Saint Martin/Sint Maarten: An Island Divided | GeoCurrents Saint Martin/Sint Maarten: An Island Divided Tweet (Note: Today’s post is by Claire Negiar, a Stanford senior, soon to graduate. Claire will be writing a few posts over the coming weeks, many of them focused on France and French dependencies.) Saint Martin. Sint Maarten. A crossroad between North and South, split between France and the Netherlands, Saint Martin has known a different fate in the aftermath of decolonization than most other Caribbean islands. Although the European colonial powers of Britain, France, the Netherlands, Spain, and even some of the Nordic nations usually battled it out for sovereignty over Carribbean islands in long back-and-forths, on the island of Saint Martin, the two main contenders chose a different path: that of peaceful coexistence. But what enabled Saint Martin to be successful in its division, while so many other attempts at dividing territory across the world have failed? And how have France and the Netherlands been able to coexist and build a coherent island community despite this division? One hypothesis would be that the early colonization of Saint Martin has given time the chance to smooth over the conflicts and the disputes that resulted from this dual presence.

Indeed, borders were disputed for some time before matters were settled: between 1648 and 1816, conflicts changed the border sixteen times. In the end, the French came out ahead with 54 km2 to the 41 km2 of the Dutch side. The French and Dutch had both coveted the island: while the French wanted to colonize all the islands between Trinidad and Bermuda, Dutch interest in Saint Martin stemmed from a desire to have a convenient halfway point between their colonies in New Amsterdam (today New York) and Brazil (temporarily taken from Portugal). Because there were few people inhabiting the island, the Dutch easily founded a settlement there in 1631, erecting Fort Amsterdam as protection from invaders. Soon after, the Dutch East India Company began salt mining operations. French and British settlements sprang up on the island as well, which attracted the Spanish conquistadores’ attention: taking note of these successful colonies and wanting to maintain their control of the salt trade, they suddenly found St. Martin much more appealing than it had been. What is more, the Eighty Years’ War, which had been raging between Spain and the Netherlands, provided further incentive to attack.

The Spanish forces captured Saint Martin from the Dutch in 1633, seizing control and driving most or all of the colonists off the island. Although the Dutch retaliated in several attempts to win back the island, these were unsuccessful. However, fifteen years after the Spanish conquered the island, the Eighty Years’ War ended and the Spanish lost their inclination to continue defending the island. They deserted the island in 1648 and, when this happened, both the Dutch and the French jumped at the chance to re-establish their settlements. Dutch colonists came from St. Eustatius, while the French came from St. Kitts. After some initial conflict, both sides realized that neither would yield easily and, preferring to avoid an all-out war, they signed the Treaty of Concordia in 1648, which divided the island in two. In spite of the treaty, relations between the two sides were not always cordial. We can therefore see that Saint Martin’s history was off to a rocky start as well, and that things were not always as smooth as they are today. Some elements of the initial partition of the island may, however, help explain why it has largely been successful.

Indeed, the French and the Dutch realized it was in their interest to sign a treaty giving each of them roughly half the territory. In a game of prisoner’s dilemma, the French and the Dutch would therefore both have chosen the option of “lying low,” resulting in the most beneficial split for both, instead of choosing the “equilibrium” strategy of attacking behind the other’s back, resulting in a sub-optimal resolution where there is also an intense mistrust. All of the provisions of the 1648 Treaty of Concordia are still in force on Saint Martin today, thus showing that it has at least passed the test of time. Another interesting point is the fact that the native population of Saint Martin was minimal, and that the population of the island has grown from both colonial settlements. That is to say, the indigenous peoples were overpowered and vastly outnumbered by the colonial powers, and that today the population is roughly split at 50% between the French and the Dutch sides, with 35,518 in Saint Martin and 37,459 in St. Maarten.

