Sint Maarten
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- For the island of St. Martin on the whole, see Saint Martin, for the French side, see Saint Martin (France) and for other uses, see Saint Martin (disambiguation).
| Island Territory of Sint Maarten
Eilandgebied St. Maarten
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| Motto: Semper pro grediens (Latin) | ||||||
| Anthem: O Sweet Saint Martin's Land |
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| Capital | Philipsburg 18°01′N 63°03′W / 18.017°N 63.05°W |
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| (and largest city) | Lower Prince's Quarter | |||||
| Official languages | Dutch, English | |||||
| Government | See Politics of the Netherlands Antilles | |||||
| - | Administrator | Franklyn Richards | ||||
| constitutional monarchy | part of the Netherlands Antilles | |||||
| Area | ||||||
| - | Total | 21.07 km2 (_) 13.1 sq mi |
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| - | Water (%) | Negligible | ||||
| Population | ||||||
| - | 2006 estimate | 35,000 (_) | ||||
| - | 2004 census | 33,119 | ||||
| - | Density | 974/km2 (_) ?/sq mi |
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| GDP (PPP) | 2003 estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $ 400 million (_) | ||||
| - | Per capita | $ 11,400 (2003 est.) (_) | ||||
| HDI (2003) | n/a (unranked) (n/a) | |||||
| Currency | Netherlands Antillean guilder (ANG) |
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| Time zone | (UTC-4) | |||||
| Internet TLD | .an | |||||
| Calling code | +599 until May 31, 2010 +1-721 thereafter[1] |
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The Island Territory of Sint Maarten (Dutch: Eilandgebied Sint Maarten) is one of five island areas (Eilandgebieden) of the Netherlands Antilles, encompassing the southern half of the island of Saint Martin/Sint Maarten. At the 2001 Netherlands Antilles census, the population of the Eilandgebied was 30,594[2], for a population density of 900 inhabitants per km².
Sint Maarten borders the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Martin, which occupies the northern half of the island.
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[edit] Urban areas
- Philipsburg with 1,228 inhabitants
- Lower Prince's Quarter with 8,123 inhabitants
- Cul de Sac with 7,880 inhabitants
- Cole Bay with 6,046 inhabitants
- Upper Prince's Quarter with 4,020 inhabitants
- Little Bay (Fort Amsterdam) with 2,176 inhabitants
- Simpson Bay with 736 inhabitants
- Lowlands with 232 inhabitants
[edit] Politics and Government
Sint Maarten is an "island territory" (eilandgebied in Dutch), a component of the Netherlands Antilles comparable to a municipality. The Netherlands Antilles are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands though not in the European Union. Its currency is the Antillean guilder (however, the United States dollar is widely accepted). A planned restructuring of the Netherlands Antilles will see Sint Maarten become a separate country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands (like Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles are now). This dissolution was scheduled to enter into force on December 15, 2008, but has subsequently been postponed.[3]
The governments of The Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles, and the island governments of Curaçao and St. Maarten reached an agreement regarding a new date[4] for country status in early October 2009. As of October 10 2010 (10/10/10), the Netherlands Antilles will cease to exist. The countries of Curaçao and St. Maarten will be formed in its place, whereas the remaining islands will become public entities of The Netherlands.
The island territory of Sint Maarten is ruled by an island council, an executive council, and an administrator (gezaghebber in Dutch) appointed by the Dutch Crown.
| Parties | Party leader | Votes | % | Seats |
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| Democratische Partij (DP) | Sarah Wescott-Williams | 6,639 | 49.38 | 6 |
| National Alliance (NA) | William Marlin | 5,583 | 41.53 | 5 |
| People's Progressive Alliance (PPA) | Gracita Arrindell | 1,107 | 8.23 | — |
| Democratic Labour Party (DLP) | Johan van Heyningen | 69 | 0.51 | — |
| National Democratic Party (NDP) | Theophilus Priest | 26 | 0.19 | — |
| St. Maarten People's Believers Independent Movement (SPBIM) | Harold Jack | 20 | 0.15 | — |
| Total | 13,623 | 71.13 | 11 |
[edit] Colleges and Universities
- American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC), founded in 1978, was previously located on Montserrat. Because of the eruption of the Soufrière Hills volcano in 1995, AUC moved its campus to St. Maarten later that year. A permanent campus was completed in 1998 in Cupecoy.
- University of St. Martin (USM) in Philipsburg. USM is an affiliate of Johnson & Wales University.
[edit] Popular Tourist Destinations
- Border Monument in honor of the 1648 Treaty of Concordia.
- The Philipsburg Historical foundation museum.
- The Heineken airline Jet-Bar/Restaurant (aka Air LekkerBeck) (at Philipsburg).
- Fantastic jumbo jets low landings (at Maho Beach).
- The zoo park with animals from the Caribbean area (on Madame estate Pondfill).
- Fort Amsterdam and Fort Willems (at Philipsburg)
- Sightseeing on Dawn Beach road.
- Emilio Wilson Historical Park (Cul-de-sac)
- Butterfly Farm
- Hiking to Pic Paradise
- The Courthouse on Frontstreet
- The newly renovated Boardwalk spanning the beachfront on Frontstreet,Philipsburg
[edit] See also
- Saint Martin, the Caribbean island.
- Saint Martin (France)
- History of St. Martin, the Caribbean island.
- List of Sint Maarten governors.
- Culture of St. Martin, the Caribbean island.
- O sweet Saint-Martin's Land (bi-national song/anthem of Saint-Martin/Sint-Maarten)
- Princess Juliana International Airport
- Maho Beach -- famous viewing area for airport takeoffs and landings.
[edit] References
- ^ "PL-396: Introduction of NPA 721 (Sint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles)". North American Numbering Plan Administration. 2009-10-02. http://www.nanpa.com/pdf/PL_396.pdf. Retrieved 2009-10-23.
- ^ Population and Housing Census 2001
- ^ St. Maarten-St. Martin - Consensus, but no date set for new status
- ^ Team St Maarten brings home country status
[edit] External links
[edit] Government
- Lt. Governor of St. Maarten — Official site
[edit] Organizations
- Philipsburg Jubilee Public Library
- St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce and Industry - Official site
- St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association - Official trade association site
[edit] Universities
[edit] Secondary Education
- Caribbean International Academy
- Learning Unlimited Preparatory School
- Milton Peters College
- St. Dominic High School
- St. Maarten Academy
- Sundial Secondary School
[edit] Tourism
- Sint Maarten travel guide from Wikitravel
- St. Maarten Tourist Bureau - Official site of St. Maarten's Airport
- Princess Juliana International Airport - Official site
- St. Maarten Directory - Business directory
- St. Martin / St. Maarten Restaurants - Dining guide
- St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (visitor information) - Destination site
[edit] News and Opinion
- St. Maarten Daily Herald - Local newspaper
- St. Maarten Island Times - News and current events
- St. Martin News Network - Local news and opinion
- SXM Private Eye - Current events blog and discussions
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