Sint Maarten
| 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 |
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| Largest city | Lower Prince's Quarter | |||||
| Official language(s) | Dutch, English | |||||
| Government | See Politics of the Netherlands Antilles | |||||
| - | Administrator | Franklyn Richards | ||||
| Constitutional monarchy | part of the Netherlands Antilles | |||||
| Area | ||||||
| - | Total | 34 km2 (_) 13.1 sq mi |
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| - | Water (%) | Negligible | ||||
| Population | ||||||
| - | 2009 estimate | 40,917 (_) | ||||
| - | 2001 census | 30,594 | ||||
| - | Density | 1942/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[1] | |||||
The Island Territory of Sint Maarten (Dutch: Eilandgebied Sint Maarten) is one of five island territories (Eilandgebieden) of the Netherlands Antilles, encompassing the southern half of the island of Saint Martin. At the 2001 Netherlands Antilles census, the population of the Eilandgebied was 30,594[2]. The official estimate of population as at 1 Jan 2009 was 50,300 for a population density of 1,965 inhabitants per km². The official languages are Dutch and English; a local English-based creole dialect is also spoken.
Sint Maarten borders the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Martin, which occupies the northern half of the island.
On 10 October 2010, the Netherlands Antilles will be dissolved and Sint Maarten will become an independent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
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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
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, 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 |
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.
Economy
Windward Islands Airways has its headquarters on the grounds of Princess Juliana Airport in Sint Maarten.[5]
See also
- Saint Martin, the Caribbean island.
- Saint Martin (France), the French neighboring side of St. Maarten.
- 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.
References
- ↑ Sint Maarten was originally scheduled to join the North American Numbering Plan on May 31, 2010, but the changeover has been postponed to an indefinite future date. When Sint Maarten does join the NANP, the access code will change to +1-721. "PL-404: Delay of the Introduction of NPA 721 (Sint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles)". North American Numbering Plan Administration. 2010-03-03. http://www.nanpa.com/pdf/PL_404.pdf. Retrieved 2010-05-28.
- ↑ Population and Housing Census 2001
- ↑ St. Maarten-St. Martin - Consensus, but no date set for new status
- ↑ Team St Maarten brings home country status
- ↑ "Directory: World Airlines." Flight International. 30 March-5 April 2004. 96.
External links
Government
- Lt. Governor of St. Maarten — Official site
Organizations
- Philipsburg Jubilee Public Library
- St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce and Industry - Official site
- St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association - Official trade association site
Universities
Secondary Education
- Caribbean International Academy
- Learning Unlimited Preparatory School
- Milton Peters College
- St. Dominic High School
- St. Maarten Academy
- Sundial Secondary School
Vocational
Tourism
- Sint Maarten travel guide from Wikitravel
- St. Maarten Tourist Bureau - Official site of St. Maarten's Airport
- St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (visitor information) - Destination site
- Princess Juliana International Airport - Official site
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
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