Nathan's Insights

Official Name: Sint Maarten
Established: 10 October 2010 (constituent country)
Population: 58,477 (2023 estimate)
Country Size: 34 square kms
Religion: 82.18% Christian, 7.9% No Religion 
Language: Dutch, English
Currency: Netherlands Antillean guilder (ANG); Unoffical but use both US dollar (USD) and euro (EUR)
Capital: Philipsburg
Order of Visit: Eighty Seventh
First Visit: 30 December 2024
Last Visit: 30 December 2024
Duration: 1 Day
Expected Highlights: The views from Rockland Estate of Sint Maarten
Cities: Philipsburg
Sint Maarten Journal Entry
Published 25 October 2024 | 17 March 2025

Location and Geography

Sint Maarten is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean region of North America. Sint Maarten (Dutch) encompasses the southern 44% of the divided island of Saint Martin, with the northern 56% the French overseas territory of Saint Martin.

To the north across the Anguilla Channel lies the British Overseas Territory of Anguilla, to the south-east of the island lies the French island of Saint Barthélemy, and further south are the Dutch islands of Saba and Saint Eustatius.

Sint Maarten has a tropical savanna climate and is drier than most parts of the northeastern Caribbean.

History and Culture

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

The Dutch built a fort (Fort Amsterdam) on the island in 1631; Jan Claeszen van Campen became its first governor, and the Dutch West India Company began mining salt on the island.

In 1633 the Spanish captured St Martin and drove off the Dutch colonists. In 1648 the Eighty Years’ War between Spain and the Dutch ended and the Spanish, no longer seeing any strategic or economic value in the island, simply abandoned the island.

With Saint Martin free again, both the Dutch and the French re-established settlements. Dutch colonists came from St. Eustatius, while the French came from St. Kitts. After some initial conflict they signed the Treaty of Concordia in 1648, which divided the island in two.

To work the new cotton, tobacco, and sugarcane plantations, the French and Dutch began importing large numbers of African slaves, who soon came to outnumber the Europeans.  In 1848, the French abolished slavery in their colonies including the French side of St. Martin. Slaves on the Dutch side of the island protested and threatened to flee to the French side to seek asylum. The local Dutch authorities then freed the colonies’ slaves.

After the abolition of slavery, plantation culture declined, and the island’s economy suffered. In 1939, Sint Maarten received a major boost when it was declared a duty-free port. In 1941, the island was shelled by a German U-boat as part of the Battle of the Atlantic.

Tourism began growing from the 1950s onward.  Population increased from a mere 5,000 people to around 60,000 people by the mid-1990s.

Sint Maarten became an “island territory” of the Netherlands Antilles in 1983. On 10 October 2010 Sint Maarten became a constituent country (Dutch: Land Sint Maarten) within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, making it a constitutional equal partner with Aruba, Curaçao, and the Netherlands proper.

What has drawn me to visit Sint Maarten?

I wanted to experience a little of the Caribbean, hopefully enjoy some sunshine, the landscape, and the sea. I’m expecting that by visiting via a cruise the experience will be lacking local culture experience but I’m hoping to at least get a feel for this island.  I’ve booked a Catamaran Sail and Snorkel experience which should provide panoramic views of the shoreline, and time to snorkel into crystal-clear waters to explore the vibrant and colourful tropical marine life.

What I experienced in Sint Maarten

I had wanted to explore the coast of Sint Maarten on a catamaran and enjoy some snorkelling, but this ended up not being possible. Instead, I went to Rockland Estate to explore the grounds before taking multiple chairlifts to a high point of the island to enjoy the views, the fresh air and the splendid environment. The chairlifts provided a unique view of the surrounding area and greenery of this island.

From the multiple viewpoints on the mountain, I could view the crystal-clear waters on the coast while enjoying the clean air and the sunshine. This made for a relaxing way to survey this beautiful island with bonus of seeing the neighbouring islands of Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Barts and Anguilla.

On the bus trip to Rockland Estate and back to the cruise ship our bus driver provided a lot of the history of the island and the shared jurisdiction across the island between the Dutch and French. A beautiful and unique island.