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Saint Martin
Background :
Although sighted by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 and claimed for Spain, it was the Dutch who occupied the island in 1631 and set about exploiting its salt deposits. The Spanish retook the island in 1633, but continued to be harassed by the Dutch. The Spanish finally relinquished St. Martin to the French and Dutch, who divided it amongst themselves in 1648. The cultivation of sugar cane introduced slavery to the island in the late 18th century; the practice was not abolished until 1848. The island became a free port in 1939; the tourism industry was dramatically expanded during the 1970s and 1980s. In 2003, the populace of St. Martin voted to secede from Guadeloupe and in 2007, the northern portion of the island became a French overseas collectivity.
Location :
island 300 km southeast of Puerto Rico
Geographic Coordinates Center :
18 05 N, 63 57 W (Latitude, Longtitude)
Geographic Coordinates Rectangle :
| West | -63.15 |
| North | 18.13 |
| East | -63.01 |
| South | 18.05 |
Map references :
America
Area :
| total | 54 | square km |
| land | 54 | square km |
Land boundaries :
| total | 15 | km |
| Netherlands Antilles (Sint Maarten) | 15 | km |
Coastline :
58.90 km
Climate :
temperature averages 80-85 degrees all year long; low humidity, gentle trade winds, brief, intense rain showers; July-November is the hurricane season
Elevation extremes :
| lowest point | 0 | metres |
| highest point | 424 | metres |
Natural resources :
| salt |
current issues :
fresh water supply is dependent on desalinization of sea water
Population :
29 820
Age structure :
| 0-14 years | 27.00 | % |
| 15-64 years | 67.50 | % |
| 65 years and over | 5.50 | % |
Median age :
| total | 30.50 | years |
| male | 29.50 | years |
| female | 31.30 | years |
Sex ratio :
| at birth | 1.04 | male(s)/female |
| under 15 years | 0.99 | male(s)/female |
| 15-64 years | 0.91 | male(s)/female |
| 65 years and over | 0.81 | male(s)/female |
| total population | 0.92 | male(s)/female |
Religions :
| Roman Catholic | |
| Jehovah's Witness | |
| Protestant |
Languages :
| French | |
| English | |
| Dutch | |
| French patois | |
| Spanish | |
| Papiamento |
Country name :
| conventional long form | Overseas Collectivity of Saint Martin |
| conventional short form | Saint Martin |
| local long form | Collectivity d'outre mer de Saint-Martin |
| local short form | Saint-Martin |
Country Codes :
| ISO 3166 | MF |
| ISO Numeric | 663 |
| ISO3 | MAF |
| FIPS | RN |
| ccTLD | mf |
| English | Saint Martin |
Capital :
| name | Marigot |
| geographic coordinates | 18 04 N, 63 05 W |
| time difference | -4.00 |
National holiday :
Bastille Day
1789-07-14
Executive branch :
| President Council Frantz GUMBS | President Nicolas SARKOZY |
Legislative branch :
| RRR | 42.20 | % |
| Reussir Saint-Martin | 8.90 | % |
GDP Composition by sector :
| agriculture | 1.00 | % |
| industry | 15.00 | % |
| services | 84.00 | % |
Industries :
| heavy industry | light industry and manufacturing |
| tourism |
Currency-code :
EUR
Currency-name :
euro
Communications :
| FM Radio broadcast stations | 3 | |
| Internet Country code (ccTLD) | mf |
Transportation :
| Airports with paved runways | 1 |
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