's start in order.
1. The island belongs to two countries at once, the northern part belongs to France, the southern part belongs to the Netherlands. But there are no borders on the island, there is only a symbolic pillar with which tourists take pictures. The French call the island "St. Maarten", the Dutch "Sint Maarten", sometimes we call it the island of St. Martin. To enter the island you need a special visa, which can be obtained through visa centers two countries, you need to apply for a visa of the country where you will spend more nights. The list of documents is no different from a regular Schengen visa, only the application itself is slightly different.
2. Prostitution is legalized in St. Maarten, most of the brothels are located in Philipsburg, which is the capital of the southern part, it is located major port, where almost every day huge liners with tourists moor. Drugs are prohibited unlike in the Netherlands. The saleswoman in the supermarket was delighted that we were from Russia, she says there are few Russians here, but there is one girl who works as a masseuse in a neighboring building. I'm afraid to imagine what kind of massage she does :)
3. The most unique airport in the world is also located here, we admit that many people come to Saint Martin just because of it. The runway of Princess Juliana International Airport is famous for starting from Maho Beach, so planes land right over the heads of tourists. Standing over a huge KLM Boeing is an extreme pleasure. The second entertainment is to stand at the fence when the planes take off, the main thing is to hold on tight :) I wrote about it earlier
4. Good beaches. Everyone will really enjoy swimming on the island, the water is distinguished by clear azure water and the absence of waves. I recommend Maho beach with planes (during the season when there are no stones) and the neighboring Mullet Bay beach. In the French part good beach is Orient Beach. 
5. The entire island is duty free and Dute Free. Despite the fact that all goods are imported (they only produce sauces), thanks to tax breaks, there are excellent supermarkets with decent names at an affordable price. American beer, Brazilian couscous, Belgian ice cream, Canadian maple syrup and more. Prices for liter bottles of rum start at $6. We brought home something that is hard to find in Perm, real Canadian maple syrup and more. And what kind of Jamaican beer is there, because the island was an English colony, they brew incomparable ales !!! 
6. Currency. The uniqueness is that on the island the official currency on the Dutch side is guilders, but the prices are also indicated in dollars, because most of the tourists are Americans. In the northern part, prices are indicated in euros, but you can also pay in dollars, and at the rate of 1 dollar = 1 euro :) Guilder rate = 1.8 dollars. It is most profitable to go to Saint Martin with American dollars.
7. Sunset bar & Grill. Returning to the topic of airplanes, it is best to watch them from a cafe on Maho Beach. There is good food here, and sometimes real Caribbean parties with live music. It's fun when the next ship lands, absolutely all tourists rush to this hyped institution. By the way, topless girls are served for free, topless boys are not served at all :)
8. Judging by the sweat reviews, there are enough gay couples on the island of St. Maarten, who are guarded by a big black uncle. They prefer secluded beaches so be careful what you choose to swim in :)
Tips for those who want to visit Saint Martin
How to get there?
The easiest one-stop flight from Russia via Paris or Amsterdam with KLM or AirFrance. The cost of tickets will be from 40 thousand rubles. round-trip, sometimes a little cheaper flight by American airlines, but it is only suitable for those who have an open American visa, since there is no transit to the USA.
How to get cheap to the island of Saint Martin? Catch aircaraibes promotions http://www.aircaraibes.com/ , they fly from Paris. The cost of a round-trip flight for the promotion can be 400 euros round-trip. The minimum price of a flight from European cities with connections in Paris and Amsterdam with KLM or AirFrance is from 600 euros. For those who travel to the US, I would recommend cruises from Miami to the Caribbean or direct flights (from Miami round-trip from $ 350, fly 3 hours). 
Where to live?
The best area to live in is Marina Simpson bay. First, close to the airport and Maho beaches with Mullet Bay. Secondly, good infrastructure. These are solid restaurants where you can dine with steaks and ribs with live music. good value hotel - around 100 dollars, the usual cost is 130-150 dollars per night. It should be understood that hotels usually do not include breakfast, the service is weaker than hotels in the Dominican Republic. Good hotel Sonesta Maho Beach overlooking Maho Beach and The Villas at Simpson Bay Resort& Marina. Villas and apartments can be searched on Abritel.fr and HomeAway.com homelidays Airbnb.com
View from our room window 
The hotel is good, but those who are used to being licked, show shows, animations, cook all-inclusive meals, make swans out of towels and so on, will be very disappointed. Rooms are great, no service. 
