ARCHIVE // SX // 2012

Sint Maarten

2012 Edition — territory

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Communications
Internet country code [time series]
.sx; note - IANA has designated .sx for Sint Maarten, but has not yet assigned it to a sponsoring organization
Internet users (Internet hosts) [time series]
NA
Internet users [time series]
NA
Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]
general assessment: generally adequate facilities domestic: extensive interisland microwave radio relay links international: country code - 1-721; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and the Americas-2 submarine cable systems provide connectivity to Central America, parts of South America and the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]
sugar
Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]
The economy of Sint Maarten centers around tourism with nearly four-fifths of the labor force engaged in this sector. Over one million visitors come to the island each year - 1.3 million in 2008 - with most arriving through the Princess Juliana International Airport. Cruise ships and yachts also call on Sint Maarten's numerous ports and harbors. No significant agriculture and limited local fishing means that almost all food must be imported. Energy resources and manufactured goods are also imported. Sint Maarten had the highest per capita income among the five islands that formerly comprised the Netherlands Antilles.
Exchange rates [time series]
Netherlands Antillean guilders (ANG) per US dollar - 1.79 (2010) 1.79 (2009) 1.79 (2009) 1.79 (2008) 1.79 (2007)
Exports - commodities [time series]
sugar
GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]
$794.7 million (2008)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP (purchasing power parity)) [time series]
$794.7 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 210 $748.9 million (2007 est.) $703.2 million (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP - composition by sector) [time series]
agriculture: 0.4% industry: 18.3% services: 81.3% (2008 est.)
Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita (PPP)) [time series]
$15,400 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 82
Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]
1.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 149 4.5% (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]
0.7% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 8 4.6% (2008 est.)
Labor force [time series]
23,200 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 208
Labor force - by occupation [time series]
agriculture: 1.1% industry: 15.2% services: 83.7% (2008 est.)
Unemployment rate [time series]
10.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 115
Energy
Electricity - production [time series]
304.3 million kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 171
Geography
Area [time series]
total: 34 sq km country comparison to the world: 236 land: 34 sq km water: 0 sq km note: Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin
Area - comparative [time series]
one-fifth the size of Washington, DC
Climate [time series]
tropical marine climate, ameliorated by northeast trade winds, results in moderate temperatures; average rainfall of 1500 mm/year; July-November is the hurricane season
Coastline [time series]
364 km
Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Flagstaff 386 m
Environment - current issues [time series]
NA
Geographic coordinates [time series]
18 4 N, 63 4 W
Geography - note [time series]
the northern border is shared with the French overseas collectivity of Saint Martin; together, these two entities make up the smallest landmass in the world shared by two self-governing states
Irrigated land [time series]
NA
Land boundaries [time series]
total: 15 km border countries: Saint Martin (France) 15 km
Land use [time series]
arable land: 10% permanent crops: 0% other: 90%
Location [time series]
Caribbean, located in the Leeward Islands (northern) group; Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin in the Caribbean Sea; Sint Maarten lies east of the US Virgin Islands
Map references [time series]
Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims [time series]
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
Natural hazards [time series]
subject to hurricanes from July to November
Natural resources [time series]
fish, salt
Terrain [time series]
low, hilly terrain, volcanic origin
Government
Administrative divisions [time series]
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Capital [time series]
name: Philipsburg geographic coordinates: 18 1 N, 63 2 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Constitution [time series]
Staatsregeling, 10 October 2010; revised Kingdom Charter pending
Country name [time series]
Dutch long form: Land Sint Maarten Dutch short form: Sint Maarten English long form: Country of Sint Maarten English short form: Sint Maarten former: Netherlands Antilles; Curacao and Dependencies
Dependency status [time series]
constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 2010; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs
Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]
the US does not have an embassy in Sint Maarten; the Consul General to Curacao is accredited to Sint Maarten
Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]
none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Executive branch [time series]
chief of state: Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980); represented by Governor General Eugene HOLIDAY (since 10 October 2010) head of government: Sarah WESCOTT-WILLIAMS (since 10 October 2010) cabinet: Cabinet (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website) elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch for a six-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually elected prime minister by the legislature