Overall, the island’s population is highly mixed, with people from over 120 countries, speaking English, French, Haitian/Guadeloupe/Martinique Creole, Papiamento (a Portuguese-based Creole from the Netherland’s islands of the southern Caribbean), Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, and even Italian. It seems that this intense melting pot helps defray cultural tension, as the island is not just a split between forty thousand Frenchmen and forty thousand Dutch. On Saint Martin/St. Maarten, languages, cultures, religions, and ethnicities mix and mingle, and as a result the fact that the island is split between the Netherlands and France has taken a secondary place. Though initially a part of the French region of Guadeloupe, French Saint Martin more recently experienced a major geopolitical change. The constitutional reform of March 28th 2003 on the decentralization of the French Republic brought about transformation in the status of the overseas territories. The new law laid down a framework for developments in the status and administration of overseas “Collectivités”.

In December of 2003, at the request of the municipal council, a referendum was held on Saint Martin on the island’s constitutional status under the framework of Article 74 of the Constitution (which allows the creation of a “collectivité” with a special status); a clear majority (76.17%) of the Saint Martiners voted in favor of this change. Since December 2007, Saint Martin has been a leader of the French decentralization process under this new article of the constitution. A somewhat similar change occurred on the Dutch half of the island. In 1957 the Netherlands excluded the Netherlands Antilles from European Territory at the signing of the Treaty of Rome, which created the European Economic Council, forerunner of the EU, cementing its status as a colonial possession. On October 10th, however, 2010, Sint Maarten however became a constituent (i.e., non-sovereign) country within the Dutch Kingdom, giving it an equal status to Aruba, Curacao and, theoretically, the Netherlands itself. Today, the government of the “Country of St Maarten” is a parliamentary democracy.

As such developments show, the two mother countries on the island have been willing to loosen their grasp on the island and offer a certain degree of self-rule to the local population. Such accommodation is rooted in part in the island’s demographic diversity, but mere distance probably plays a role as well. If Saint Martin were closer to France and the Netherlands, would these two countries be more inclined to resist this slow relinquishing of control? The island’s small size, and its lack of resources, has probably played a role as well. The fact that Saint Martin has gained substantial autonomy is also synonymous with a loosened fiscal policy, which is advantageous to many wealthy French citizens. The same situation is found in other French dependencies, although the French government claims that it wants to crack down on the resulting financial irregularities. Because of their special status, Saint-Martin, Saint-Barthélémy, Tahiti, and Wallis-et-Futuna all function, to a certain extent, as tax havens and money-laundering hubs. These « Collectivités d’Outre Mer » all benefit from complete autonomy in terms of fiscal and customs policies.

The political division of the island of Saint Martin complicates this situation, although sovereignty is divided, no formal border separates the two parts of the island; one can weave in and out of the two countries without even knowing it. Walking between the Dutch and French sides of the island of Saint Martin, the biggest difference is that of scale: while the Dutch side boasts very large hotels, nightclubs, casinos, and cruise-ship tourist populations, while the French side is home to smaller-scale hotels, restaurants, and, in true French form, a few topless beaches. What is more, financial institutions on the Dutch and the French sides have a policy of cooperation, thus making money-laundering relatively easy. Indeed, according to UN and European Commission consultant Michel Koutouzis: “You arrive with black-market money in a Casino on the Dutch side. You are told to sit at a given table for an hour. The casino makes you win a pre-arranged sum, which is a common practice in tax-havens. Once you collect your winnings, you can go invest them on the French side in real-estate or marina projects.” Today, two main issues have been plaguing the island, French and Dutch sides alike: drugs and disease.

The Wall Street Journal recently published an article about the dispersion of the chikungunya mosquito-borne virus across the Caribbean, fearing its spread to the United States and throughout the Americas. The virus, originally from Africa and southern Asia, causes fever and intense muscle and joint pain for weeks and, in some cases, years. There is currently no vaccine or cure. On December 10, 2013, the WHO confirmed the first two cases of chikungunya that were acquired locally rather than imported, on the French part of the island of St. Martin. As of Feb. 21, the Pan American Health Organization, a regional WHO entity, had confirmed 2,238 cases of the disease in the Caribbean—from Martinique to the British Virgin Islands. Drug consumption and ease of access has been another concern for the island: both cannabis and heroin are relatively cheap on the island, and are thus prevalent and heavily consumed. Reducing the drug consumption and creating an environment in which people feel comfortable to seek out help remain top priorities for the local government. Although the island of Saint Martin is divided, it benefits from surprising synergies between its two sides, with a shared but diverse cultural background, and a reputation for delicious food and beautiful beaches.

