World Statesmen.org HOME > return to France >>






 





Saint-Martin
 
[Flag of
                                    France]
 
[Saint-Martin unofficial local
                                  flag until 2010 (France)]
Unofficial Local Flag to 26 Oct 2010
 
[Saint-Martin Unofficial local
                                  flag (France)]
Local Flag from 26 Oct 2010
[Saint-Martin Collectivité flag
                                  (France)]
Collectivité Flag Adopted 2009
[Saint-Martin
                                  / Sint-Maarten Island unity flag]
St. Martin Unity Flag Adopted 29 Sep 2022



Map of Saint Martin
Hear National Anthem
"La Marseillaise"
Hear Local Anthem
"Saint-Martin, Saint-Martin"
(a.k.a.
O' Sweet Saint Martin's
 Land
) From c.1958
Constitution
 (28 Sep 1958)
Capital: Marigot
(Quartier-d'Orleans 1648-1778)
Currency: Euro (EUR);
to 1 Jan 2002 French Franc
(FRF)
National Holiday: 14 Jul (1789)
Fête Nationale
 (National Holiday
"Bastille Day")

-------------------------------------
Local Holiday: 27 May (1848)
Abolition de l'Esclavage
(Abolition of Slavery Day)
Population: 32,284 (2018)
GDP: $778 million (2012)
Euro 581.8 million (2014)
Exports: $122.9 million (2017)
Imports: Euro 340 million
(2014)
Ethnic groups: Creole (mulatto), black,
Guadeloupe Mestizo (French-East Asian), white,
East Indian, other 
Total French Troops: N/A
Defense is the Responsibility of France
Merchant marine: None (2018)
Religions: Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witness,
Protestant, Hindu
International Organizations/Treaties: ACS (associate), OECS (observer), UPU
Saint-Martin
Index

Chronology

13 Nov 1493                Once past St. Kitts Spanish explorer Capt.
                             Cristóbal Colón may have sighed Saint Martin.
                             According to tradition he names the island
                             Isla San Martín (a name in fact given to Nevis).
                             The Caribs called the island Soualiga.
1516                       First mentioned as "Sam Mtim" on the Reinel map.
 5 Oct 1624                First recorded European, Dutch sailor Pieter
                             Schouten (d. 1625), lands on Sint Maarten.
1629 - 1633                French from Saint-Christophe begin settling on
                             east coast of Saint-Martin at a place called
                             "Orléans".
 2 Jul 1633 - 1648         Spanish occupation (see under Sint Maarten).
17 Mar 1648                French settlers arrive from Saint-Christophe.
23 Mar 1648                Divided into French Saint-Martin (north) and Dutch 
                             Sint Maarten (south) by local agreement (Treaty of
                             Concordia [Mont des Accords]); French part under
                             the Compagnie des Îles de l'Amérique to 1651.
24 May 1651                Compagnie des Îles de l'Amérique sells the right to
                             administer Saint-Martin (and other islands) to the
                             Knights of Malta for 120,000 francs.
24 May 1651 -  4 Jan 1666  French Saint-Martin a seigneury of the Order of
                             the Knights of Malta.
10 Aug 1665                Knights of Malta agree to sell their rights to the 
                             Compagnie Française des Indes Occidentales
                             (effective 4 Jan 1666).
 4 Jan 1666 - 10 Apr 1703  French Saint-Martin a dependency of Saint-Christophe
                             (see Saint Kitts).
Apr 1672 - 15 Jun 1676     French occupy entire island.
15 Jun 1676 - 30 Jun 1676  Dutch occupy entire island (see Sint Maarten).
30 Jun 1676 - 27 Jan 1690  French occupy entire island.
19 Jan 1690 - 27 Jan 1690  English attempted invasion of French part by Sir
                             Timothy Thornhill (b. 1648? - d. 1693).
1690 - 1699                No organized administration on the island.
20 Sep 1697                English agree to restore conquered territories
                             (incl. Saint Martin) to status quo ante by the
                             Treaty of Ryswick (Tractatus Pacis).
1699 - 1702                French control the entire island.
1702                       French evacuate Saint-Martin.
1702 - 10 Apr 1703         Abandoned, both countries having evacuated.
10 Apr 1703 - Aug 1715     Dutch control entire island (see Sint Maarten).
Aug 1715                   French part resumed; Saint-Martin a dependency
                             of Guadeloupe (until 9 Jul 2007).
14 Jul 1734                Franco-Dutch Treaty of Neutrality of the island of
                             Saint Martin in case of war between France and
                             the Netherlands.
1744                       British privateers from Anguilla attack French
                             Saint-Martin and expel the French settlers.
1749                       French settlers return to Saint-Martin following
                             the Treaty of
Aix-la-Chapelle (of 18 Oct 1748).
1756 - 1763                Frequent raids on French Saint-Martin by British
                             settlers from Anguilla.
 
