Sint Maarten - Sint Maarten

Sint Maarten is an island of Netherlands Antilles.

Regions

Sint Maarten is the southern part of this island. The northern part is called Saint Martin and belongs to France.

places

• Cole Bay
• Cupecoy
• Maho Bay
• Oyster Pond - SMX
• Dawn Beach
• Philipsburg
• Simpson Bay

background

Towards the end of the last ice age, the North American continent was still covered with a two to three kilometer thick layer of ice, the water level was 30 to 40 meters lower than today. At that time, today's islands were formed Anguilla, Saint Martin and Saint Barthelemy a single island about 4,650 km² in size. The water temperature at that time was 3 - 5 ° C, the air temperature 5 - 10 ° C lower than today.

The irregular triangular island has a north-south extension of 13 km and an east-west extension of 15 km and is of volcanic origin. The island core is up to 424 m high. The coasts in the east and west are rather flat. There are around 30 fine sandy beaches along the entire coast. Behind many there are large salt lakes with brackish water inland. With over 31 km², the Simpson Baai lagoon is one of the largest inland lakes in the entire Caribbean. There is a branch channel to the sea on the French and Dutch sides. On the Dutch side, the branch canal is five meters deep and over 15 m wide. The road bridges are opened for sailing ships several times a day.

history

The native American Indians probably did not live on this island permanently. Although there were no rivers or wells on the island, they still found enough drinking water in various caves in the limestone underground. Archaeological digs near Billy-Folly have unearthed finds from that period. The Arawak and Karib Indians named the island Soualiga, "Salt Island".

On November 11, 1493, Christopher Columbus is said to have discovered the island on his second voyage without going ashore and named it after the bishop St. Martin of Tours. Since the island seemed worthless to Spain according to Columbus's description, it remained almost untouched for another century. The Indians were able to celebrate their ritual festivals and pirates used them as shelter from an early age.

After the Dutch lost access to the salt fields of Punta del Araya in 1621, the Dutch West India Company (Dutch Geoctroyeerde West-Indische Compagnie, WIC for short) looked for new sources. In previous years, the British and French had also tried successfully to conquer land in the Caribbean. At first the Dutch only traded with their colonists.

In 1624 Peter Schouten docked on this island to carry out repairs on his ship. From then on she was regularly called at by Dutch ships. There was a safe harbor and large salt lakes. In the course of 1630, the WIC then decided to occupy the island of Saint Martin. At the beginning of August 1631 Jan Claesen van Campen reached the island near Little Baai with 32 men. Van Campen became the island's first governor. Within three months, a few huts were built and around 1,000 hectoliters of salt were obtained for shipping to Europe. In September 1632 there was a first defense system with cannons and 80 men on the site of today's Fort Amsterdam. Just a day's journey away in the Spanish colony of Puerto Rico, people were reluctant to watch Dutch activities on Saint Martin. The Spanish King Philip IV gave the order to retake the island. On June 24, 1633, an armada of 53 warships and 42 supply boats with a crew of over 1,000 entered the Great Baai. After a week of fighting, the island was back in Spanish hands and would remain so for the next 12 years.

In 1629 the attempt by Pierre Belain d´Esnambuc failed the island of Saint Kitts for the French King Louis XIII. to conquer, since the English had already established themselves there under the leadership of Thomas Warner. D'Esnambuc sailed on to Saint Martin, where he went ashore at the French Quarter. A Spanish commando drove him out again, so that he had to sail back to Saint Kitts. After the Dutch and French were completely driven out, the Spanish stationed 250 soldiers on the island. However, since these were dependent exclusively on food from outside, which did not come regularly, they lived in very poor conditions, and their number quickly dwindled to 120 men. The Dutch and the French knew of the poor food situation and planned to recapture the island.

After the loss of Saint Martin, the Dutch first built a colony in Curaçao in 1634. At the same time, a trading post was established on the island of Sint Eustatius. Peter Stuyvesant was the director of the WIC in Curaçao at the time. In 1644 he equipped 13 ships and made himself admiral on the ship Blauwe Haan and sailed with 1,000 soldiers to Saint Martin, where he arrived in Cay Bay on March 10th. During the fighting, Stuyvesant was hit in the right leg and had to be amputated.

The Spanish island governor Diego Guajardo sent a report to Puerto Rico requesting additional troops, instead the order came to abandon the island. The Spanish troops remained on the island until 1648 before they were brought back after Spain had to recognize the independence of the Netherlands.

On February 11, 1648, the governor of Sint Eustatius gave his captain Major Martin Thomas the order to take possession of Saint Martin again for Holland.