However, the two sides of the islands also share the common challenges of disease, drugs, and regulating financial institutions to avoid money-laundering and tax evasion. Today, although politically divided, Saint Martin largely functions as a unified country, with the minor anomaly of having two separate official languages in different areas. Although not necessarily an example of perfect governance or exemplary policy, Saint Martin provides lessons for other regions of the world about successful coexistence. But is this model reproducible anywhere else in the world, perhaps in such a conflict-ridden and divided country as Cyprus, or is it too idiosyncratic of a situation to be generalizable to any other parts of the world? Saint Martin Map / Geography of Saint Martin / Map of Saint Martin - Worldatlas.com Print this map Saint Martin Description First settled by Arawak Indians who arrived from South America , the Carib Indians eventually followed, and they named the island "Soualiga," or Land of Salt. As for European discovery, Christopher Columbus (on his second voyage to the New World) spotted the island in 1493, on the feast day of Saint Martin of Tours, thus the modern name.

In the 1620s the Dutch began to harvest the island's salt ponds. The Spanish , knowing the value of salt, built a fort on the island in 1634 to control access to that valuable commodity. In the early 17th Century, the Dutch and French began to build small settlements and eventually drove the Spanish off the island. On March 23, 1648, the Dutch Republic and France agreed to divide the island between their two nations, with the signing of the Treaty of Concordia. On into the 18th century, the Dutch and French developed many large and profitable sugarcane plantations. To provide the labor they imported African slaves in huge numbers. Divided between two countries for over 350 years now, St. Martin/Sint Maarten is harmoniously shared by the French and the Dutch. The border between north and south is all but invisible, and in most ways, St. Martin/Sint Maarten is simply a strikingly beautiful neighborhood with two distinct cultures. The French side (St. Martin), is certainly more relaxed and sophisticated, The first-class resorts and white sand beaches are mostly secluded.

Marigot is Mediterranean resort-like, with yachts in the harbor, and open-air markets and shops lining the waterfront. A bit to the north, Grand Case is known for the island's best restaurants. The Dutch side (Sint Maarten) is a lively destination of white sand beaches, casinos, historical sites, shopping venues and a lot of nightlife. Philipsburg, a duty-free port, is the main entry point, and it vibrates with Caribbean colors, sounds and cruise ship passengers. Although the island is half-French and half-Dutch, English is without a doubt the dominant language. St Maarten - St Martin St MARTIN At Home in Saint Martin – French Side The Caribbean Island of St. Martin undoubtedly has a distinct French air about it. Police officers still wear képis, the towns are named Orléans and Colombier, the streets are called rues, and the French flag is hoisted over the gendarmerie in the capital city of Marigot. This Caribbean Island also boasts some of the best cuisine in the Caribbean, with a surprising number of good restaurants and bistros. Repeat visitors and residents cite St.

Martin as being a lot more prosperous, sophisticated and stylish than both Martinique and Guadeloupe. This Caribbean Island isn’t as cosmopolitan as Guadeloupe or Martinique, nor is it the jet set and royalty magnet that is swanky St. Barts. Nevertheless, with its European inspired duty-free shopping, its elegant French restaurants and its spectacular beaches, St. Martin is definitely refined. St. Martin Real Estate, Economy and Infrastructure The official currency of St. Martin is the Euro, €. At present, the exchange rate from Euro to Dollars is €1 = $1.24. Most places accept U.S. Dollars and there are a few places that do accept the Netherlands Antilles Florin. All major credit cards are widely accepted throughout the island. ATM machines are also widely accessible. St. Martin’s economy is heavily dependent on the tourism industry. The island also receives income from offshore finances, petroleum refining and trade with other Caribbean islands. St. Martin’s economy has close ties with the outside world, as the outside is also very dependent on imported goods and products. Because St.

