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Saint Martin vs. Sint Maarten

Geography

Saint MartinSint Maarten
LocationCaribbean, located in the Leeward Islands (northern) group; French part of the island of Saint Martin in the Caribbean Sea; Saint Martin lies east of the US Virgin Islands

Caribbean, located in the Leeward Islands (northern) group; Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin in the Caribbean Sea; Sint Maarten lies east of the US Virgin Islands

Geographic coordinates18 05 N, 63 57 W

18 4 N, 63 4 W

Map referencesCentral America and the Caribbean

Central America and the Caribbean

Areatotal: 54 sq km

land: 54.4 sq km

water: negligible
total: 34 sq km

land: 34 sq km

water: 0 sq km

note: Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin
Area - comparativemore than one-third the size of Washington, DC

one-fifth the size of Washington, DC

Land boundariestotal: 16 km

border countries (1): Sint Maarten 16 km
total: 16 km

border countries (1): Saint Martin (France) 16 km
Coastline58.9 km (for entire island)58.9 km (for entire island)
Climatetemperature averages 27-29 degrees Celsius all year long; low humidity, gentle trade winds, brief, intense rain showers; hurricane season stretches from July to November

tropical marine climate, ameliorated by northeast trade winds, results in moderate temperatures; average rainfall of 150 cm/year; hurricane season stretches from July to November

Elevation extremeshighest point: Pic du Paradis 424 m

lowest point: Caribbean Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Flagstaff 383 m

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Natural resourcessalt

fish, salt

Natural hazardssubject to hurricanes from July to November

subject to hurricanes from July to November

Environment - current issuesexcessive population pressure (increasing settlement); waste management; salinity intrusions into the main land of the island; fresh water supply is dependent on desalination of sea water; over exploitation of marine resources (reef fisheries, coral and shell); indiscriminate anchoring of boats damages coral reefs,causing underwater pollution and changes the sediment dynamics of Saint Martin's Island

scarcity of potable water (increasing percentage provided by desalination); inadequate solid waste management; pollution from construction, chemical runoff, and sewage harms reefs

Geography - notethe southern border is shared with Sint Maarten, a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; together, these two entities make up the smallest landmass in the world shared by two self-governing states

the northern border is shared with the French overseas collectivity of Saint Martin; together, these two entities make up the smallest landmass in the world shared by two self-governing states

Population distributionmost of the population is found along the coast, with a largest concentrations around the capital Marigot, Orleans, and Grand-Casemost populous areas are Lower Prince's Quarter (north of Philipsburg), followed closely by Cul de Sac

Source: CIA Factbook