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St. Martin
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Saint Martin (French Saint-Martin) is an island in the northeast Caribbean (West Indies). Half Dutch and half French, the tropical 38 square-mile (88 km ) island is approximately 150 miles east of Puerto Rico and a few thousand miles southwest of Amsterdam and Paris.
France and the Netherlands agreed to divide the island on November 11, 1648. The southern, Dutch half is called Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles, which is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands though not in the European Union. The northern, French half is called Saint-Martin and is part of Guadeloupe, which is an overseas department of France and therefore in the European Union. In 2003 the population of the French part voted in favour of secession from Guadeloupe to form a separate territorial collectively.
Collectively, the two territories are known as, "St. Martin/St. Maarten", "St. Martins", or simply, "SXM". (SXM is the IATA identifier for Princess Juliana International Airport, the island's main airport.) Sint Maarten, the "Dutch-side", is known for its festive nightlife, fun beaches, and plentiful casinos, while Saint-Martin, the "French-side", is known more for its sexy daylife of world-famous nude beaches, jewelry and clothes shopping, exotic drinks made with native rum-based Guavaberry liquors, and rich French Caribbean cuisine.
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| Official Name: |
St. Martin (The French part of the Island) |
| Area: |
88 square km (38 sq. miles) |
| Capital: |
Marigot |
| Nationality: |
French |
| Official Language: |
French, English |
| Population: |
37,000 |
| Currency: |
Netherlands Antilles Guilder or Florin (NAF) |
| Exchange Rate: |
NAf $1.00=US$0.56; US$1.00=NAf 1.79 |
| Time Zone: |
EST+1(in winter); GMT -4 |
| Phone Code: |
Area Code (599), plus Country Code |
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