Martin only produces a few profitable goods, it has to receive imports like food, crude petroleum and other manufactured items from Mexico and the U.S. The government has been making efforts to expand the economy with certain establishments of facilities for the manufacturing and light industry and some of the heavier industries without affecting tourism, which is by far the islands biggest income earner. The biggest boost to the island’s economy came with the construction of the Princess Juliana International Airport, which is how the island has become more accessible to tourists and Caribbean real estate investors. Until 1985, French St. Martin experienced a much slower growth rate than its Dutch counterpart. St. Martin has an international appeal, which has resulted in people from all over the glob investing in St. Martin real estate. With more than 80 nationalities residing here, both part time as well as full time, the St. Martin real estate market has stabilized. St. Martin real estate owners have seen a rise in property values in the last decade; in some cases, properties have doubled over the last couple of years. Due to the scarcity of land, the current trend is tilting towards condominium developments. Gated developments that offer ‘resort-like’ amenities are extremely desirable.

From luxury condominiums to lavish beachfront houses and lagoon facing homes to modest apartments and kitschy cottages, the St. Martin real estate market offers some excellent investment opportunities. Luxury villas start at around $600,000. A conveniently located three-bedroom apartment in St. Martin would cost you about 130,000€. Luxury beachfront condos run about $750,000. St. Martin always has and always will continue to provide excellent Caribbean real estate investment opportunities that make for a magical experience along with concrete financial sense. Whether you are planning on staying for just a few weeks or a lifetime, the tropical island paradise with the French flair is sure to please even the most discriminating tastes. St. Martin Activities, Dining and Entertainment Famous for it’s spectacular beaches, the Caribbean Island of St. Martin has a large number of beaches that are each distinctively beautiful in their own way. For something a little more exciting you could probably check out the Treetop Adventure Park, where an entertaining traverse trail and a number of zip lines are suspended high above the private forest reserve, soaring high between mahogany trees and 200 year old mango trees.

You will also find a unique area that has swinging ropes, suspended bridges and a lot more fun things. Miles and miles of well developed hiking trails and the ‘Hidden Forest Cake’ make this adventure unforgettable. Adventure sports range from water-skiing and jet skiing to windsurfing and parasailing. These activities are regularly offered at most of inland lagoons and popular beaches. Instructions and rentals tend to be considerably inexpensive. One of the biggest attractions of the island has always been the duty-free shopping. Exotic items from all over the world, like the Italian and French clothing fashions, Japanese and Dutch electronics, Chinese and Indonesian embroidery, leather, liquors, jewelry, crystal and even fine porcelain are available free of all customs and taxes and are offered at bargain prices. The Caribbean Island of St. Martin is indeed famous for its fine dining restaurants and the elegance of the local cuisine. From sophisticated French recipes to the most savory of all Creole delicacies to the slightly more exotic tastes of East Indian and Chinese cuisine, the island offers a large variety of bistros, barbecue shacks, restaurants and brassieres that are a delight to even the most refined of gourmet chefs. The people of St.

Martin are extremely proud of their cooking, and it is considered an art on the island. Most restaurants also play music for dancing, just like many of the nightclubs that are scattered all over the island. From calypso to jazz to Zouk to reggae to pop, St. Martin’s bands play a variety of music. St. Martin Climate Because it is located in the tropics and is closer to the equator, the Caribbean Island of St. Martin experiences very little variation in temperature every year. Besides the temperature, tourists should consider tradewinds, humidity, rainfall and hurricane season when planning on visiting. In winters, the average temperature is about 75°F, while in summer the average temperature is about 90°F. Humidity, which is another major concern when it comes to the climate on the island, increases in summer. But, the tradewinds, along with the sea and air conditioning, goes a long way in moderating the humidity and heat. Hurricane season begins in the month of June and extends until November. It is during this period of time that the island experiences heavy rainfall.

However, most find the climate in the island quite pleasant all year round, making it a haven for North American snowbirds and Caribbean real estate investors. Clothing should be neat, but comfortable and casual. Swimwear should be confined to the poolside and the beaches. The night dress code remains fairly informal, but shawls and jackets are recommended, as restaurants and casinos tend to get rather chilly. St. Martin Location and Travel The Caribbean Island of St. Martin is located in the Caribbean Sea, and lies about 150 miles southeast of Puerto Rico. Being the smallest landmass to be shared by two separate governments, the whole island covers about 37 square miles, with French St. Martin in the North covering 21 square miles and Dutch St. Maarten in the South covering 16 square miles. The highest point on the whole island is the Paradise Peak, which is roughly 1,500 feet. If you are anywhere in the Caribbean you can fly by prop-plane into St. Martin’s small Espérance airport from the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe, Martinique and St. Barts.