5 Jan 1779 - 25 Feb 1779  British from Tortola occupy French Saint-Martin.
24 Feb 1779 -  5 Feb 1781  French occupy Dutch part. 
 5 Feb 1781 - 27 Nov 1781  British occupy entire island. 
27 Nov 1781 - 11 Feb 1784  French occupy Dutch part.
18 May 1793 -  5 Apr 1795  Dutch control entire island (see Sint Maarten)
                             (in French part a provisional council is set-up
                             by the Dutch).
30 Mar 1795                Dutch Sint Maarten made protectorate of France
28 Apr 1795 - 24 Mar 1801  French occupy entire island.
24 Mar 1801 -  1 Dec 1802  British occupy entire island (see Sint Maarten).
 1 Dec 1802 - 15 Feb 1810  French and Dutch parts resumed.
15 Feb 1810 - 24 Jan 1815  British occupy entire island (see Sint Maarten).
24 Jan 1815 - Jul 1815     French Saint-Martin administration resumed.
Jul 1815 - 22 Nov 1816     British re-occupy the French part.
22 Nov 1816                French Saint-Martin administration resumed.
28 Nov 1839                Franco-Dutch Convention confirms the accords of 1648.
24 Jun 1940 - 14 Jul 1943  Saint-Martin administration loyal to Vichy France
                             (from 14 Jul 1943, under Free French).
19 Mar 1946 -  7 Feb 1963  French Saint-Martin made a canton of département of
                             Guadeloupe arrondissement La Basse-Terre. 
 7 Feb 1963 -  9 Jul 2007  Saint-Martin within Guadeloupe part of the
                             separate arrondissement of Saint-Martin et Saint-
                             Barthélémy (
des Îles du Nord).
 7 Dec 2003                Saint-Martin votes to become a separate overseas
                             collectivité of France by 76.17%.
 9 Jul 2007                Saint-Martin a separate French overseas
                             collectivité (by law of 21 Feb 2007).

Arrondissement
Saint-Martin et Saint-Barthélémy

(1963-2007)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Commanders
1648 - 1660                ....
1660 - 1664                Chevalier Charles de Sales         (b. 1625 - d. 1666)
166. - 166.                du sieur Le Fevre
166. -  4 Jan 1666        
sieur du Clivet (Clinet)
                             (acting for absent Le Fevre)
 4 Jan 1666 - 16..         sieur du Guery
16.. - 16..               
Gabriel Folio, sieur des Roses     (b. 161. - d. bf.1690)
16.. - 16..                Saint L
aurent, chevalier de Maynie
                             (Maigne)
(governor)
16.. - 16..                Savinien de Courpon, sieur de la   (b. 161. - d. 1671?)
                             Tour

1672 - 1676                chevalier de Maynie (Magne)        (d. 1676)
15 Jun 1676 - 30 Jun 1676  Dutch administration
1676 - 1679                ....
Lieutenants of the King
1679 - 1685                François Charles Maigne du Plat    (b. 16.. - d. 1693)

16 Jun 1685 - 1690         chevalier de Rionville (
Réauville) (d. 1690)
1690 - 1699                Vacant
1699 - 1701                Jean Baptiste Dyel (
d'Yel), sieur  (b. 1663? - d. 1736)
                            
du Parquet

1701 - 1702                Louis Cacqueray, sieur de          (b. 1672 - d. 1724)
                             Valménier (
Valmeynier) 
1702 - 10 Apr 1703         abandoned
10 Apr 1703 - Aug 1715    
Dutch administration (see Sint Maarten)
Aug 1715 - Jun 1717        Henry de Martel de Chausson
1717 - 1731                François de Lauréol
                             (de Lauriol, de la Réole)
1731? - 1732?              Jacques Gréaux, Jr.                (d. 1744)
c.1732 - c.1736            Christophe Mathieu
c.1736 - 174.              Jean Pymont (Pimont)
174. - c.1744              Rouve de La Pérelle (1st time)
                             (commandant)
1749 - 1753                Rouve de La Pérelle (2nd time)
                             (commandant)
1753 - 1763                Alexis Brin
1763 - 1785                Auguste Lescuiller Descoudrelles   (d. 1785)
                            
(governor)
1764                       Vupil du Sablon

                             (acting for Descoudrelles)
1768 - 1770                Isnard (acting for Descoudrelles
1770                       Gaspard Bayon
                             (acting for Descoudrelles
1775                       René Camille, comte de Carné de    (d. 1784)
                             Trécesson (acting for Descoudrelles)
 
5 Jan 1779 - 25 Feb 1779  John Fahie -British commander      (d. 1785)
 
5 Feb 1781 -  6 Sep 1781  Andrew Edhouse -British commander  (b. c.1723 - d. 1788)
1781 - 1782?               viscount de Damas
                             (acting for Descoudrelles)

