Historical Overview
(Reproduced from the Princess Cruises "Adventures Ashore" port guide)
St. Maarten is the smallest island in the world to be divided between two sovereign powers. The current boundary is a result of numerous wars between great European powers in the 17th century. Ownership of the island is split between the Dutch and French, yet no rift exists between the people of these cultures. The island's inhabitants are quite proud of their nearly 350-year history of peaceful co-existence.
According to legend, Columbus discovered the island in 1493 on the feast day of St. Martin of Tours. During the 140 years that followed, the Spanish, French and Dutch disputed possession, or at least the right to use the resources, of St. Maarten/St. Martin.
On March 23, 1648, a treaty was concluded atop Mount Corcordia delineating the boundaries of the island. The Dutch received 16 square miles and the French received 21 square miles, owing to the latter's superior naval presence in the region when the treaty was signed.
The French and Dutch were not always as neighborly as they are today - the territory underwent 16 changes of flag from 1648 to 1816, with France, Holland and even Britain claiming it at times.
The establishment of sugarcane plantations during the late 1700s inevitably brought with it slavery. The exploitive colonial system remained intact and prospered as long as there were slaves; however, once slavery was abolished (in 1848 on the French side and in 1863 on the Dutch), the economy suffered greatly. The island became mired in a depression that lasted until 1939, when all import and export taxes were recinded and the island became a free port.
Thereafter, St. Maarten/St. Martin developed as a hub of trade in the Caribbean; the most dramatic advances were made in the late 1950's with the opening of the airport. In the 1960's, 1970's and 1980's, hotels began to proliferate aroung the island and more cruise ships began to visit. Today, the island's appeal is stronger than ever.
Various pictures of St. Maarten