# Sint Maarten

> country on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin, part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

**Wikidata**: [Q26273](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q26273)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sint_Maarten)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/sint-maarten

## Key Facts
- **Official Name**: Sint Maarten
- **Sovereignty**: Country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands
- **Location**: Southern part of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin, North America
- **Area**: 34 square kilometres
- **Capital**: Philipsburg
- **Population**: 43,847 (2020 estimate)
- **Inception**: 2010 (replaced Netherlands Antilles)
- **Head of State**: William Alexander of the Netherlands (King)
- **Head of Government**: Prime Minister (Leona Marlin-Romeo as of 2018)
- **Official Languages**: Dutch, English
- **Currency**: Caribbean guilder
- **Motto**: Semper pro Grediens
- **Anthem**: O Sweet Saint Martin's Land
- **Patron Saint**: Martin of Tours
- **ISO Codes**: 2-letter (SX), 3-letter (SXM), Numeric (534)
- **Internet Domain**: .sx
- **Telephone Code**: +1721
- **Time Zone**: Atlantic Time Zone (America/St_Kitts)
- **Driving Side**: Right
- **Coordinates**: 18.031944444444, -63.067777777778
- **Border**: Shares border with Saint-Martin (France)
- **Nominal GDP**: $1.57 billion USD (2022)
- **Life Expectancy**: 73.05 years (2012)
- **Total Fertility Rate**: 1.81 (2014 estimate)
- **Legislative Body**: Parliament of Sint Maarten
- **Demonym**: Sint-Maartenaar, St. Maartener, sanmartines
- **UNESCO Membership**: Associate member since October 25, 2011
- **Interpol Membership**: Since October 31, 2011
- **WMO Membership**: Since September 12, 1951

## FAQs

**What is the political status of Sint Maarten?**
Sint Maarten is a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It became a distinct political entity on October 10, 2010, when the Netherlands Antilles was dissolved. It shares the island of Saint Martin with Saint-Martin, a French overseas collectivity.

**What languages are spoken in Sint Maarten?**
The official languages of Sint Maarten are Dutch and English. Antiguan and Barbudan Creole is also a language used on the island.

**What currency does Sint Maarten use?**
Sint Maarten uses the Caribbean guilder as its currency.

**What are the key demographics of Sint Maarten?**
As of 2020, Sint Maarten has an estimated population of 43,847. The life expectancy at birth was 73.05 years in 2012, and the total fertility rate was 1.81 in 2014.

**What international organizations is Sint Maarten a member of?**
Sint Maarten is an associate member of UNESCO (since 2011) and a member of the World Meteorological Organization (since 1951) and Interpol (since 2011).

**What is the geography of Sint Maarten?**
Sint Maarten covers an area of 34 square kilometres on the southern part of the island of Saint Martin in the Caribbean. Its coordinates are approximately 18.03° N latitude and 63.07° W longitude. It is part of the Dutch Caribbean and the CAS countries.

**What are the borders of Sint Maarten?**
Sint Maarten shares a land border with Saint-Martin, which is an overseas collectivity of France. This border is part of the France–Netherlands border.

## Why It Matters
Sint Maarten represents a unique political arrangement as one of the constituent countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Its creation in 2010 marked a significant restructuring of the Dutch Caribbean territories, replacing the former Netherlands Antilles. The nation plays a role in regional and international organizations as an associate member of UNESCO and a member of Interpol and the World Meteorological Organization. Its location on the island of Saint Martin, which it shares with a French territory, makes it a point of cultural and political intersection in the Caribbean. With a nominal GDP of over $1.5 billion in 2022, it is a small but active economy in the region. The country's distinct identity, motto "Semper pro Grediens" (Always Progressing), and institutions like its own Parliament demonstrate its autonomy within the Kingdom structure.

## Notable For
- Sharing the island of Saint Martin with a French territory (Saint-Martin), creating one of the smallest land borders between two sovereign nations.
- Being one of four countries that constitute the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
- Having both Dutch and English as official languages.
- Replacing the Netherlands Antilles as a political entity in 2010.
- Being an associate member of UNESCO while not being an independent sovereign state.
- Having a unique demonym: "Sint-Maartenaar."
- Its motto "Semper pro Grediens" (Always Progressing).
- Located in the Atlantic Time Zone.

## Body

### Governance and Political Status
Sint Maarten is a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, a status it has held since October 10, 2010. This date marks its inception as a distinct territorial body, replacing the former Netherlands Antilles. As a country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, it shares King William Alexander as its head of state, who holds the title King of the Netherlands. The King is represented locally by a legal agent, Eugene Holiday. The head of government is the Prime Minister; Leona Marlin-Romeo held this office starting January 15, 2018, succeeding Sarah Wescot-Williams, whose term ended on December 19, 2014. The legislative body is the Parliament of Sint Maarten. The country's legal and political frameworks allow it to operate with a degree of autonomy while remaining part of the Kingdom.