What currency to take with you?
It is best to take US dollars with you. Minibuses do not accept large amounts, it is best to take more small banknotes.
How to get around the island?
The whole island moves in minibuses, you just have to raise your hand. The fare from Simpson Bay to the airport is $1.5-2, to Maho Beach $2, to Mullet Bay Beach $2.5-3, the same fare to Philipsburg. In fact, small Saint-Martin can be easily traveled around on these minibuses. From the airport you can immerse yourself in a taxi, a specially trained person at the exit will sort tourists according to their place of residence, the cost is 10-15 dollars maximum. There are a lot of rental offices, you can take some Ford Mustang, a lot of beautiful American cars.
Is it safe on the island?
As elsewhere in the Caribbean, you should be careful. There is a story on the Internet about how people were robbed right near the beach, stealing a rented car. It should be remembered that the local population is poor, with all the ensuing consequences. At the same time, you should not see each enemy, locals extremely positive and welcoming.
On the streets of Philipsburg 
Beaches
The best beaches are located in the Dutch part of the island, for example, Mullet Bay. It is easy to find it, if you go from the side of the airport to Maho, then you should move along main road along the golf courses, then after the barrier the next turn to the sea. Many minibuses go to this beach, if it is indicated on the sign, you can name it, and when to get out, they will tell you.
The best beach is also called Maho (Maho beach), swimming under the planes is original. The main thing is that this should not be in the off season (for example, October-November), when instead of sand on the beach there are huge boulders. Orient Beach is always full of people, there are active entertainments (water skiing, etc.), and on weekends there are parties in numerous restaurants. Not far from this beach is the small island of Pinel. On small boats you can swim across 
To find your beach, it's best to take a car and drive around them all :) The cost of sun loungers on the beaches of St. Maarten is from 8 to 15 dollars.
What else can you see in Saint Maarten? In the French capital in the city of Marigot there is a market where you can buy spices, vanilla. And also have breakfast with croissants in French cafes
The only thing that the locals produce is spicy sauces, everything else is imported. Seafood including. The cost of dinner in European prices. For those who want to save money, it’s better to take rooms with a kitchen or apartments, supermarkets have excellent products, you won’t be lost :)
We met the cheerful bartender Roger Lutz. who lives on two things: travel and cocktails. His dream is to open his own bartending school on the island. He thinks that the locals make cocktails suck (and it's true), his cocktails are incomparable. He lived for several years in countries such as South Africa, Iceland, Australia, Japan. Like all Germans, he loves football, is a fan of St. Pauli in Hamburg, this is a very interesting club, for which all asocial strata of society also support (LGBT, hippies, punks, etc.), and he told how, standing on the fan stand, you can get drunk from smells of marijuana :) Cheerful guy who taught us how to make a real pinocolade, we brought all the ingredients from the island, then every day we pampered ourselves at home with a wonderful cocktail. By the way, he told us that bacardi is garbage, any cheapest rum is better than bacardi 
Locals pray for lobsters, the cost of dinner is quite European prices. 
sunsets 
cruise ship in the distance 
No wonder the island has an unspoken status of unique. Firstly, the territory of Saint-Martin is peacefully divided by two states. Secondly, it is the smallest land on which two countries coexist, the earth on the planet. Thirdly, one of the most unusual airports the world is right here. There are fifth, seventh, tenth ...
Saint Martin on the map
Saint Martin island on the world map or detailed map islands can be viewed using the navigation buttons (+/-). Caribbean islands on the map
Since the island belongs territorially to two European powers, it has two names: the French say Saint-Martin (accent on the last syllable), while the Dutch call it Sint Maarten. Accordingly, there are also two administrative centers: Marigot (Fr.) and Philipsburg (Dutch).
City of Marigot An extraordinary island is located in the north of the archipelago Eastern Islands West Indies. total area 87 km², with the possessions of the Netherlands making up a smaller part - 34 km². On French soil (53 km²) is the highest point of the island (424 meters) - Mount Peak Paradise. The Caribbean Sea washes the coast of this political and geographical miracle.
