St. Martin History and Culture
St. Martin sits in the northeast section along the chain of Caribbean islands that stretches from Florida to South America. The country, a part of the French Republic, is about 186 miles from Puerto Rico. It shares the 37-square-mile island with St. Maarten, a part of the Dutch Caribbean.
The island became the smallest piece of land in the world divided between two sovereign nations—France and the Netherlands—on March 23, 1648, when the residents signed the Treaty of Concordia, agreeing to live in peaceful coexistence. The treaty still stands today and is evident in the open border and very free movement of people and goods.
Folklore has it that the island was divided based on a race between a Dutchman and Frenchman, who stood back-to-back and walked in opposite directions around the island with the agreement to draw the border line from where they met back to their starting point. To quench his thirst, the Dutchman took a flask of gin and the Frenchman took a bottle of wine. As the day and sunshine wore on, the Dutchman was slowed more by his drink while the Frenchman was able to cover more ground.
The result of their race was the French side, Saint Martin or St. Martin, claiming 21 square miles and the Dutch side, referred to as St. Maarten, occupying 16 square miles. Annually, the ties of friendship, family and togetherness are celebrated on November 11, St. Martin Day. The date represents the sighting of the island by Christopher Columbus in 1493. The celebrations to mark the day are hosted on an alternating basis by the two sides.
Spain didn’t pay much attention to the island after its sighting and it was later occupied by a group of French settlers who, with about 1,400 families, established a village in Quartier d’Orleans. They planted cash crops, such as sugar cane and coffee, and harvested salt from the rich salt ponds for trade in Europe.
Things got interesting when a Dutch squadron found out how rich the salt ponds were and settled on the south side on the Fort Amsterdam peninsula. The increased activities attracted the Spanish, who attacked and reclaimed the island in 1633, but they left it for good in 1648, paving the way for the treaty.
The two sides continued thriving under the plantation system until the abolition of slavery on July 12, 1848, on the French side and fifteen years later on the Dutch side. Salt picking, however, endured until the 1940s, when a minor depression occurred before the tourism boom started.
Today St. Martin’s duty-free status is a haven for shops offering a selection of electronics, jewelry, clothing and everything one can desire. The shopping comes highly recommended as cruise passengers’ spending here is second only to St. Thomas in the entire Caribbean. Crew members spend the most here.
Culture
More then 104 nationalities call the island home. Languages from every corner of the world are spoken here. French is the official language of St. Martin while Dutch is official in St. Maarten. English, French Creole and Spanish are widely spoken.
The mix of nationalities creates a potpourri of moods and activities reflected especially in the foods prepared to perfection by the many restaurants that dot the island.
Emancipation Day, July 12, is celebrated with traditional string band music, dancing and, in keeping with the island’s culinary love affairs, lots of food.
Bastille Day, the birth of the French Republic, is also marked with grand fanfare and with parties on the Marigot Waterfront, complete with fireworks.
Year-round, the spirit of the island is reflected in the bustling and colorful market square in the center of the town. Vendors offer light island clothing, crafts and handmade jewelry. Shopping in the market is a dream for treasure seekers and bargain hunters.