All other international and local flights arrive at the Juliana airport, which is less than hour an hour away from Dutch St. Maarten. You can fly here from Antigua, Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe and most of the other neighboring Caribbean islands. KLM and Air France offer flights from Amsterdam and Paris respectively; you can also fly in from New York and Miami. Since it is located in the Caribbean, there are plenty of sea travel options as well. Getting to and from the other Caribbean islands is very easy, with daily ferry services from Anguilla and daily catamaran services to and from St. Barts, or a ferry that comes and goes to Saba several times a week. Yachts clear immigration at Marigot and will moor at Simpson Bay Lagoon, Anse Marcel, and Marinas in Marigot and Oyster Pond. If you’re willing to spend a bit of money, then you can arrive in style in a cruise ship. Taxis are available throughout the islands and there are taxi stands at the public marketplace. Buses are the cheapest way to get from one place to another. However, if you are planning on traveling to far off places within this Caribbean Island, then bus services are not so reliable.

There are bus stops at Rue de Hollande in Marigot, but in rural areas you can stop buses anywhere. There are private minibuses that also travel along major routes and run more frequently and charge according to the distance. Hiring a motorcycle or car is a good alternative for reaching far off destinations and you’ll find rental agencies at the airports or at major hotels. Traffic drives on the right. Bicycles can also be rented, but this option is not advisable because St. Martin is quite hilly and it isn’t very easy to cycle around. St. Martin Culture and History Before Christopher Columbus arrived in St. Martin during his second voyage in 1493, this Caribbean Island was already inhabited. The first settlers were the Arawak Indians who migrated here from South America. They named the island ‘Sualouiga’ or the ‘Land of Salt’ after the brackish water and salt pans that are found here in abundance. The Arawak Indians were later replaced by the more aggressive Carib Indians who migrated from North America, and after whom the Caribbean is named. Columbus never really set foot on the island, but instead claimed it for Spain while he was passing by.

The Caribbean Island was sighted on November 11, 1493, which is also the feast of St. Martin, therefore giving the island its name. Apart from giving a title to the island, the Spanish never really took any interest in the island; so the Dutch, looking for an outpost somewhere between their colonies in Brazil and Nieue Amsterdam, occupied St. Martin in 1631. In no time the Spanish, who wanted to retain their state monopoly, recaptured the island in 1633. Over the next decade, a number of failed attempts were made by the Dutch to regain their lost possession. Finally, St. Martin became a French colony. How the French and the Dutch divided the island is a subject of legend. Apparently, the two countries held a competition. Beginning from Oyster Pond, they had to walk westwards – the Dutch along the southern side and the French along the northern – and where they finally met they had to draw a line across the island. The Dutch set off having equipped themselves with gin, the French with wine.

However, the bad effects of gin caused the Dutch to stop halfway through to sleep off their drunken stupor; subsequently, the French were able to walk farther and cover a greater distance. In reality, however, the French had a massive navy just off the shore and were able to win concessions by threat of force. However today, St. Martin is a community of Guadeloupe, which is a territory of France. French, Dutch and West Indian cultures have merged together on this tiny Caribbean Island. Carnival, with its costumes, parades and dancing, is celebrated before Lent and culminates on Ash Wednesday every year. With French influences, art, festivals, architecture and music remain the biggest attractions. This potpourri of cultures creates an exotic Caribbean atmosphere. The island is a collaboration of native Caribbean, African and European descent. While the people largely speak French, English is also widely known. Several playwrights, writers and poets reside in St. Martin, drawing upon its culture and history for their inspiration. Art galleries offer sculpture, lithography and paintings by local artists. Their work reflects the natural peace and beauty of this beautiful Caribbean Island and its people.

