Sint Maarten
Sint Maarten
Sint Maarten (Dutch) or St-Martin (French – see under French Antilles). The island is shared amicably by the Dutch, who have the southern 37 sq km of the island, and the French, calling their half Saint-Martin, who own the northern 52 sq km, an arrangement settled by the 1648 Treaty of Mount Concordia.
The salt ponds in the south of the island attracted...
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Sint Maarten: Country profile and Map
GEOGRAPHY: St. Maarten is 1,690 air mls south of New York and 150 mls east of Puerto Rico. The total land area is 37 sq mls with the southern portion of the island, Dutch St. Maarten, comprising 16 sq mls. The capital is Philipsburg. TIME: Atlantic Standard Time. CLIMATE: Mean temperature is 80 degrees F year round; 45" of rainfall annually. HISTORY: St....History of Sint Maarten
The Amerindians who originally settled on the island named it Sualouiga, meaning land of salt. The belief that Columbus discovered the island on his second voyage in 1493 is disputed, with historians now claiming it was Nevis he named St Martin of Tours, and that later Spanish explorers misinterpreted his maps. Nevertheless, the Spanish were not interested...Flora & Fauna of Sint Maarten
In 1997 the Nature Foundation Sint Maarten (T20267, F20268) was set up, with assistance from the WWF, to protect and manage natural parks and educate the general population and students on their significance. Two parks form the initial programme, a marine park covering the coastal waters and some adjacent coastline from Oyster Bay to Cupecoy Beach, and a...Sint Maarten: Useful information
TOURIST OFFICES: Saint Martin (Main Official) Office de Tourisme Accueil & Administration Rte de Sandy Ground - Marigot 97150 Saint Martin Tel:(590) (0) 590 87 57 21 Fax:(590) (0) 59087 56 43 E-mail:info@st-martin.org Web: http://www.st-martin.org/ In Canada Maison de la France 1981 Ave McGill College...Sint Maarten Tourist Information
Local Tourist Offices: Imperial building, 23 Walter Nisbeth Rd, 3rd Flr, T22337, F22734,Well supplied with brochures and guides to St Maarten, and the monthly St Maarten Holiday. Sightseeing tours available by bus or by car. Tourist Offices Overseas: In Holland Minister Plenipotentiary of the Netherlands Antilles, Antillenhuis, Badhuisweg 173-175, Postbus...Before Travelling to Sint Maarten
Climate: Average temperature is 26.5° C, 80° F and average annual rainfall is 45in. Documents: In addition, under a 1994 Franco-Dutch immigration accord, visitors to Dutch Sint Maarten have to meet French immigration criteria, even if not visiting the French side. Therefore, many nationalities now have to obtain a French visa before embarking on a shopping...Sint Maarten - What to see and do
DINING: Restaurants available Local. Fast food. Caribbean. International. Gourmet. Seafood. Steakhouses. Chinese. Italian. French. Mexican. Cuban. Indonesian. Indian & Thai. Service charge of 15% is usually added to restaurant bills. NIGHTLIFE: Entertainment available includes Dinner/Dance. Musical revues. Discos. Casinos. The legal age for drinking...Philipsburg - the capital of Sint Maarten
Philipsburg The capital of Dutch St Maarten, is built on a narrow strip of sandy land between the sea and a shallow lake which was once a salt pond. It has two main streets, Front and Back, and a ringroad built on land reclaimed from the salt pond, which all run parallel to Great Bay Beach, perhaps the safest and cleanest city beach anywhere. Front Street...Sint Maarten - Getting There
Airport Information: ALM, T54240/54210. Air Guadeloupe, T54212. KLM, T52120. LIAT, T54203. American Airlines, T52040. Air France, T54212. Air St Barthélemy, T53151. BWIA, T54646. Ogden Aviation, T54234. Continental, Northwest and USAir, T54344. Lufthansa, T52040. Winair, T54230/54237, F54229/52002. The international airport is Juliana, at Simpson Bay. A...Getting Around in Sint Maarten
Land Car: Foreign and international driver’s licences are accepted. Drive on the right. The speed limit is 40 km per hour in urban areas, 60 km per hour outside town, unless there are other signs. The roads on both sides of the island are very busy and full of pot holes, making them rather unsafe for mopeds or walking, particularly at night. Hitchhiking is...Sint Maarten Festivals
Carnival: Carnival starts in mid-April and lasts for three weeks, culminating in the burning of King Mouí-Mouí. It is one of the biggest in the area, with up to 100,000 people taking part. Most events are held at the Carnival Village, next to the University. Public Holidays: New Year’s Day, Carnival Monday (April), Good Friday, Easter Monday, 30 April,...Sint Maarten: Money / Business guide
BANKS: RBBT. The Bank of Nova Scotia. Bank Van de Nederlandse Antillen. Barclays Bank. SFT. N.V. The Windward Islands Bank. BANKING HOURS: Monday to Thursday 0830 1530 and Friday 0830 1630. BUSINESS HOURS: Shops 0800 1200 and 1400 1800 (Stores open during lunch hour). PUBLIC HOLIDAYS: Date in 2009 Holiday Name Observance* Jan. 1 Thu...Shopping in Sint Maarten
Duty-free shopping Duty-free shopping is a tourist attraction, but it helps if you have an idea of prices at home to compare, and shop around as prices vary. In the electronics and camera shops many outdated models are on display. European visitors planning to take home hi-fi or domestic appliances should make sure that they can be switched to 220 volts....Diving & Marine Life of Sint Maarten
Water visibility is usually 23-38 metres and the water temperature averages over 21°C, which makes good snorkelling and scuba diving, from beaches or boats. Wreck Alley Wreck Alley on Proselyte Reef, has several wrecks which can be explored on one dive. HMS Proselyte is a 200 year-old British frigate (mostly broken up and covered in coral, although cannons...Ads