Flag (Flag description) [time series]
two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and blue with a white isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; the center of the triangle displays the Sint Maarten coat of arms; the arms consist of an orange-bordered blue shield prominently displaying the white court house in Philipsburg, as well as a bouquet of yellow sage (the national flower) in the upper left, and the silhouette of a Dutch-French friendship monument in the upper right; the shield is surmounted by a yellow rising sun in front of which is a Brown Pelican in flight; a yellow scroll below the shield bears the motto: SEMPER PROGREDIENS (Always Progressing); the three main colors are identical to those on the Dutch flag note: the flag somewhat resembles that of the Philippines, but with the main red and blue bands reversed; the banner more closely evokes the wartime Philippine flag
Government type [time series]
parliamentary
Independence [time series]
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Judicial branch [time series]
Common Court of Justice, Joint High Court of Justice (judges appointed by the monarch)
Legal system [time series]
based on Dutch civil law system with some English common law influence
Legislative branch [time series]
unicameral parliament or Staten (15 seats; members elected by popular vote for four year term) elections: last held 17 September 2010 (next to be held in 2014) election results: percent of vote by party - National Alliance 45.9%, UPP 36.1%, Democratic Party 17.1%; seats by party - National Alliance 7, UPP 6, Democratic Party 2
National anthem(s) (National anthem) [time series]
name: "O Sweet Saint Martin's Land" lyrics/music: Gerard KEMPS note: the song, written in 1958, is used as an unofficial anthem for the entire island (both French and Dutch sides); as a collectivity of France, in addition to the local anthem, "La Marseillaise" is official on the French side (see France); as a constituent part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in addition to the local anthem, "Het Wilhelmus" is official on the Dutch side (see Netherlands)
National holiday [time series]
Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA and accession to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX), 30 April (1909 and 1980)
Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]
Democratic Party or DP [Sarah WESCOTT-WILLIAMS]; National Alliance or NA [William MARLIN]; United People's Party or UPP [Theodore HEYLIGER]; Concordia Political Alliance or CPA [Jeffery RICHARDSON]
Suffrage [time series]
18 years of age; universal
Introduction
Background [time series]
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 the island of Saint Martin to the French and Dutch, who divided it amongst themselves in 1648. The establishment of cotton, tobacco, and sugar plantations dramatically expanded slavery on the island in the 18th and 19th centuries; the practice was not abolished in the Dutch half until 1863. The island's economy declined until 1939 when it became a free port; the tourism industry was dramatically expanded beginning in the 1950s. In 1954, Sint Maarten and several other Dutch Caribbean possessions became part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands as the Netherlands Antilles. In a 2000 referendum, the citizens of Sint Maarten voted to become a self-governing country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The change in status became effective in October of 2010 with the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles.
Military
Military - note [time series]
defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]
no regular military forces (2012)
Military service age and obligation [time series]
no conscription (2010)
People and Society
Age structure [time series]
0-14 years: 23.4% (male 4,299/female 4,455) 15-64 years: 73% (male 13,053/female 14,259) 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 608/female 755) (2012 est.)
Birth rate [time series]
NA
Death rate [time series]
3 deaths/1,000 population (2009) country comparison to the world: 219
Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]
NA
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]
NA
Languages [time series]
English (official) 67.5%, Spanish 12.9%, Creole 8.2%, Dutch (official) 4.2%, Papiamento (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect) 2.2%, French 1.5%, other 3.5% (2001 census)
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
total population: NA male: 73.1 years female: 78.2 years (2009)
Net migration rate [time series]
14.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008) country comparison to the world: 9
Population [time series]
39,088 (January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 212
Population growth rate [time series]
NA
Religions [time series]
Roman Catholic 39%, Protestant 44.8% (Pentecostal 11.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6.2%, other Protestant 27%), none 6.7%, other 5.4%, Jewish 3.4%, not reported 0.7% (2001 census)
Sex ratio [time series]
at birth: 0.98 male(s)/female under 15 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2010)
Total fertility rate [time series]
2.1 children born/woman (2009) country comparison to the world: 116
Transportation
Airports [time series]
1 country comparison to the world: 234
Airports - with paved runways [time series]
total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2010)
Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]
Philipsburg oil terminals: Coles Bay oil terminal
Roadways [time series]
total: 53 km country comparison to the world: 218