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ST. MARTIN / ST. MAARTENAs with other islands in the Caribbean, the main industry in St. Martin / St. Maarten is tourism, and these days, that often means overdevelopment and a very predictable, generic theme park holiday experience (strategically targeted to your income demographic) that revolves around cruise ships, shopping and chain hotels (cue Jimmy Buffett's "Cheeseburger in Paradise" and dolphins jumping through hula hoops). If you're into casinos, condos, traffic jams, fast food chains, shopping malls, franchise bars, strip joints and all of the flotsam of overpriced Caribbean mass tourism, St. Martin / St. Maarten will not disappoint. But if you want to avoid the crowd (one million tourist arrivals annually) and get away from it all, look elsewhere. HISTORY In 1493, Christopher Columbus sighted the island on his second voyage to the new world and claimed it for Spain. Inhabited by Amerindians who called it 'Soualiga' (Land of Salt), the island was mostly forgotten by Europeans until 1631 when both the Dutch and the French arrived. The Spanish retook the island two years later in 1633 but deserted the island in 1648 when the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Netherlands ended. The French and Dutch quickly reestablished their settlements and signed the Treaty of Concordia in 1648, which divided the island in two. In 1817, after frequent conflicts that led to 16 border changes, the two sides finally agreed on the current boundaries. After the abolition of slavery in 1848, the island's flourishing plantations rapidly declined and the economy collapsed until the 1970s when the tourism industry took off. Today, both the French and Dutch sides remain closely tied to France and the Netherlands. WHEN TO GO The peak season is from mid-December to mid-April when rates are high. Prices drop by half during hurricane season from May to November when it's often hot and humid. FACTS ABOUT ST. MARTIN / ST. MAARTEN - Location: Caribbean Sea east of the Virgin Islands
- Area: 87 sq km
- Coastline: 58.9 km
- Max elevation: 414 m
- Population: 85,000 (35,000 French side and 50,000 Dutch side)
- Main cities: Marigot (French side) and Philipsburg (Dutch side)
- Government: Overseas collectivity of France (French side) and Netherlands Antilles (Dutch side)
- Currency: Euro (EUR), US dollar (USD)
- Ethnic groups: Creole (mulatto), black, Guadeloupe Mestizo (French-East Asia), white, East Indian
- Languages: French, English, Dutch, French Patois, Spanish, Papiamento (dialect of Netherlands Antilles)
- Religions: Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Protestant, Hindu
- Internet Country Code: .mf (French side)
- Major Industries: Tourism, light industry and manufacturing, heavy industry
- Natural resources: Salt
- Climate: Temperature averages 26-30 (80-85) degrees all year long; low humidity, gentle trade winds, brief, intense rain showers; July-November is the hurricane season
- Average sea surface temp: 26.4 °C
- Average annual rainfall: 995 mm
- Average tourist arrivals: 1,000,000
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