### Geography and Location
Sint Maarten is an island country located in the Caribbean, part of the continent of North America. It covers a total area of 34 square kilometres. The nation occupies the southern part of the island of Saint Martin and shares a land border with Saint-Martin, a French overseas collectivity. This border is recognized as the France–Netherlands border. Its geographical coordinates are approximately 18.031944° N latitude and -63.067778° W longitude. The northernmost point is at 18.06397° N, -63.05356° W, the southernmost at 18.00517° N, -63.04359° W, the easternmost at 18.05367° N, -63.01359° W, and the westernmost at 18.05288° N, -63.13881° W. Sint Maarten is part of the Dutch Caribbean and the CAS countries. It is situated in the Atlantic Time Zone (America/St_Kitts) and vehicles drive on the right side of the road.

### History and Predecessor Entities
The political entity of Sint Maarten was established in 2010. Before this, the territory was part of the Netherlands Antilles from December 15, 1954, until October 10, 2010. Earlier in its history, it was part of Curaçao and Dependencies from 1828 until 1954, and before that, the SSS islands from 1818 to 1828. Since December 15, 1954, it has been located within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in its current form. The territory is named after Saint Martin, and its patron saint is Martin of Tours.

### Demographics
Sint Maarten has a population of 43,847 people as of a 2020 estimation. An earlier count recorded a population of 37,132 in January 2014. The demonym for its people includes "Sint-Maartenaar," "St. Maartener," and "sanmartines." In 2012, the life expectancy was recorded at 73.05366 years. The total fertility rate was estimated at 1.81 in 2014. The demographics of the island are also influenced by the use of languages such as Dutch, English, and Antiguan and Barbudan Creole.

### Economy
The economy of Sint Maarten has a nominal GDP which was reported as $1,384,636,872 USD in 2021 and increased to $1,571,564,246 USD in 2022. The country uses the Caribbean guilder as its currency.

### Culture and National Symbols
The official name of the country is Sint Maarten. Its national motto is "Semper pro Grediens," and its anthem is "O Sweet Saint Martin's Land." The flag of Sint Maarten and the coat of arms are key national symbols. The coat of arms depicts a shield with a ship, and the judge’s pallette, and the orange and blue of the Dutch flag. The flag image is available via Wikimedia Commons. The country also has a Unicode character (🇸🇽) and a hashtag (#SintMaarten) associated with it.

### International Relations and Membership
Sint Maarten holds membership in several international organizations. It has been an associate member of UNESCO since October 25, 2011. It joined the World Meteorological Organization on September 12, 1951, and became a member of Interpol on October 31, 2011. These memberships highlight its participation in global cultural, meteorological, and law enforcement cooperation.

### Identifiers and Codes
Sint Maarten is identified by numerous codes and identifiers in various systems. Its ISO 3166-1 codes are SX (alpha-2), SXM (alpha-3), and 534 (numeric). Its ISO 3166-2 code is NL-SX. Other codes include a FIPS 10-4 code (NN), a MARC code (sn/nwsn), a GADM ID (SXM), and a M49 code (534). It has telephone country code +1721 and a top-level internet domain of .sx. The country is also listed in databases such as GeoNames (ID 7609695), Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names (ID 7004586), and has a Wikidata description.

### Languages
The official languages of Sint Maarten are Dutch and English, as established by law. The language used on the island also includes Antiguan and Barbudan Creole. A pronunciation audio file for "Sint Maarten" in Dutch is available, transcribed as /ˌsɪnt ˈmaːr.tə(n)/ or /sɪnt.'maːr.tən/.

### Infrastructure and Communications
The country utilizes the Atlantic Time Zone. For maritime purposes, it has maritime identification digits 306. Its official website is https://www.sintmaartengov.org/Pages/default.aspx (in English). The capital city, Philipsburg, serves as a central hub. The island's infrastructure is documented in various maps, including a CIA World Factbook map and a locator map image found on Wikimedia Commons.

### Related Entities and Connections
Sint Maarten is twinned with Tallahassee. It is classified as a country, an island country, and a country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is differentiated from the entities "Saint-Martin" and "Saint Martin" which refer to the French side or the entire island. The topic of Sint Maarten is categorized under "Sint Maarten-related lists" and "Sint Maarten" on Wikimedia projects. The Wikipedia title for the entity is "Sint Maarten," and it has a substantial sitelink count of 125 across various language editions.

## References

1. Virtual International Authority File
2. [Source](https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/caribbean/overview)
3. [Source](http://www.unesco.org/eri/cp/ListeMS_Indicators.asp)
4. [Source](https://public.wmo.int/en/members/cura%C3%A7ao-and-sint-maarten)
5. [Source](https://www.interpol.int/Who-we-are/Member-countries/Americas/SINT-MAARTEN)
6. MusicBrainz
7. [Source](https://web.archive.org/web/20201231150122/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/335rank.html)
8. [Source](https://onzetaal.nl/taaladvies/advies/new-yorker-new-yorker-newyorker)
9. [World Bank](https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.CD)
10. [UNESCO Institute for Statistics](http://data.uis.unesco.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=DEMO_DS)
11. UMLS 2023
12. Quora
13. [UNESCO Institute for Statistics](http://data.uis.unesco.org/index.aspx?queryid=239)
14. iNaturalist
15. FactGrid
16. KBpedia