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Physical geography
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Local timeMarigot ·
North America / Caribbean · Card 032
St Martin
Saint Martin is a French overseas collectivity on the northern part of Saint Martin island. Its capital is Marigot.
Find St Martin
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers. This card covers the French northern part of the island. The Dutch southern part has a separate Sint Maarten card.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers. This card covers the French northern part of the island. The Dutch southern part has a separate Sint Maarten card.
At a glance
- Capital
- Marigot
- Languages
- French & English
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
- Population
- 24,9412025 · World Bank
- Area
- 53 km²20.46 square miles
- Collectivity
- 2007French overseas collectivity.
St Martin in context
North America and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Marigot; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
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Languages
French is official. English is also widely used in daily life.
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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.
Flag
The flag of France is used
History & status
The island was divided between French and Dutch administrations in 1648. The northern part was administered with Guadeloupe before residents voted for a separate status in 2003. Saint Martin became a French overseas collectivity in 2007. It remains part of France and is distinct from neighboring Sint Maarten.
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French and Dutch administrations divide the island
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Saint Martin becomes a French overseas collectivity
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Hurricane Irma causes extensive damage
Economy
Main activities
Tourism, accommodation, restaurants, retail and marine services are major activities. The economy is closely connected to the Dutch side of the island. Hurricane Irma in 2017 caused extensive damage to housing and infrastructure.
Industry and production
tourism, light industry and manufacturing, heavy industry
Population trends
Population, 1970–2025
Thousands of people24.92025 · thousands of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Thousands of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 6,047 | 6.047 |
| 1980 | 8,288 | 8.288 |
| 1990 | 28,224 | 28.224 |
| 2000 | 29,996 | 29.996 |
| 2010 | 36,856 | 36.856 |
| 2020 | 31,786 | 31.786 |
| 2025 | 24,941 | 24.941 |
Government
An overseas collectivity of France. An elected Territorial Council and its President manage local responsibilities. A Prefect represents the French state, and residents elect representatives to the French Parliament.
Knowledge check
Three questions about St Martin.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
In which year did this event occur in St Martin: Hurricane Irma causes extensive damage?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.