Sint Maarten
St Maarten
Sint Maarten:
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 the island of Saint Martin to the
French and Dutch, who divided it amongst themselves in 1648.
In 1954, Sint Maarten and several other Dutch Caribbean possessions became part
of the Kingdom of the Netherlands as the Netherlands Antilles. In a 2000
referendum, the citizens of Sint Maarten voted to become a self-governing
country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The change in status became
effective in October of 2010 with the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles.
Clock showing actual current local time now in Time Zone: America Curacao
What is the International Telephone Dialling Code for
Sint Maarten?
The International Dialling Code for St. Maarten: +599-5
Flag of Sint Maarten
2 equal horizontal bands of red (top) and blue with a white
isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; the centre of the triangle displays
the Sint Maarten coat of arms; the arms consist of an orange-bordered blue
shield prominently displaying the white court house in Philipsburg, as well as a
bouquet of yellow sage (the national flower) in the upper left, and the
silhouette of a Dutch-French friendship monument in the upper right; the shield
is surmounted by a yellow rising sun in front of which is a Brown Pelican in
flight; a yellow scroll below the shield bears the motto: SEMPER PROGREDIENS
(Always Progressing); the three main colours are identical to those on the Dutch
flag
Location
Caribbean, located in the Leeward Islands (northern) group;
Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin in the Caribbean Sea; Sint Maarten lies
east of the US Virgin Islands
Geographic coordinates:
18 4 N, 63 4 W
Website:
www.st-maarten.com
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