St Martin/St Maarten / History, Population, Politics

History

Like so many places in the Caribbean, this strategically-placed island gets its title from Columbus. The explorer first sighted it in 1493 on his second voyage to the New World when he named it in honour of Saint Martin. However, there is archaeological evidence that Amerindians were living here long before then, possibly as early as 3300BC. The island seems to be been a popular spot for these fishers and hunter-gatherers – remnants of their tools have been discovered in Orient Bay and in 1986 a bountiful find at the Hope Estate, near Grand-Case, revealed that by 560BC they had developed agricultural and pottery-making skills.

The Dutch were the first Europeans to settle here in 1627, attracted by the huge salt ponds behind what it is now Philipsburg. Two years later the French set up home in the north near what is now Orléans. In 1648 a treaty was signed dividing the island between the two parties. Although at times it was later taken over entirely by French, Dutch and English forces, this agreement forms the the backbone of what has become present-day St Martin/St Maarten – the smallest island in the world to be divided between two nations.

Political stability finally came in 1816, by which time the colonists had established plantations worked by African slaves that grew sugar, cotton, indigo and tobacco. While the French abolished slavery in 1848, it persisted on the Dutch side until 1863. Salt production continued to be an important source of revenue (the last works only closed in 1960), but economic decline forced some islanders to migrate to St Kitts and the Dominican Republic. Later, in the 1920s, Dutch workers left for the oil refineries of Aruba and Curaçao. The fortunes of the island were boosted by the Second World War when the threat of German submarines led to the construction of what is now Princess Juliana International Airport in 1943.

The first beach hotels and holiday homes were opened in the 1950s and over the next two decades tourism gradually developed on both sides of the island. By the 1980s cruise ship passengers were visiting in significant numbers, and an influx of foreign workers boosted the population. Despite the setbacks caused by Hurricanes Luis and Lenny in 1995 and 1999, the island has prospered as a holiday destination, largely because of its good flight connections and growth as a welcome port of call for cruise ships. In 2001 the Dr A. C. Wathey Cruise Pier opened in Philipsburg which could take six ships and a year later the island clocked up its millionth passenger. This has now been expanded to accommodate mega-cruise ships, the effects of which are all too obvious when the island fills with trippers eager to enjoy its beaches, shops and restaurants.

Population

The population of St Martin is around 36,000 while in St Maarten it is 41,000. French and Dutch are respectively the official languages, but English is also widely spoken across the island. You may also hear people using Papiamento, a Spanish-sounding Creole language more commonly used on the Dutch islands of Aruba and Curaçao. There is said to be over 90 different nationalities living on the island as result of its tourist industry, which attracts over a million visitors a year, principally from North America and Europe.

Politics

One of the pleasures of visiting St Martin/St Maarten is comparing the different way of life on the French and Dutch sides. While there is no official border to cross, there are many small changes to observe, for example in police uniforms, road signage, pricing and opening hours. There is also a change of mindset. Always concerned with style, decorum and fine living, the French keep their half strictly regulated - as if trying to impress la métropole (mainland France) back in Europe. St Martin is a French overseas territory which means it is France and the most westerly point of the European Union. Few concessions are made to the fact that we are over 4,000 miles (6,437 km) from Paris and surrounded by palm trees and turquoise seas. Once administered from Guadeloupe, since 2007 St Martin – along with St Barths - has been classed as a Collectivité, bringing greater self-determination with constitutional links direct to the motherland.

The Dutch side, by contrast, is more liberal. Here life is all about making money – hence the high-rise condos, huge cruise ship terminal and casinos. And the ties with Holland are loosening. On 10 October 2010, St Maarten - along with the Dutch islands of Aruba and Curaçao – opted for a path to greater independence when the Netherlands Antilles was officially disbanded. These three islands are now autonomous countries  within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, while the other former members – Saba, St Eustatius and Bonaire - have become municipalities of the Netherlands. Two political parties, the St Maarten Democratic Party and United People's Party, have formed a coalition to find a way forward with this new status which is headed by the first female prime minister in a Dutch territory, Sarah Westcot-Williams.

This co-existence is not without its problems. St Martin suffers for its well-intentioned laws, for example in the restriction on the number of hours in the working week. Depending on the prevailing currency exchange rates, staff who are paid in euros may find it advantageous to go shopping across the border, where their money goes further. Meanwhile those on the Dutch side envy the security and social benefits that are a hallmark of French life, and the fact that there is less crime and a better respect for the environment. As one French politician has put it, St Martin and St Maarten do get on together, but “la coopération avec un grand C n'est pas encore d'actualité”.