Sint Maarten Country & Tourist Information

Location
Eastern Caribbean, Windward Islands.

Area
34 sq km (16 sq miles).

Population
36,231 (1996).

Population Density
1066 per sq km.

Capital
Philipsburg.

Government
Part of the Netherlands Antilles; dependency of The Netherlands since 1630.  

Language
Dutch is the official language. Papiamento (a mixture of African, Dutch, English, Portuguese and Spanish) is the commonly used lingua franca. English and Spanish are also widely spoken.

Religion
Protestant, with Roman Catholic and Jewish minorities.

Time
GMT - 4.

Electricity
110/220 volts AC, 60Hz.

Head of Government
Prime Minister Etienne Ys since 2004. TheNetherlands Antilles consist of Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St Eustatiusand St Maarten. The capital of the island group is Willemstad, Curaçao.

Head of State
Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands, represented locally by Governor General Frits Goedgedrag.

Telephone
Fully automatic system with good IDD. Country code: 599. Calls made through the operator are more expensive and include a 15 per cent tax.

Mobile Telephone
Compatible with most US handsets but not with GSM handsets. Phone hire is available at Telcell’s customer care center in Philipsburg. Roaming exists (member of the Pan American Roaming Corporation). Most US handsets can be used, and can be activated with a temporary number before or after arrival on the island. Visitors should register online or dial 0 when in an ECC coverage area. Handsets can be hired from ECC in Philipsburg.

Internet
Internet access is available.

Media


Post
Airmail to Western Europe takes four to six days, surface mail takes four to six weeks.

Press
English-language dailies include the Daily Herald and St Maarten Guardian, published on St Maarten. Most other newspapers in the Netherlands Antilles are published in Dutch or Papiamento.

Radio
The local station is Voice of St Maarten.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2007-December 2008 period.

2007
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
6-9 Apr Easter.
29 Apr Carnival.
30 Apr Queen’s Birthday.
1 May May Day.
17 May Ascension.
21 Jul Schoelcher Day (Abolition of Slavery).
1 Nov All Saints’ Day.
11 Nov St Maarten Day.
15 Dec Kingdom Day.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
26 Dec Boxing Day.

2008
1 Jan New Year’s Day. 
21-24 Mar Easter.
Apr* Carnival.
30 Apr Queen’s Birthday.
1 May May Day.
1 May Ascension.
21 Jul Schoelcher Day (Abolition of Slavery).
1 Nov All Saints’ Day.
11 Nov St Maarten Day.
15 Dec Kingdom Day.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
26 Dec Boxing Day.

Note
*TBC

Contact Information:

Diplomatic representation
St Maarten is part of the Netherlands Antilles represented abroad by Royal Netherlands Embassies – see The Netherlands section.

St Maarten Tourist Bureau
Vineyard Office Park Building, WG Buncamper Road 33, Philipsburg, St Maarten
Tel: 542 2337.
Website: www.st-maarten.com

Office of the Minister Plenipotentiary of the Netherlands Antilles
PO Box 90706, Badhuisweg 173-175, 2597 JP The Hague, The Netherlands
Tel: (70) 306 6111.

Caribbean Tourism Organization in the UK
22 The Quadrant, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 1BP, UK
Tel: (020) 8948 0057.
Website: www.doitcaribbean.com or www.onecaribbean.org

St Maarten Tourist Office in the USA
675 Third Avenue, Suite 1806, New York, NY 10017, USA
Tel: (212) 953 2084 or 1 800 786 2278.
Website: www.st-maarten.com


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