Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 6,435
females age 16-49: 6,967
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 168
female: 168
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France
Airports: 1
country comparison to the world: 233
Transportation - note: nearest airport for international flights is Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) located on Sint Maarten
Telephone system: general assessment: fully integrated access
domestic: direct dial capability with both fixed and wireless systems
international: country code - 590; undersea fiber-optic cable provides voice and data connectivity to Puerto Rico and Guadeloupe
Broadcast media: 1 local TV station; access to about 20 radio stations, including RFO Guadeloupe radio broadcasts via repeater
Internet country code: .mf
note - .gp, the Internet country code for Guadeloupe, and .fr, the Internet country code for France, might also be encountered
The economy of Saint Martin centers around tourism with 85% of the labor force engaged in this sector. Over one million visitors come to the island each year with most arriving through the Princess Juliana International Airport in Sint Maarten. No significant agriculture and limited local fishing means that almost all food must be imported. Energy resources and manufactured goods are also imported, primarily from Mexico and the United States. Saint Martin is reported to have the highest per capita income in the Caribbean.
Dependency status: overseas collectivity of France
Independence: none (overseas collectivity of France)
Legal system: French civil law
Suffrage: 18 years of age, universal
Ethnic groups: Creole (mulatto), black, Guadeloupe Mestizo (French-East Asia), white, East Indian
Languages: French (official), English, Dutch, French Patois, Spanish, Papiamento (dialect of Netherlands Antilles)
Religions: Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses, Protestant, Hindu
Population: 30,959
country comparison to the world: 215
Median age: total: 31.2 years
male: 30.2 years
female: 32.1 years
Location: Caribbean, located in the Leeward Islands (northern) group; French part of the island of Saint Martin in the Caribbean Sea; Saint Martin lies east of the US Virgin Islands
Land boundaries:
total: 15 km
border countries: Sint Maarten 15 km
Coastline: 58.9 km (for entire island)
Climate: temperature averages 80-85 degrees all year long; low humidity, gentle trade winds, brief, intense rain showers; July-November is the hurricane season
Natural resources: salt
Natural hazards: subject to hurricanes from July to November
Environment - current issues: freshwater supply is dependent on desalinization of sea water
Geography - note: the island of Saint Martin is the smallest landmass in the world shared by two independent states, the French territory of Saint Martin and the Dutch territory of Sint Maarten
Although sighted by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 and claimed for Spain, it was the Dutch who occupied the island in 1631 and set about exploiting its salt deposits. The Spanish retook the island in 1633, but continued to be harassed by the Dutch. The Spanish finally relinquished Saint Martin to the French and Dutch, who divided it between themselves in 1648. Friction between the two sides caused the border to frequently fluctuate over the next two centuries, with the French eventually holding the greater portion of the island (about 57%). The cultivation of sugar cane introduced slavery to the island in the late 18th century; the practice was not abolished until 1848. The island became a free port in 1939; the tourism industry was dramatically expanded during the 1970s and 1980s. In 2003, the populace of Saint Martin voted to secede from Guadeloupe and in 2007, the northern portion of the island became a French overseas collectivity. In 2010, the Dutch portion of the island became an independent nation within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
