Culture of St. Martin

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The culture of St. Martin owes a great deal to its African, French, and Dutch heritage. Although St. Martin is a single island, it contains two separate nations: Saint Martin, part of the French overseas region of Guadeloupe; and Sint Maarten, part of the Netherlands Antilles. Although each side's culture is influenced by their respective homelands, they share enough similar heritage and traditions that it can be difficult to tell where Saint Martin ends and Sint Maarten begins.

The native Creole population can trace most of their roots to Africa, France, and/or the Netherlands. While British and Spanish settlers also inhabited the island in its early colonial period, they left early enough that they didn't make a large impact on St. Martin's culture. Due to a major influx of immigrants searching for better employment and living conditions, over the past twenty years the number of Creoles has been surpassed by the number of immigrants. Today, the island's population of 69,000 is truly a melting pot of people from 70 different countries.

With so many different nationalities present, quite a few languages are spoken. However, the official languages are French for Saint Martin and Dutch for Sint Maarten. Other common languages include French patois (a dialect mixing French with African and other influences), English, Spanish, and Papiamento (a language of the Netherlands Antilles).^[1] English is popular enough that it's taught in schools.

In French Saint Martin, the most popular religion is Roman Catholicism. Dutch Sint Maarten favors Protestant denominations, particularly Methodism. The island also has small Jewish and Seventh-day Adventist communities.

Perhaps in part due to French influences, the whole island is known for its excellent cuisine. Creole, French, and West Indian cooking are particularly renowned. Chefs trained in Europe elevate restaurant cuisine to gourmet level. Of course, with the diverse nationalities, plenty of international fare is cooked up.

Popular music on St. Martin includes a variety of styles beloved throughout the Caribbean. Calypso, merengue, soca, zouk, and reggae all contribute to the festive culture.

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

• Watts, David (1990). The West Indies: Patterns of Development, Culture, and Environmental Change Since 1492. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521386519.
• Houston, Lynn Marie (2005). Food Culture in the Caribbean. Greenwood Press, 2005. ISBN 0313327645.