Flag Coat of Arms Caribbean Islands - THE EUROPEAN SETTLEMENTS THE EUROPEAN SETTLEMENTS Caribbean Islands Table of Contents European settlements in the Caribbean began with Christopher Columbus. Carrying an elaborate feudal commission that made him perpetual governor of all lands discovered and gave him a percentage of all trade conducted, Columbus set sail in September 1492, determined to find a faster, shorter way to China and Japan. He planned to set up a trading-post empire, modeled after the successful Portuguese venture along the West African coast. His aim was to establish direct commercial relations with the producers of spices and other luxuries of the fabled East, thereby cutting out the Arab middlemen who had monopolized trade since capturing Constantinople in 1453. He also planned to link up with the lost Christians of Abyssinia, who were reputed to have great quantities of gold--a commodity in great demand in Europe. Finally, as a good Christian, Columbus wanted to spread Christianity to new peoples. Columbus, of course, did not find the East.

Nevertheless, he called the peoples he met "Indians," and, because he had sailed west, referred to the region he found as the "West Indies." However, dreams of a trading-post empire collapsed in the face of real Caribbean life. The Indians, although initially hospitable in most cases, simply did not have gold and trade commodities for the European market. In all, Columbus made four voyages of exploration between 1492 and 1502, failing to find great quantities of gold, Christians, or the courts of the fabled khans described by Marco Polo. After 1499, small amounts of tracer gold were discovered on Hispaniola, but by that time local challenges to his governorship were mounting, and his demonstrated lack of administrative skills made matters worse. Even more disappointing, he returned to Spain in 1502 to find that his extensive feudal authority in the New World was rapidly being taken away by his monarchs. Columbus inadvertently started a small settlement on the north coast of Hispaniola when his flagship, the Santa Maria, wrecked off the M�le St-Nicolas on his first voyage.

When he returned a year later, no trace of the settlement appeared--and the former welcome and hospitality of the Indians had changed to suspicion and fear. The first proper European settlement in the Caribbean began when Nicol�s de Ovando, a faithful soldier from western Spain, settled about 2,500 Spanish colonists in eastern Hispaniola in 1502. Unlike Columbus' earlier settlements, this group was an organized cross-section of Spanish society brought with the intention of developing the Indies economically and expanding Spanish political, religious, and administrative influence. In its religious and military motivation, it continued the reconquista (reconquest), which had expelled the Moors from Grenada and the rest of southern Spain. From this base in Santo Domingo, as the new colony was called, the Spanish quickly fanned out throughout the Caribbean and onto the mainland. Jamaica was settled in 1509 and Trinidad the following year. By 1511 Spanish explorers had established themselves as far as Florida. However, in the eastern Caribbean, the Caribs resisted the penetration of Europeans until well into the seventeenth century and succumbed only in the eighteenth century.

With the conquest of Mexico in 1519 and the subsequent discovery of gold there, interest in working the gold deposits of the islands decreased. Moreover, by that time the Indian population of the Caribbean had dwindled considerably, creating a scarcity of workers for the mines and pearl fisheries. In 1518 the first African slaves, called ladinos because they had lived in Spain and spoke the Castilian language, were introduced to the Caribbean to help mitigate the labor shortage. The Spanish administrative structure that prevailed for the 132 years of Spanish monopoly in the Caribbean was simple. At the imperial level were two central agencies, the Casa de Contrataci�n, or House of Trade, which licensed all ships sailing to or returning from the Indies and supervised commerce, and the Consejo de Indias, the royal Advisory Council, which attended to imperial legislation. At the local level in the Caribbean were the governors, appointed by the monarchs of Castile, who supervised local municipal councils. The governors were regulated by audiencias, or appellate courts. A parallel structure regulated the religious organizations. Despite the theoretical hierarchy and clear divisions of authority, in practice each agency reported directly to the monarch.

