other · Mesoamerica and the Caribbean
Sint Maarten
Origins
Sint Maarten was part of the Netherlands Antilles until that country was dissolved on 10 October 2010. Islanders had voted in 2000 for separate status, and it became an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with Sarah Wescot-Williams as first prime minister. The island's division with French Saint-Martin dates from the Treaty of Concordia of 1648.
Rule and society
Sint Maarten has its own parliament, government and constitution in Philipsburg, while the Netherlands oversees defence, foreign affairs and, through a board, public finances. Its economy depends on tourism, especially cruise ships and visitors flying in to Princess Juliana Airport. English is the everyday language, and much of the population is of migrant origin. Governments have been unstable, with frequent changes of prime minister.
To the present
Hurricane Irma devastated the island in 2017, and Dutch reconstruction aid came with conditions on governance. Sint Maarten remains a country within the kingdom, debating its relationship with The Hague.
Lineage
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- Sint Maarten was part of Kingdom of the Netherlands2010 CE – 2030 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Sint Maarten. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sint-maarten
- MLA
- “Sint Maarten.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sint-maarten. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Sint Maarten.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sint-maarten.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Sint Maarten’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sint-maarten (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