SINT MAARTEN

:''For the island of St. Martin on the whole, see Saint Martin, for the French side, see Saint Martin (France) and for other uses, see Saint Martin (disambiguation).''
The 'island area of Sint Maarten' (Dutch: ''Eilandgebied Sint Maarten'') is one of five island areas (''Eilandgebieden'') of the Netherlands Antilles, encompassing the southern half of the island of Saint Martin/Sint Maarten. At the 2001 Netherlands Antilles census, the population of the ''Eilandgebied'' was 30,594, for a population density of 900 inhabitants per km².
''Sint Maarten'' borders the French overseas collectivity of ''Saint-Martin'', which occupies the northern half of the island.

Contents

Urban areas

Politics and Government

Colleges and universities

To be seen or visited

See also

External links

Government

Organizations and schools

Tourism

Urban areas

★ Philipsburg with 1228 inhabitants

★ Lower Prince's Quarter with 8123 inhabitants

★ Cul de Sac with 7880 inhabitants

★ Cole Bay with 6046 inhabitants

★ Upper Prince's Quarter with 4020 inhabitants

★ Little Bay (Fort Amsterdam) with 2176 inhabitants

★ Simpson Bay with 736 inhabitants

★ Lowlands with 232 inhabitants
'', ''Simsonbay'', ''Madame Estate'', ''Dutch Cul-de-sac'', ''Duch Quarter'', ''Cool Bay'', ''Oyster pond'', ''South Reward'', ''Saint-Peters'', ''Pointe-Blanche'', ''Middle Region'', ''Cay hill'', ''Upper Prince's Quarter'' and ''Lower Prince's Quarter''.

Politics and Government

Saint Martin is an "island area" (''eilandgebied'' in Dutch), a component of the Netherlands Antilles comparable to a municipality. The Netherlands Antilles are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands though not in the European Union. Its currency is the Antillean guilder (however, the United States dollar is widely accepted). A planned restructuring of the Netherlands Antilles would see Sint Maarten become a separate country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands (like the Netherlands Antilles are now) on December 15, 2008. The Netherlands Antilles will be abolished as from that same date.
The island area of Sint Maarten is ruled by an island council, an executive council, and an administrator (''gezaghebber'' in Dutch) appointed by the Dutch Crown.

Colleges and universities

★ University of St. Martin (USM) in Philipsburg. USM is an affiliate of Johnson & Wales University.

★ American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC), founded in 1978, was previously located on Montserrat. Because of the eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano in 1995, AUC moved its campus to Saint Martin just in time for Hurricane Luis later that year. A permanent, hurricane-proof campus was completed in 1998 in Cupecoy.

To be seen or visited

★ Border Monument in honor of the 1648 Treaty of Concordia.

★ The Philipsburg Historical foundation museum.

★ The Heineken airline Jet-Bar (at Philipsburg).

★ Fantastic jumbo jets low landings (at Maho Beach).

★ The zoo park with animals from the Caribbean area (on Madame estate Pondfill).

★ Fort Amsterdam and Fort Willems (at Philipsburg)

★ Sightseeing on Dawn Beach road.

★ Emilio Wilson Historical Park (Cul-de-sac)

★ Butterfly Farm

★ Hiking to Paradise Peak

★ The original Courthouse on Frontstreet

★ The newly renovated Boardwalk spanning the beachfront on Frontstreet

See also

★ Sint Maarten, the Caribbean island.

★ The French side of the island.

★ History of St. Martin, the Caribbean island.

★ List of Sint Maarten governors.

★ Culture of St. Martin, the Caribbean island.

★ ''O sweet Saint-Martin's Land'' (bi-national song/anthem of Saint-Martin/Sint-Maarten )

External links

Government

★ St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce and Industry — Official site

★ Lt. Governor of St. Maarten — Official site

Organizations and schools

★ American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine

★ University of St. Maarten

★ Philipsburg jubilee public library

Tourism

★ St. Maarten Tourist Bureau - Official site