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Right
now you are probably sitting back and dreaming
of your holiday in Paradise ... or maybe you're
anticipating your return visit with an eagerness
to relive the sights and sounds that captivated
you and made you fall in love with our island
paradise.
St.
Maarten is the smallest Island in the world
to be shared by two sovereign governments-namely
the Dutch and French. The Dutch side, with Philipsburg
as its capital occupies the southern 17 square
miles of this 37-square-mile island; St. Martin,
a French dependency, occupies the northern half.
The dual nationality adds variety to this most
unique of island gems in the Caribbean Sea.
Both Dutch St. Maarten and French St. Martin
have maintained a peaceful coexistence for over
350 years, the longest of any two bordering
nations. The two territories have enjoyed harmonious
relations through their history and have shared
the prosperity of many years without dispute.
The Treaty of Concordia executed on March 23rd
1648 established this coexistence and has the
unique distinction of being the oldest Treaty
still in force today.
As
part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Dutch
St. Maarten has been both politically and economically
stable. The territory is not only a safe and
pleasant place to do business, but also to establish
roots and raise a family. The total population
has grown from 13,156 in 1980 to nearly 39,000
in year 2000. It is estimated that the population
of St. Maarten consists of 77 different nationalities.
The native languages are English and Dutch.
Infrastructure and utilities
St.
Maarten has an excellent seaport and airport,
which makes the island very attractive as a
hub. Government is presently in the process
of a major road enhancement project, which includes
the construction of new roads, the re-paving
of existing roads, the implementation of roundabouts
and traffic lights.
Philipsburg
Town CenterSt. Maarten has a modern and up-to-par
telecommunication system. 3 companies offer
telephone services and cellular phone services.
St. Maarten also several Internet providers
and a cable TV company that offers over 50 different
channels. Electricity and water is produced
and distributed at the island by Government
controlled companies.
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The
history of the Caribbean is filled with stories
of colonial imperialism where islands changed
hands form country to country. St. Maarten was
no ace in the imperial holdings, but had its
share of skirmishes and smoky gun battles, which
caused the island to change hands many times
between the Spanish, Dutch and French powers.
The old stone forts which guard many of the
islands inlets is proof of the islands turbulent
past.
The
island's true history started peacefully - traces
of Stone Age people have been found on the island,
dating back to 4,000 BC. Around 800 AD the island,
as many of its neighbors was settles by Arawak
Indians who arrived from South America to settle
down to a life of fishing, hunting and farming.
The
Arawaks were not alone, however. They were followed
in the 14th century by a much more war-like
tribe - the cannibalistic Carib Indians. These
new arrivals are the ones who gave the region
its name, and knew St. Maarten as Soualiga,
or "Salt Island" after its main mineral
deposit. The remains of the Great Salt Pond
can still be seen in Philipsburg today.
According
to legend, Christopher Columbus sighted Soualiga
on the 11th of November in the year 1493, the
holy day of St. Martin of Tours, and he named
the island after him - hence the name St. Maarten.
The 11th of November is celebrated to this day,
as St. Martin/St. Maarten's Day.
Although
Columbus sighted and named the island, the Spanish
made no initial attempt to settle here. Around
the year 1630 the Dutch and French established
small settlements on the island. The Spanish
must have not taken to well to this settlement
- they saw it as a threat to their influence
in the region and attacked the island - driving
out both the Dutch and French settlements.
The
Dutch and French joined forces to repel the
Spanish, and finally achieved this goal around
1644 when the Spanish finally abandoned their
claims to the Eastern Caribbean altogether.
After driving out the Spanish, the Dutch and
French signed an accord (in 1648) and agreed
to divide the island. Over the next few years,
the boundary was the subject of numerous disputes.
which were not settled until 1817. In this timeframe
the island changed hands between the two powers
16 times.
The
cultural diversity of St. Maarten springs from
its historical role as a crossroads for visitors
to the New World. Dutch, French and British
traders brought European traditions, while the
Africans brought the language and culture of
West Africa. Today the range of influences is
reflected in the number of languages spoken.
Dutch is the official language, but English
is taught in schools and spoken everywhere,
while other common languages are Spanish and
Papiamento, the dialect of the Netherlands Antilles.
St. Maarten's premier cultural event is its
annual Carnival, which includes parades, calypso
competitions, reggae shows, and an endless array
of stands serving traditional island food.
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