St. Martin's Island: description, history, sights and interesting facts

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

Saint Martin, also known as Saint Martin, is located in the Caribbean Sea. Surprisingly, two states are located on this small piece of land - France and the Netherlands. Moreover, this is the smallest inhabited island in the world. All these incredible facts attract thousands of tourists every year, since the weather contributes to quality rest - warm sea, clean beaches and the sun, which shines almost all year round.

Island location

Saint Martin's Island is located in the northern ridge of the Eastern Caribbean. Part of the archipelago of the Lesser Antilles.

The northern part of the coast of the island is occupied by the French overseas community, and the southern part is considered a self-governing autonomy, but it is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Dutch part of the island is called Sint Martin.

Each part has its own capital. The French name is Marigot, and the Dutch name is Philipsburg.

It is a remarkable fact that the island got its name from the British. The primordial local natives always called it Narikel Jinjira, which literally means "coconut island". itreally a piece of paradise, so it is not for nothing that many tourists from all over the world are interested in where the island of St. Martin is located.

Geography

The smallest inhabited island on the planet is only 87 square kilometers. Most of them belong to the French side - about 53 square kilometers, the remaining 34 - under the jurisdiction of the Dutch.

St. Martin's Island features a hilly terrain. There are many mountains and hills here, the highest point is Mount Peak Paradise. Its height is 424 meters above sea level. It is located in the French part of the island. Climbing the mountains is convenient and pleasant, most of the hills are covered with forests and greenery.

Climate

The island has a pronounced maritime tropical climate. The rainy season here starts in April and lasts until about November. Rains are heavy, but most often short-lived.

Saint Martin is subject to trade winds at this time of the year, which neutralize the high humidity. Therefore, even in these months it is comfortable to rest here. The heat is not felt so much due to the wind.

During the winter months, the temperature drops to 27-29 degrees above zero during the day and 20-22 degrees at night. Humid climate in winter is almost not felt. For tourists on the island there are about 30 beaches, almost all of them have white sand, which makes the rest unforgettable. Tourist spots are found on both Dutch and French territory.

History of the island

Before Columbus discovered America, the island belonged to the Arawak Indian people. They called it "Land of Women". It was a peaceful tribe that was mainly engaged in agriculture. The first to know where the island of St. Martin is, the British. On November 11, 1493, it was put on the world map. Until today, this date is considered the main holiday on the island.

French colonists came here only in the 1620s. They actively began to cultivate the cultivation of tobacco. And in 1631, the Dutch founded their base on the island. The first governor was Jan Claeszon van Kampen, who started mining s alt.

In 1633, Saint-Martin came under the protectorate of the Spaniards, who held it for several decades, repulsing the attacks of the Dutch. They left it only in 1648, when it ceased to be of strategic importance. Under the Treaty of Munster, he passed to the Netherlands. Ultimately, the French colonists also restored their settlements here.

Population and language

In total, a little less than 75 thousand inhabitants live on the island. Only a quarter of the population is white.

Saint Martin - the island of two masters. It received this name not by chance. Today, both the Dutch and the French peacefully coexist there in a small area, having a single spoken language - this is the Saint-Martin dialect of the Eastern Caribbean Anglo-Creole language. At the same time, on the side of the Netherlands, Dutch is considered official, and on the side of France, respectively, French. Besides,English, Spanish and Papiamento Creole are extremely common.

Island economy

The main income item of the island's economy is tourism. The official currency is the euro, but American dollars are freely accepted everywhere, and most prices in shops and hotels are indicated in this currency, since the main flow of tourists still arrives from the United States. You can freely pay with a credit card anywhere, and the standard of living on the island is the same (and even slightly higher) than in Western Europe.

The Dutch part of the island is a well-known offshore. A large number of companies are registered in this territory, but business is carried out outside of it and are exempt from taxes. Companies also benefit from the absolute absence of property taxes.

At the service of those wishing to fly to the island of St. Martin - Princess Juliana Airport. It is named after the Dutch princess who came here a year after its opening, in 1944.

The airport is quite small. The runway is only 2.3 kilometers long. Therefore, only experienced and confident pilots fly here.

St. Martin's landing is considered one of the hardest in the world. Not only is the length of the runway very short, but in addition it also adjoins the seashore. As a result, a passenger liner has to be landed literally over the heads of tourists vacationing on the largest local beach - Maho.

Beaches on the island

Maho is one of the largest beaches that Saint Martin is famous for. The description of it always begins with what it feels like for tourists when passenger liners arriving on the island fly 15-20 meters above their heads.

Majorly for this reason, Maho is extremely popular among spotters - people who are fond of watching aircraft. The beach itself is small, its length is about 300 meters, and its width is several tens of meters. In one of the eateries, it is obligatory to announce the approach of the next plane through the loudspeaker. Also, boards are placed everywhere along the beach, on which the schedule of the next flights is written in chalk.

Due to the fact that Maho is regularly exposed to strong air currents from airliners, it is completely devoid of vegetation. Also because of this, there are almost always strong waves on the coast, which, in turn, attracts windsurfers. It is very dangerous to be in the central part of the beach during the landing of an airliner - it is fraught with injuries (fatal outcomes are not ruled out), which tourists are constantly warned about by local administration employees. After all, the wind speed at this time reaches 160 kilometers per hour. However, many deliberately ignore these warnings in order to experience the thrill.

In 2008, St. Martin's Island was hit hard by the hurricane. France did a lot to minimize the damage. Hurricane Omar washed away all the sand from Maho Beach and had to be re-imported.

Sights of the island

There are many attractions on the island that attract tourists. For example, a butterfly farm. Under a special canopy, you can take a romantic walk accompanied by several hundred of these beautiful creatures. The cost of the tour is low - about 12 dollars.

Also, tourists are attracted by the highest point of the island - Mount Peak Paradise. It has two viewing platforms, each of which offers an unforgettable view of the Caribbean Sea and the island coast. In order to climb the island, most often they use a car, since the road is very steep and rocky. A bicycle or a moped will not pass here.

The island is also popular among nudists. There are many beaches where wearing clothes is optional. For example, on the Dutch side, this is the Kupekoy beach, located at the very foot of the cliff. True, this is the only such place in the Netherlands, on any other beach you will definitely be fined.

On French territory, the favorite beach of nudists is Papagayo. Here it is officially allowed. On other beaches, those who want to sunbathe topless are most often tolerated. Especially if it's a weekday and there are few visitors.

Football team

One of the most interesting and surprising facts is that the island has its own football team. True, she is not a member of FIFA, therefore she does not participate in qualifying matches for the world championships. But he regularly plays in competitions held under the auspices of CONCACAF - Football FederationNorth and Central America.

The last time the Saint-Martin team tried to break into the CONCACAF Gold Cup was in 2012. To do this, it was necessary to successfully perform at the Caribbean Cup. However, in the group stage, the team suffered three defeats - 0:7 from Haiti, 0:9 from Puerto Rico and 0:8 from Bermuda.

In general, the national team is considered one of the weakest in CONCACAF. It has been in existence since 1994. At the moment, she has played 26 matches, 17 of which she lost. In 6 meetings, the guys managed to win. The most successful year for the Saint Martin team was 2001, when they defeated the teams of Montserrat and Anguilla with a score of 3: 1. These victories remain the biggest in her history.

The Jamaican national team in 2004 inflicted the biggest defeat to the St. Martins. The game ended with the score 12:0.