1782 - 178.                Jean-Baptiste Duzant    
                             (acting for Descoudrelles)
18 Jan 1784 - 1785?        Georges Manganon de la Perrière    (d. 1789)
Commandants
(Commandants de la partie Française de Saint-Martin

1785 - 1793                Jean Sébastien, chevalier de Durat (b. 1757 - d. 1814)
                            
(commandant, later governor)
1788                       François Desbonne Belasse
                             (acting for Durat)
1793 - 1795                Provisional Council
                           - Jean Rouvellet (president)
                           - John Mardenbrough

                           - Romney
29 Apr 1795 - 1798         Commissioners of the Republic
                           - La Bruyère (Laruyere)
                           - Jean Rouvellet
                           - Pierre Charles Dormoy (d'Ormoy)  (b. 1748 - d. 1817)
1798 - 1799                Pierre Charles Dormoy (1st time)   (s.a.)
                             (delegate of the Directory)
19 Oct 1799 - 15 Mar 1800  Pierre Louis d'Arnauld             (b. 1771 - d. 1832)
1800 - 1801?               Pierre Charles Dormoy (2nd time)   (s.a.)
                             (delegate of the Directory)
24 Mar 1801 -  1 Dec 1802  British occupation
1803 - 1804                Jean-Baptiste Bresson              (b. 1760 - d. 1832)
                             (commissioner)
1804 - 1808                Robert Nicholson                   (d. 1810)
1808 - Feb 1810            Jean Pruilh (Preuils)              (b. 1764 - d. 1838)
15 Feb 1810 - 24 Jan 1815  British occupation
Jan 1815 - Jul 1815        Pierre Saint-Juery (Saint-Jire)    (b. 1771 - d. 1837)
Jul 1815 - Oct 1816        Thomas Inches -British commander
1816                       Leffrenque (Laffranque)
1816                       baron de Proissie (1st time)
1816                       Gaston
Nov 1816 - Sep 1817        baron de Proissie (2nd time)
Sep 1817 - Dec 1817        Rogers
Dec 1817 - Feb 1823        Louis Auguste Elliot (1st time)
Feb 1823 - Oct 1824        Louis Aurange (1st time)           (b. 1772 - d. 1860)
1824 - 1827                Charles Louis Guillaume Bologne    (b. 1793? - d. 1865)

                             de Rougemont (1st time)
1827                       Jean Sébastien de Durat
1828 - 1831                Charles Louis Guillaume Bologne    (s.a.)
                             de Rougemont (2nd time)
1831 - 1831                Louis Aurange (2nd time)           (s.a.)

1831                       Louis Auguste Elliot (2nd time)
1831 - 1832                Carol
1832                       Belongrie

1832 - 1840                François Louis Forget
1840 - 1866?               Munier (Meinier)
Sub-prefects (10 May 1982 - 24 Feb 1988, Assistant commissioners) of the Islands
of Saint Martin and Saint Barthelemy
(Sous-préfets [1982-88 commissaires adjoints]
des îles de Saint-Martin et Saint-Barthélémy
)
(subordinated to the prefects
[10 May 1982 - 24 Feb 1988
Commissioners of the Republic] of Guadeloupe)
Apr 1962 - Apr 1963        Guy Pierre Marie Maillard (acting) (b. 1930 - d. 2013)
                           
(chargé des fonctions d'administrateur
                             des îles Saint-Martin et Saint-Barthélemy)
May 1963 - Sep 1965        Serge Thirioux                    
(b. 1932 - d. 2020)
Sep 1965 - Jul 1967        Jacques Vidal    
Aug 1967 - Oct 1969        Jean Louis Ducret                  (b. 1934 - d. 2011)
Dec 1969 - Dec 1971        René Stambouli                     (b. 1927 - d. 2008)
Feb 1972 - Feb 1975        Kamel Khrissate                    (b. 1936)
Apr 1975 - Jun 1978        Pierre Jean Etchegoyen             (b. 1924 - d. 2020)
Aug 1978 - Jul 1980        Jean-Pierre Lacave                 (b. 1939 - d. 2015)
10 Jul 1980 - Jan 1981     Bernard Christian Prévost          (b. 1943)
Jan 1981 - Sep 1981        Jacques Limoge   
15 Oct 1981 - Sep 1984     Gonthier Jean Claude Friédérici    (b. 1945)
Nov 1984 - Oct 1986        Jean-Pierre Hubert
Oct 1986 - May 1989        François Jean René Seners          (b. 1958)
Jun 1989 - Sep 1990        Michel Magnier                     (b. 1960)
Sep 1990 - Dec 1991        Pierre Vache
Dec 1991 - Apr 1992        .... (acting)
Apr 1992 - Nov 1993        Bernard Guérin                     (b. 1952)

