Isle of Saint-Martin
In the Caribbean Sea is the island of Saint Martin - Saint Martin. It is of volcanic origin and belongs to the Windward Islands in the Lesser Antilles archipelago. Its eastern shores are washed by the Atlantic Ocean, and the western ones - by the Caribbean Sea. Saint Martin is 12 km from Anguilla Island and 20 km from Saint Barthélemy Island. Among the inhabited islands in the world, it has the smallest area. The island of Saint-Martin is ruled by two countries at once: France and the Netherlands. The French owns its northern part. The Southern Lands is a self-governing territory that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Features of the relief
The island of Saint Martin has rocky shores and hilly surfaces. Its shape resembles a triangle. The area of this land area is 87 square meters. km. There are convenient bays in the south and north. Internal lagoons are connected by channels to the sea. There are many reefs, rocks and uninhabited islets near the island. The largest are Pinette and Tintamer. The mountainous terrain is combined with excellent beaches, which are covered with white sand..
a brief description of
Even before the discovery of the island, it was inhabited by the Arawaks. They designated the island of Saint-Martin as «Island of Women». In 1493 this small piece of land was discovered by Christopher Columbus. The Spaniards in those years were not very interested in the islands of the Caribbean, so the Dutch and French were the first to settle in Saint-Martin. Having united, these countries fought back Spain, which was trying to seize the island. The treaty signed between the Netherlands and France in 1648 confirmed the official division of Saint-Martin into two separate territories..
Today the population of the island exceeds 74 thousand people. Among the locals, most of all are mulattos and blacks, who are descendants of slaves from Africa. In the southern part of Saint-Martin, the official language is Dutch. The inhabitants of the northern region speak French. English and Spanish are also used on the island. The center of the Netherlands' possession is the city of Philipsburg, the center of the French possessions is Marigot. The island of Saint-Martin is an offshore zone where the financial sector is developed. In addition, a lot of attention is paid to the field of tourism..
How to get to Saint Martin
The largest airport on the island and the entire Caribbean region is the Princess Juliana Airport. It is an international airport that receives flights from America and Europe. Flights from other countries are also served by the airport located near Marigot. The cities of Philipsburg and Marigot are located near the bays where passenger ships come. Saint Martin is connected to the island of Anguilla by ferry service.
