ST. MARTIN / ST. MAARTEN ISLAND INFORMATION
St. Maarten / St. Martin Weather
The weather in St. Maarten / St. Martin is warm all year,
although it is hotter and more humid during the low season (mid-April
to mid-December). Check out the weather in our land of perpetual summer
- as currently reported at Princess Juliana Airport, St. Maarten,
Netherlands Antilles:
For satellite images or other Caribbean islands weather, visit www.meteo.an.
St. Martin / St. Maarten History
The history of St. Martin / St. Maarten
is similar to the rest of the Caribbean. At first, the island existed
peacefully when Arawak Indians arrived from American mainland around
800 AD. The Arawaks were followed by the cannibalistic Carib Indians in
the 14th century. The island was known as Soualiga, or "Land of Salt",
as these early inhibitors named it in honor of its many salt ponds. The
Great Salt Pond in present-day Philipsburg, the capital of St. Maarten, is what remains of once vast salt harvests.
According to popular belief, Christopher Columbus sighted
Soualiga on November 11, 1493, and named the island in honor of Bishop
St. Martin of Tours; however, it wasn't around 1630 that the first
colonization attempts were made by the Dutch and the French. To this
day, November 11th is a national holiday that is celebrated as St. Martin / St. Maarten's Day.
The island changed hands many times between the Spanish, Dutch,
French, and English powers. At first, the Spanish claimed, but did not
attempt to colonize St. Martin / St. Maarten. Around 1644, the
Dutch and the French, who joined forces to fight the Spanish, finally
achieved their goal when the Spanish reassessed their interests in the
region and abandoned their claims to the Eastern Caribbean. In 1648,
The Dutch and the French proceeded to sign an accord and agreed to
share the island.
Over the years, the partition agreement was repeatedly
violated and became the subject of numerous disputes. The Dutch and the
French continued battling, and even the English got involved
controlling the island for short periods of time. Finally, in 1817, the
conflict was peacefully resolved and the current boundary was
established. Today, the old stone forts around the island remind
visitors of St. Martin / St. Maarten's turbulent past.
During this period the island, like the rest of the Caribbean,
established a lucrative plantation and salt harvesting economy using
slaves imported from Africa. Native forests were cleared to grow
tobacco, indigo, cotton, cocoa, coffee, sugarcane, while salt was
shipped to Holland for the herring industry. After St. Martin abolished slavery in 1848 and St. Maarten
in 1863, the plantations went into decline, economic activity dropped
off sharply, and the island slipped into a subsistence economy.
During World War II, the Allies occupied the island after both
the Netherlands and France fell to the Nazis. In 1943, the U.S.A. built
a military airfield, today Princess Juliana Airport. Following the end
of the war the new airport facilitated the island's growth and helped
establish tourism industry - today the main economy of St. Martin / St. Maarten.
St. Maarten / St. Martin Island Culture
The island culture has its roots largely in African, French, and
Dutch influences. While European settlers brought their traditions, the
Africans brought the language and culture of West Africa. Today, St. Martin / St. Maarten
is truly a multicultural society, with many recent Spanish-speaking and
other immigrants adding their own elements to the island. It is
estimated that there are 140 different nationalities with only about
20% of the population born here.
On St. Maarten, Dutch is the official language,
although in practice English is the first language spoken, as well as
Papiamento, the dialect of the Netherlands Antilles. On St. Martin, the official language is French, though most island-born people are multilingual and can speak English, French, and Creole.
Like the rest of the Caribbean, the island's tropical climate has
created a slow pace of life, in which music and food play a highly
important role. The island is known as the gourmet capital of the
Caribbean, with cuisines ranging from upscale French to traditional
sidewalk barbecues (lolos), and other culinary influences brought by
the immigrant communities. French wine, locally brewed rum, Dutch St. Maarten's guavaberry liqueur, fruity cocktails, and beer complement this outstanding variety of food.
Many artists call St. Martin / St. Maarten home. Art
galleries that feature local painters, shops and open-air markets that
sell crafts and one-of-a-kind items are abundant. Caribbean sounds such
as calypso, steel pan music, and the French zouk, as well as the latest
modern hits can be heard on the island.
St. Martin / St. Maarten is famous for its Caribbean hospitality
and European sophistication. The island's friendly people welcome
visitors to experience everything this little piece of paradise has to
offer.
St. Maarten / St. Martin Island Currency
St Martin's official legal tender is the euro, while St. Maarten's
tender is Netherlands Antilles florin or guilder (NAF). U.S. dollars
are widely used and accepted everywhere, so visitors do not need to
exchange U.S. money for a visit to the island.
Traveler's
checks and credit cards are accepted nearly everywhere. ATMs that
accept major credit cards and debit cards can be found around the
island.