As set out in the original instructions to Ovando in 1502, the Spanish New World was to be orthodox and unified under the Roman Catholic religion and Castilian and Spanish in culture and nationality. Moors, Jews, recent converts to Roman Catholicism, Protestants, and gypsies were legally excluded from sailing to the Indies, although this exclusiveness could not be maintained and was frequently violated. By the early seventeenth century, Spain's European enemies, no longer disunited and internally weak, were beginning to breach the perimeters of Spain's American empire. The French and the English established trading forts along the St. Lawrence and the Hudson Rivers in North America. These were followed by permanent settlements on the mid-Atlantic coast (Jamestown) and in New England (Massachusetts Bay colony). Between 1595 and 1620, the English, French, and Dutch made many unsuccessful attempts to settle along the Guiana coastlands of South America. The Dutch finally prevailed, with one permanent colony along the Essequibo River in 1616, and another, in 1624, along the neighboring Berbice River.

As in North America, initial loss of life in the colonies was discouragingly high. In 1624 the English and French gave up in the Guianas and jointly created a colony on St. Kitts in the northern Leeward Islands. At that time, St. Kitts was occupied only by Caribs. With the Spanish deeply involved in the Thirty Years War in Europe, conditions were propitious for colonial exploits in what until then had been reluctantly conceded to be a Spanish domain. In 1621, the Dutch began to move aggressively against Spanish territory in the Americas--including Brazil, temporarily under Spanish control between 1580 and 1640. In the Caribbean, they joined the English in settling St. Croix in 1625 and then seized the minuscule, unoccupied islands of Cura�ao, St. Eustatius, St. Martin, and Saba, thereby expanding their former holdings in the Guianas, as well as those at Araya and Cumana on the Venezuelan coast. The English and the French also moved rapidly to take advantage of Spanish weakness in the Americas and overcommitment in Europe.

In 1625, the English settled Barbados and tried an unsuccessful settlement on Tobago. They took possession of Nevis in 1628 and Antigua and Montserrat in 1632. They planted a colony on St. Lucia in 1638, but it was destroyed within four years by the Caribs. The French, under the auspices of the Compagnie des Iles d'Amerique, chartered by Cardinal Richelieu in 1635, successfully settled Martinique and Guadeloupe, laying the base for later expansion to St. Bartholom�, St. Martin, Grenada, St. Lucia, and western Hispaniola, which was formally ceded by Spain in 1697 at the Treaty of Ryswick (signed between France and the alliance of Spain, the Netherlands, and England, and ending the War of the Grand Alliance).

Meanwhile, an expedition sent out by Oliver Cromwell (Protector of the English Commonwealth, 1649-58) under Admiral William Penn (the father of the founder of Pennsylvania) and General Robert Venables in 1655 seized Jamaica, the first territory captured from the Spanish. (Trinidad, the only other British colony taken from the Spanish, fell in 1797 and was ceded in 1802.) At that time Jamaica had a population of about 3,000, equally divided between Spaniards and their slaves--the Indian population having been eliminated. Although Jamaica was a disappointing consolation for the failure to capture either of the major colonies of Hispaniola or Cuba, the island was retained at the Treaty of Madrid in 1670, thereby more than doubling the land area for potential British colonization in the Caribbean. By 1750 Jamaica was the most important of Britian's Caribbean colonies, having eclipsed Barbados in economic significane. The first colonists in the Caribbean were trying to recreate their metropolitan European societies in the region.

In this respect, the goals and the world view of the early colonists in the Caribbean did not vary significantly from those of the colonists on the North American mainland. "The Caribbee planters," wrote the historian Richard Dunn, "began as peasant farmers not unlike the peasant farmers of Wigston Magna, Leicestershire, or Sudbury, Massachusetts. They cultivated the same staple crop--tobacco--as their cousins in Virginia and Maryland. They brought to the tropics the English common law, English political institutions, the English parish [local administrative unit], and the English church." These institutions survived for a very long time, but the social context in which they were introduced was rapidly altered by time and circumstances. Attempts to recreate microcosms of Europe were slowly abandoned in favor of a series of plantation societies using slave labor to produce large quantities of tropical staples for the European market. In the process of this transformation, complicated by war and trade, much was changed in the Caribbean.