City of Philipsburg Holidays in Saint Martin
South Drive, solar power, luxury vacation This is Saint Martin. The whole range of traditional beach pastime, which the Caribbean is famous for, is available on the island in full, so the facts will be more informative:
- right above Maho Beach, giant Boeings take off / land incredibly low;
- Mullet Bay, Orient Beach and the same extreme Maho are considered the best beaches;
- duty-free shopping and the Dute Free zone, beloved by millions of tourists, will provide exciting shopping with purchases at affordable prices;
- in an equal course and the euro, and the guilder, and the dollar;
- the most hyped bar is the Sunset bar & Grill on Maho;
- Marina Simpson bay is the most comfortable for living: in a minute proximity to the beach, developed infrastructure, many cafe-restaurants with first-class cuisine and live music;
- You can get anywhere in Saint-Martin by minibus or rented car.
Tourists, despite the two euro-hosts, move freely throughout the island, freely crossing the conditional border-pillar. The only thing you need to decide in advance is which side to spend the night on - it depends on which of the countries will provide a visa. And further. It's easy to stumble upon a cooing gay couple on a nude beach, so homophobic travelers should avoid these places.
Airport "Princess Juliana" on the island of Saint Martin
Nature of Saint Martin
The exotic charm of the nature of the Caribbean is revealed in Saint-Martin to the fullest, although the soil here is not very fertile. The territory is a rounded top of a currently inactive volcano. The entire perimeter of the island is surrounded by a scattering of picturesque coral plantations, which are easily accessible by swimming. The wealth of the underwater kingdom will provide exciting diving and productive fishing (white and blue marlin, barracuda, wahoo, less often sea urchin, etc.).
Land chic is not inferior to underwater. There are palm trees on the miniature land, and cactus, and succulent thickets of forests, and shimmering fields of cotton, vegetables, and reeds. Flower lovers arrive in ecstasy from the variety of buds, their aromas, shades, sizes. The fauna is many times poorer than the flora and is represented mainly by feral livestock, birds and lizards.
Magnificent Saint Martin can be discovered every day, but never fully known - such a compact Caribbean island is diverse. Ecotourists will certainly appreciate the walks along Botanical garden and a zoo located on the side of the Netherlands. Also popular in the Dutch part of the island are tours of nine churches, colonial-era buildings, Her Majesty Wilhelmina Monument, Forts Amsterdam and Willem, Sint Maarten Museum, Dawn Beach, Cole Bay Hill Tower, Watney Square.
And the French possessions will not disappoint tourists who are eager for impressions, especially lovers nightlife is a real paradise of casinos, restaurants-bars, discos, beach parties, original music. The day can be devoted to examining the French-style elegant buildings on Republic Street, climb to ancient fortress Saint-Louis, explore the unique exhibitions at the Museum of Culture and History of Saint-Martin and the Loulou Gallery, take pictures against the backdrop of the original building that houses the Rue de la Liberte Court. Then go for a run through the Marigot market, go to the Creole village of Colombier, take a tasting tour of the gastronomic capital of Grand Case, relax your soul at the charming Butterfly Farm.
Maho beach is one of the most unusual beaches in the world, for the sake of this place thousands of people buy tickets for small island Saint Martin in the Caribbean to see and feel the planes overhead. If your dream is similar to mine, namely, to stand under a huge Boeing 747 (literally a "meter" above you), then for you I will tell you all about this beach and the world's best beach bar Sunset bar & Grill next to international airport named after Princess Juliana.
Flying up to the islands, I can't wait to see people swimming on the beach, to fly right over their heads. 
Here are the people downstairs. But where is the sand and the beach? 
Barely restraining ourselves after arrival, the next day from the very early morning we rush to this beach. It is easy to find, right after the airport there is a lapel with a pointer to Maho. Every morning, this uncle draws a schedule of arrivals for the day on a surfboard. 
On the left - the name of the airlines, next - the time of arrival. It is worth noting that planes are often delayed, sometimes for several hours. The most punctual are those that fly from the US and Canada, such as American Airlines or JetBlue. The most not punctual in my opinion are Panamanian Copa and transatlantic KLM flights with AirFrance. 
Sunset Bar & Grill. It is best to watch them from a cafe on Maho Beach. There is good food here, and sometimes real Caribbean parties with live music. It's fun when the next ship lands, absolutely all tourists rush to this hyped institution. 
Pay attention to the speakers, there are real-time conversations between the pilots and the airport dispatcher. 
Small planes are not marked on the arrivals board in the bar at all, indeed, there are a lot of them flying, then you don’t even notice them 
There are few people in the morning, you can perfectly stand under small planes, I constantly ran to them, seeing an approaching dot in the sky. Then I waited only for big planes. It is an incredible feeling when a small dot is approaching the island in the distance, it is getting closer and closer. You stand on the rocks and the plane becomes a real giant, and you stand and think: "oh my god, it's flying right at me!!!" 
