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Saint Martin
parliamentary democracy (Territorial Council); overseas collectivity of France
Christopher COLUMBUS claimed Saint Martin for Spain in 1493, naming it after the feast day of St. Martin of Tours, but it was the Dutch who occupied the island in 1631 to exploit its salt deposits. The Spanish retook Saint Martin in 1633, but the Dutch continued to assert their claims.
Profile
CapitalMarigot
Population33K
Area50 km²
LanguageFrench (official), Dutch, English, Guadeloupian Creole, Haitian Creole, Italian, Martiniquan Creole, Papiamento (dialect of Netherlands Antilles), Spanish
Currencyeuros (EUR) per US dollar -
At a Glance
Population
33K
