Sint Maarten

Sint Maarten is an island in the northeast Caribbean, approximately 300 km east of Puerto Rico. The 87 km2 island is divided roughly 60/40 between France (53 km2) and the Kingdom of the Netherlands (34 km2); they are roughly equal in population. It is one of the smallest sea islands divided between two nations, a division dating to 1648. The southern Dutch part comprises Sint Maarten and is one of four constituent countries that form the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The northern French part comprises the Collectivité de Saint-Martin (Collectivity of St. Martin) and is an overseas collectivity of France.

Did you know that:
1. As a part of the Netherlands Antilles and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, St. Maarten boasts 77 different nationalities.
2. The island has a liberal lifestyle, and nudity is accepted at some beaches. Naturists represent a small minority on beaches. It is not accepted in the general public.
3. The island enjoys the reputation as a shopper´s paradise (remember, it´s all duty free!), which is also true for jewelry. You will find a fantastic selection of fine jewelry, loose diamonds, an other precious gem stone mainly in the boutiques and shopping areas of Philipsburg and Marigot.
4. There are over 30 beautiful white sandy beaches on St. Martin. The French beaches reflect a more liberal attitude with some being topless or nude beaches.
5. Maho Beach is a beach on the Dutch side of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin and it is famous for the Princess Juliana International Airport adjacent to the beach. Arriving aircraft must touch down as close as possible to the beginning of Runway 10 due to the short runway length of 2,180 metres, resulting in aircraft on their final approach flying over the beach at minimal altitude.