The French governor of Saint Kitts, in turn, sent 300 men to Saint Martin when he heard about the Dutch there. Officers from both nations met on March 23, 1648 on Mount Concordia and negotiated the division of the island. In the Treaty of Mont des Accords, both peoples agreed to help each other in times of need. The Dutch half of the island was named Sint Maarten. Two years after the Mont des Accords agreement, British troops occupied the nearby island of Anguilla in order to disrupt the Dutch-French community from there.

In 1667 and 1668 the English sacked the island. In 1672 England and France declared war on the Netherlands. The islands of Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten were attacked from Saint Christopher. The Dutch had to retreat to the island of Tobago. In 1676 the Netherlands sent a strong naval force under the leadership of Jacob Binckes to recapture the island. The French retreated into the hilly interior of the island with fierce resistance. Binckes looted and set fire to many houses, but the French retained control of the island. In January and July 1690, English troops raided the island and drove the French out. In the Peace of Breda in 1697, however, the island returned to French ownership. In 1702 the French soldiers were withdrawn from the island to fight the English on other Caribbean islands. So it was no problem for the commander Lamont of the island of Sint Eustatius to recapture the island in the following year.

In 1715 there were 43 Dutch with 19 slaves and 350 French with 244 slaves on the whole island. They lived mainly from the salt production. Since the WIC began growing sugar cane and brought African slaves there to work in the fields, the population structure changed significantly in the following years: in 1789 there were 1,100 whites, 190 hybrids and 4,230 slaves.

In 1763 Philipsburg became the capital of Sint Maarten. In the 18th century the island was taken over by the governor general of Suriname managed in Paramaribo.

Born in Scotland in 1691 from 1735 to 1746 John Philip Governor. He had previously lived in the Danish colony of Saint Thomas and married a Dutch woman there. He boosted trade on the island and improved general living conditions. This also brought over 200 new colonists into the country. But when he tried to introduce an unpopular tax for the WIC, he was taken as a prisoner on a ship and sent back to Saint Thomas.

In 1775 there were 354 whites and 756 slaves on the Dutch part of the island.

In the following years, from 1779 onwards, there were repeated British attacks. Between 1784 and 1794 the British controlled up to two thirds of the entire island. From 1810 to 1816 they were again the sole owners of the island.

It was not until 1816 that the final border between the French and Dutch parts of the island was established. From 1845 the Dutch part of the island was administered from Curaçao. From 1850 Philipsburg was a duty-free port.

After the French had abolished slavery on April 16, 1848, it was also abolished on the Dutch side in 1863. Between 1873 and 1882 several laws were passed that would bring tax exemption for all islanders.

In the middle of the 20th century, the demand for salt from the USA dropped dramatically. Many islanders who had made a living from salt production had to look for work on other islands. Salt production on the Dutch side of the island ceased in 1949. Even so, the salt pans have remained in many parts of the island to this day.

Between the world wars, many families emigrated to Curaçao to work in the oil refinery.

In 1936 the colonies in the Caribbean received a new parliament called the Staten. It initially had 15 members. The three islands of Saba, Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten together could only send one member there. From 1942 the colonial status was gradually reorganized. Willemstad became the main administrative seat for all Dutch possessions in the Caribbean. Until 1948, only about 5% of the total population on the islands had the right to vote, after which universal suffrage was introduced.

During the Second World War, the population suffered from the surrender of the Netherlands and the German occupation, which led to a blockade of the island by the Allies.

After the Americans entered the war, they built a 1,200 m long runway at the Simpson Baai in 1943 for their planes, which they used to fight German submarines. From this the international airport developed after the war Princess Juliana Airport. By 1985 it was expanded to such an extent that the Concorde could land there, and the terminal building was renovated at the same time.

In 1954 the colonies received their complete self-government. The Parliament Staten was increased to 22 members. In 1985 it was reshaped again. New elections were held, the elected representatives are now called Senators. For the first time, Saba and Sint Eustatius were given their own seat there. At the same time, each island could choose its own national flag and anthem.

In 1955 the first hotel was built on Little Baai Beach. It wasn't until five years later that there was electricity across the island.

Plantation economy

In the middle of the 18th century, the original forest was cut down and converted into agricultural land. At the end of the 19th century there were around 90 plantations on the island. Since there were no sugar cane plantations on the island, all local rum brands are made with imported rum.