Once American Airlines in the face of a Boeing 737 flew very low, everyone fell from the rocks to the ground, and caps and glasses were blown into the sea by the wind. And the hot air from the engines burned their faces 
I caught AirFrance by the tail! 
Good simple breakfast at the bar 
American-style generous and tasty burgers 
Tip: a lot of people come specially only on large planes - these are AirFrance and KLM, they do not fly every day 
Party in the bar - it's passengers cruise liners when so many people gather, it is inconvenient from the point of view of photographing, because this whole crowd is running towards the planes, pushing 
The pizza at the bar is named after airlines. There are a lot of meat dishes in the bar, I advise you to return here at least once in the evening for dinner, when the plane lands in deep darkness, the sensations will be completely different. 
In many photographs, instead of boulders, there is a beach where tourists sunbathe. Why didn't it happen in November? Mystery. On the December photos there is again a lot of sand and photos of people swimming, "the sea has receded". But there are no sandstorms during the landing of the aircraft, which can damage lenses, etc. 
Another fun on the beach is waiting for the plane to take off. You stand against the fence and hold on as tightly as possible so that you are not blown away by gusts of warm air from the turbines. 
Be careful and hide your face so that stones do not fly 
By the way, topless girls are served free of charge, topless boys are not served at all :) Pay attention to this inscription. 
Some more planes 
The main thing is not to forget that the island has wonderful beaches and the sea, about them and how to get to Saint Martin with other tips in the next post
Map of Saint Martin's Island
Saint Martin's Island(Saint-Martin island, fr. saint martin, netherl. Sint Maarten is an island in the Caribbean Sea in the northern part of the Eastern Caribbean chain. Saint Martin's is the world's smallest inhabited island, administered simultaneously by two independent governments. Northern part the islands are an overseas community of France Saint Martin, and the southern one is a self-governing state with significant autonomy (status aparte) within the Kingdom of the Netherlands and is called Sint Maarten. The area is 83 km² (including the Dutch part of the island - 35 km², the French - 48 km²). Highest point- Mount Peak Paradise (424 m) in the French part of the island.
The administrative center of the Dutch part of the island is the city of Philipsburg, the French one is the city of Marigot.
Story
Before the discovery of America by Europeans, the island belonged entirely to the Arawaks, who called it the island of Salt (in honor of the main wealth of Saint Martin) or the Land of Women. After the discovery of the island by Christopher Columbus in 1493, the possession of the Arawaks was renamed Saint Martin, and November 11 - the day the island was put on the world map - is considered its main public holiday. A century and a half later, the first settlements of the French and Dutch appeared here, who formed a coalition when the Spaniards returned to Saint-Martin. The Spanish were unable to take possession of the island, which was divided between France and the Netherlands under a 1648 treaty. Today, this treaty is one of the oldest agreements still in force.
Population
The population of the island (French and Dutch parts together) is 74,250 (2007) people. Whites make up 1/4 of the population. The name "St. Martin" was given to the island by the British, the locals call it Narikel Jinjira, which means "Coconut Island".
Climate
Saint Martin has a dry, temperate climate and, thanks to the trade winds, has sufficient humidity. Its relief is hilly, and the uplands are covered with greenery and forests. It also has more than 30 white sand beaches belonging to the French and Dutch territories. The surface of the island is mountainous, treeless; Mount Mont Paradis reaches 420 m in height.
Economy
The official currency on the Dutch side is the Netherlands Antillean guilder, and on the French side, as in all other French overseas possessions, the euro. The American dollar is accepted everywhere, in addition, most prices in shops on the island are indicated in this currency. The cost of living is similar or slightly higher than in Europe. Credit cards are accepted everywhere.
The southern, Dutch part of the island is an offshore zone. Companies registered in the Dutch part of the island and not doing business on the island are exempt from taxes. In addition, there is no tax on real estate and on income from its sale.
Princess Juliana Airport is located on this island. Landing in it is considered one of the most difficult, because the end of the runway is adjacent to sea shore, and the planes are forced to land literally over the heads of tourists relaxing on the beach, while the strip itself is only 2180 m.
Language
The official language of the Dutch part of the island is Dutch. English and Spanish are common here, as well as the papiamento dialect; on the French side, the official language is