Custom Search About Saint-Martin - the largest of Guadeloupe’s outer islands, at 52 sq km, is divided between France and the Netherlands About Saint-Martin Saint-Martin the largest of Guadeloupe’s outer islands, at 52 sq km, is divided between France and the Netherlands. See Netherlands Antilles section for general description and information. Advertisement The French part used to be a sleepy place, but has become very Americanized since the building of the yacht marina and lots of luxury hotels. There is no restriction on travel between the two halves of the island. The French side is a sub-prefecture of Guadeloupe, with the sub-prefect appointed in Paris. There is an elected town council, led by a mayor. The economy is entirely dependent upon tourism, with the twin attractions of duty-free shopping and the sea. Ads European Colonies | Caribya!

European Colonies Things to See and Do ▼ ▲ Where to Stay ▼ ▲ European Colonies 1532-1648: The Netherlands, France, and England focus on expansion and colonization Although pirates were chipping away at Spanish profits from their new colonies, this hardly helped the other European nations subvert Spain's stranglehold to achieve their own goals of controlling part of the region and finding their own gold. It wasn't long before these nations, too, wanted colonies. New Colonies As Spain's power declined in Caribbean history, more and more of the islands were colonized by the three powers seeking some part in the region. Date St. Kitts, Nevis, Virgin Gorda (British Virgin Islands), Barbados, Montserrat England St. Croix (U.S. Virgin Islands) England and Netherlands St. Martin England and France (shared) Each European power created its own type of colony based on its own needs at the time. For example, Spain grew a large amount of the world's tobacco, while others simply wanted land and an upper hand with which to trade goods in the region. Each country had its own designs on the Caribbean.

Some countries developed different styles of colonies, but the two needs in the chart below applied to many of the colonies: Production Barbados, Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Kitts Trading Berbice, Jamaica, St. Croix, Sint Eustatius Salt was another top product for Dutch colonies, while Jamaica, of course, was home to a number of sugar plantations. Dutch Expansion During this period, the Netherlands was extremely important in the growth of the modern Caribbean. Although the Dutch would have a much smaller political influence on the region during later chapters in history, they dominated the period of earliest exploration. They are, as the above chart indicates, the first nation that wasn't Spain to stake a claim in the New World, and their domination in the seas kept the Spanish from harming their new colonies. In fact, the Dutch paved the way for French and English settlements by their domination on the sea. The end of a peace treaty between Spain and the Netherlands in 1618 led to the renewal of warfare between these two European powers. However, this time the war had a new front in the Caribbean, and the Dutch dominated the seafaring world.

This war, named the Thirty Years' War, lasted for just that long. The Dutch also made attempts to capture parts of Brazil, tying up Portugal as well as Spain in battles. However, the main Dutch interest - other than raiding Spanish colonies - was trade, and when the French and English developed colonies in the region, they gladly traded with the Dutch. In fact, even after the 1650s, Dutch ships were preferred in the colonies because the planters often received better agreements. However, the Dutch West Indies Company in the 1630s truly made expansion in the Caribbean possible - and profitable - for the Netherlands. Much like their company in the East Indies, the company financed expeditions and settlements in the New World. English and French Privateering led almost directly to the settlement of the Lesser Antilles, particularly by England and France. These countries needed convenient bases to make repairs on their ships, and stops between voyages led to the development of small settlements on the colonies. Although the Carib Indians drove the British out of a number of colonies early on, other settlements fared much better. Sir Thomas Warner landed on St. Kitts briefly on a return trip from the Amazon and found it a good place to settle.

He began his stay in 1624. French settlers also came to this island in 1625, and the two split the island between themselves after defeating the Caribs. Shortly thereafter, England named Warner the governor of St. Kitts, Nevis, Barbados, and Montserrat. Barbados quickly became the top colony in the region, and it was more easily settled. In 1627, the first permanent settlement formed. Barbados was not only larger than St. Kitts, it was also not inhabited by Caribs, making the settlement much easier to sustain. Tobacco was the earliest crop on these islands. St. Kitts, however, remained the French capital in the region for many years. Martinique and Guadeloupe were the next French claims, both settled in 1635. The French quickly settled and imported slaves to work sugar and tobacco plantations on their islands, hoping to cash in on the profits available. The Caribbean was beginning to take shape, with the islands being divided by the four most powerful European nations. However, the settlement of these islands would not always be so peaceful.

Question: What island in the Caribbean is divided between France and the Netherlands?
Answer: St. Martin