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.
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TIME:
Atlantic Standard Time.
CLIMATE:
Mean temperature is 80 degrees F year round; 45" of rainfall annually.
HISTORY:
St. Maarten was discovered by Christopher Columbus on November 11, 1493. The island was named after St. Martin of Tours, as the date of its discovery coincided with the feast of St. Martin. Though Spain originally claimed St. Maarten, it was deserted when the Dutch set up an outpost in 1631. Ousted by Spain in 1633, the Dutch returned in 1648 to establish an accord with the French, dividing the island between them. The Dutch and French nationalities have co existed happily in St. Maarten for more than three centuries.
LANGUAGE:
Dutch is the official language, but English is widely spoken. Papiamento, French and Spanish are also spoken.
POPULATION:
On January 1, 2007;
38,927 inhabitants lived on the Dutch side.
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Sint Maarten (Dutch)
or St-Martin (French – see under French Antilles). The island is shared amicably by the Dutch, who have the southern...