22 Facts About Sint Maarten

Sint Maarten is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean.

Sint Maarten has the status of an overseas country and territory and is not part of the European Union.

Sint Maarten had been inhabited by Amerindian peoples for many centuries, with archaeological finds pointing to a human presence on the island as early as 2000 BC.

In 1939 Sint Maarten received a major boost when it was declared a duty-free port.

For much of this period, Sint Maarten was governed by business tycoon Claude Wathey of the Democratic Party.

Related searches

Sint Maarten became an "island territory" of the Netherlands Antilles in 1983.

On 10 October 2010 Sint Maarten became a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, making it a constitutional equal partner with Aruba, Curacao, and the Netherlands proper.

Sint Maarten immediately called for support from the European Union so the island could recover swiftly.

Sint Maarten occupies the southern part of the island of Saint Martin in the Leeward Islands; the northern half forms the French territory of Saint Martin.

Sint Maarten has a tropical savanna climate, and is drier than most parts of the northeastern Caribbean because of a rain shadow from the island's mountains, drying the trade winds.

Sint Maarten is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and as such the monarch of the Netherlands is head of state, represented locally by a governor.

Sint Maarten is largely autonomous in internal affairs, with the Netherlands responsible for foreign diplomacy and defence.

The first woman to be the president of Sint Maarten was Gracita Arrindell, who was first elected in 2010.

Sint Maarten was later acquitted of forgery and of fraud by the Common Court of Justice of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, but not of bribery.

Sint Maarten is home to many distinctive plants such as hibiscus, yellow sage, flamboyant trees, mahogany, and cacti.

Sint Maarten is a polyglot society, most are simultaneously bilingual in Dutch and English, and among them are speakers of Spanish and French.

In 2014, St Sint Maarten had more gaming machines per resident than any other country in the world.

Sint Maarten's culture is a mix of African, European and North American influences.

However, Sint Maarten returned to international competition in March 2016, for the 2017 Caribbean Cup qualification tournament.

Sint Maarten Cricket Association is a member of the Leeward Islands Cricket Association, which is, in turn, a member of the West Indies Cricket Board .

Sint Maarten is known for its festive nightlife, expansive beaches, precious jewelry, traditional cuisines, and plentiful casinos.

Sint Maarten is served by Princess Juliana International Airport, serving destinations across the Caribbean, North America and France and the Netherlands.