Claude Wathey

The name of this man can be found all over the island, he has done a lot for the development of his country. Albert Claudius Wathey was born on July 24, 1926 in Philipsburg. There he attended St. Joseph's School on Front Street. He learned hotel management and became a businessman. His political career began in 1950. In 1951 he was elected to the island government. In July 1954 he founded the Democratic Party of Sint Maarten with Clem Labega. In the following years he held the post of senator in the Netherlands Antilles parliament and became government commissioner for tourism. In this capacity he made tourism the leading industry on the island and brought many large hotel chains into the country. He created a national holiday for the island. Sint Maarten Day has been celebrated on November 11th every year since 1962. The legislative hall in the island administration building bears his name, as does the new cruise dock.

carnival

On the Dutch half of the island, Philipsburg becomes a carnival stronghold during the second half of April. Events are held every evening. "King Moumou" leads the carnival. "Jump-ups" are the funny parades, steel bands provide music. A Miss Carnival will also be elected. The Grand Carnival Parade takes place in Philipsburg. There is a children's carnival. Information is available from the Sint-Maarten Carnival Foundation, Tel. 544-5211, Fax 544-3155.

The airline WinAir

On August 24, 1961, the three aviators C. Greaux, H. E. Ledee and N. C. Wathey founded the airline Windward Islands Airways with the aim of flying regularly from Sint Maarten to Saba and Sint Eustatius. In 1962, flight operations began with a four-seater Piper Apache to Sint Eustatius, and on July 24, 1963, the first flight to Saba was made.

In the same year a second Piper Apache and a Beech Bonanza were purchased. Since 1965 there have also been flights to Anguilla, Guadeloupe, Saint Barth and Saint Kitts. Between 1967 and 1970 the two Piper Apache were replaced by two nineteen-seat De Haviland Twin Otters. In 1971 the company was renamed Windward Islands Airways International, thereby obtaining landing rights in Puerto Rico. Two Fokker Friendship aircraft were rented for these flights until 1974.

At the end of 1974 the government of the Netherlands and its airline ALM acquired part of the shares in WinAir. In the following years WinAir was completely taken over by the Netherlands, some flight routes were canceled, others were added.

language

There are hardly any language problems, the island is international. Dutch, French and English are spoken.

getting there

After its renovation, Princess Juliana Airport is the third largest airport in the Caribbean in terms of flight movements. It is located in the south on a narrow strip of land between the sea and the lagoon.

mobility

By bus

Public buses run every hour between 5 a.m. and midnight from Philipsburg to Cole Bay, Mullet Bay, Simpson Bay and via Marigot to Grand Case, fare: US $ 2.00, from 8 p.m. US $ 2.50. Short trips cost US $ 1.50.

taxi

All taxi drivers and the tourist offices have a detailed list of fares in guilders and US dollars.

Rental car

There is right-hand traffic on the island!

The German or international driving license is recognized. The minimum age for renting vehicles is 21 years. The maximum speed in built-up areas is 20-40 km / h, outside built-up areas 60 km / h. Rental rates start at US $ 25-35 per day plus US $ 10 insurance. Motorcycles can be rented for US $ 22-100 per day.

• Rental prices: Rental cars: US $ 25-55 per day, US $ 45-55 jeeps, US $ 150-300 per week, US $ 270-350 jeeps; Motorbike rental per day US $ 30-50

Ship connections

Various ferries go to the island Saba and to the island Saint Barthelemy. There is a regular ferry connection to the island from the northern part of the island Anguilla.

Tourist Attractions

National parks

• Sint Maarten Marine Park, Tel. 542-0267, Fax 542-0268. This national park was established in 1997 by the Nature Foundation of Sint Maarten. It encloses the entire coastal region from the Cupecoy Baai to the Oyster Pond over a width of 5 km or up to a water depth of 60 meters. The marine park is financed by the Dutch World Wildlife Fund WWF.
• National landscape park, it encloses the area from Cul-de-Sac to Flagstaff in the north and Mary's Fancy in the south. The founding association is not a government organization and therefore has only limited financial resources. So that the creation of forest trails and the use of rangers is limited.

zoo

• Sint Maarten Park, Arch Road, Madame Estate, Tel. 543-2020, Fax 543-2030. The zoo and botanical garden is around 1.5 hectares in size. In the zoo you will find 40 different animal species with over 100 animals from the Caribbean and South America. There is a children's playground. Opening times in summer: daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., in winter from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed on public holidays. Admission: Adults US $ 5, children US $ 2, children up to 2 years free.

activities

Any kind of water sports, hiking, shopping. The island is a duty-free zone, especially in Philipsburg you can find a lot of good shops.

Marinas

The yacht industry is bringing the island an additional $ 80 million in income as a by-product, and the trend is increasing. 400 to 500 yachts call at the various ports during the season. As a result, new marinas were built and older ones were enlarged. Nevertheless, the marinas are currently fully booked. There are currently ten marinas on the Dutch side of the island.

Dive sites

• Proselyte Reef, south of Phillipsburg. In 1801 the British frigate "Proselyte" sank there. The anchor and the cannons can be admired by divers in 17 m water depth.
• The wreck of the "Hvalp", a roll-on-roll-off ferry that lies close to a reef in 17 m water depth.
• The wreck of the "Teigland" is a small island freighter. It is located in 23 m water depth, close to a steep drop that extends to a depth of 40 m. You can often see large fish there.
• The moonhole is an underwater crater. It can be reached at a depth of 10 meters and can dive down to the bottom at a depth of 21 meters.
• Other diving areas include Amazing Maze with rock formations that reach 7 m below the surface of the water, Horse Shoe, where you can find sleeping sharks, and the waters around the islands of Hen & Chicken and Pelican Rock.

to buy

Supermarket prices, Status: winter 2010

• 4-pack croissants US $ 4.50
• Toasted bread US $ 2.10-2.50
• Jam fruit mix 350 grams US $ 4.95
• Eggs box of 12 US $ 3.25
• Breakfast bacon 225 grams US $ 6.95
• Sausages 370 grams US $ 4.95
• Salami 340 grams US $ 6.95
• Kraft cheese slices 225 grams US $ 4.95
• Yogurt 170 grams US $ 1.95

• Kraft Macaroni with Cheese 400 grams package US $ 3.95
• Di Giornio Frozen Pizza 790 grams US $ 10.95
• Chicken Nuggets Frozen 200 grams US $ 3.95
• Peanuts 190 gram can US $ 4.50
• Potato chips 170 grams US $ 3.50
• Milk 1 liter US $ 3.25

• Fiji well water 1.5 liters US $ 4.25
• Coke 2 liters US $ 2.95
• Beer 6-pack bottles of Budweiser or Carib US $ 6.75
• Beer 12 cans Miller Lite US $ 14.10
• Bacardi Rum 0.75 liters US $ 14.95
• Beefeater Gin 0.75 liters US $ 15.95
• Absolut Vodka 0.75 liters US $ 14.95

• Kitchen Towels Paper Roll 56 Sheets US $ 2.20
• Sun oil protection factor 15 - 236 ml US $ 14.95

kitchen

Because it belongs to the Netherlands, there are many products from Holland and its neighboring countries on this part of the island. You can find Brie cheese, Camembert, Edam, Gouda, fine chocolate, wine and of course Dutch beer there. In the restaurants you can dine like in Amsterdam. However, everything is a bit more spicy.

nightlife

The night life is pronounced. There are a large number of beach bars that have long opening hours and the number of casinos is particularly high on this island.

security

The island is relatively safe for tourists. You can even be alone on the beach or in the city at night without any problems, without being attacked or falling victim to robbery. The police are very nice and helpful. The islanders are also happy to help tourists with questions.

Practical advice

Customs regulations

• The island is a duty-free zone. There are also no border controls between the Dutch and French parts.
• Dogs may be brought to the island if a health certificate can be presented that is not older than 5 days or a vaccination certificate against rabies that was not older than 1 month is available.
• According to the Washington Convention on Endangered Species, the export of protected animals, including iguanas, parrots and turtles, is prohibited.
• The export of cacti and orchids is prohibited.
• Due to the Fisheries Act of June 8, 1998, the possession and export of corals and mussels is prohibited.

climate

The dry season with little rain is from January to July. During the rainy season from August to December there is about three times as much rain as in the rest of the year. A whole day with rain is rather the exception, mostly there are only short showers.

In 1819 a hurricane destroyed all buildings on the island. In 1995, hurricane Luis caused severe damage.

literature

• St. Maarten - Saba - St. Eustatius, Rien Van Der Helm, Elmar Reishandboeken (Lowland), 1st edition, 1999, ISBN 90-6120-714-2
• Leeward Islands, K. C. Nash, Hunter Travel Guides, 3rd Edition, 2008, ISBN 978-1-58843-642-9

Maps

Ile St-Martin, Ile St. Barthélemy, 1: 25,000, IGN Paris, 2002, card number 4606 GT

Web links

• http://pjlibrary.an - The Phil Jubilee Library, Philipsburg, N.A.
• http://thedailyherald.com - Daily newspaper on St Maarten, N.A.
• http://sxmnews.com/ - News online
• http://sintmaarten.net/ - Internet Servicve Provider
• http://stmaarten-info.com/ - Info about St Maarten
• http://sxm.com - Best of St. Maarten