Nov 1993 - Jan 1994        .... (acting)
Jan 1994 - Jan 1995        Jean-Jacques Dudillieu

Jan 1995 - Aug 1996        Antoine Pichon
Aug 1996 - Aug 1998        Jean-Loup Marie Bernard Petit      (b. 1947)
Aug 1998 - Oct 1998        .... (acting)
Oct 1998 - 22 Jun 2000     David Paul Marcien Julliard
       (b. 1962)
26 Jun 2000 - Aug 2003     Patrice Paul Marie Latron          (b. 1961)
 2 Oct 2003 - 21 Dec 2006  Maurice Michaud
Dec 2006 - 21 Mar 2007     Yvon Alain (interim)               (b. 1955)
21 Mar 2007 -  9 Jul 2007  Dominique Jacques Lacroix          (b. 1955)
Delegate Prefects to the State Representatives in the Collectivités of Saint Barthelemy
and Saint Martin
(Préfets délégués auprès du représentant de l'État dans les collectivités
de Saint-Barthélemy et de Saint-Martin [delegate of the prefect of 
Guadeloupe, who
from 9 Jul 2007, is also
Representative of the State in the Collectivité of Saint-Martin])
 
9 Jul 2007 - Aug 2009     Dominique Jacques Lacroix          (s.a.)
24 Aug 2009 - Dec 2011     Jacques Marius Marie Simonnet      (b. 1946)
12 Dec 2011 - Jun 2015     Philippe Chopin                    (b. 1958)
 8 Jun 2015 - Jul 2018     Anne
René Simone Laubies (f)       (b. 1953)
 9 Jul 2018 -  4 Dec 2020  Sylvie Daniélo-Feucher (f)         (b. 1959)
 4 Dec 2020 - 15 Dec 2020  Mikaël Doré (acting)               (b. 1958)
15 Dec 2020 - 28 Mar 2022  Serge Gouteyron                    (b. 1956)
28 Mar 2022 -              Vincent Berton                     (b. 1966)

Presidents of the Municipality
1828 - 1832                Marigot 
1832 - 1838                Pierre Philippe O'Reilly     
Mayors

21 Jul 1838 - 1866         Pierre Georges Dormoy              (b. 1799 - d. 1875)
Feb 1866 - Jul 1867        Pierre Martin
 
1 Jul 1867 - 30 Jul 1871  Louis Durat (Murat)
30 Jul 1871 - 16 Nov 1871  Charles Claude Sainte-Hélène       (b. 1828 - d. 1871)
                             Télèphe
16 Nov 1871 - 1874         Victor Foulquier                   (b. 1799 - d. 1874)
1874 -  7 May 1878         Pierre Auguste Beauperthuy         (b. 1806 - d. 1878) 
                            
(acting to 1876)
 
7 May 1878 - 12 Jul 1879  Charles Becker (1st time)(acting)
12 Jul 1879 - 1891         Jean Frédéric Becker               (d. 1891)
1891 -  8 May 1904         Charles Becker (2nd time) 
                             (acting to 1892)
 
8 May 1904 - 27 Dec 1919  Charles Daniel Esprit Beauperthuy  (b. 1861 - d. 1935)
27 Dec 1919 - 10 May 1925  Louis Emmanuel Fleming
10 May 1925 -  3 May 1928  Ferdinand Morales
 
3 May 1928 - 29 Jan 1949  Louis Constant Fleming             (b. 1898 - d. 1949)  Ind;1947 RPF
Jan 1949 - Mar 1959        Hugues Élie Fleming (1st time)
                           
  (acting to Mar 1949)
Mar 1959 - 1977            Fernand Hubert Petit               (b. 1926 - d. 2006)  DVG + UDR
1977 - 1983                Hugues Élie Fleming (2nd time)
1983 - 15 Jul 2007         Albert Fleming                     (b. 1936)
Presidents of the Territorial Council
15 Jul 2007 - 25 Jul 2008  Louis Constant Fleming             (b. 1946)            UPP
25 Jul 2008 -  7 Aug 2008  Marthe Ogoundélé-Tessi (f)(acting) (b. 1964)            UPP
 7 Aug 2008 - 14 Apr 2009  Frantz Gumbs (1st time)            (b. 1954)            UPP
14 Apr 2009 -  5 May 2009  Daniel Christian Gibbs (1st time)  (b. 1968)            UPP
                             (acting)
 5 May 2009 -  1 Apr 2012  Frantz Gumbs (2nd time)            (s.a.)               UPP
 1 Apr 2012 - 17 Apr 2013  Alain Richardson                   (b. 1963)            RRR
17 Apr 2013 -  2 Apr 2017  Aline Denise Hanson (f)            (b. 1949 - d. 2017)  RRR
 2 Apr 2017 -  3 Apr 2022  Daniel Christian Gibbs (2nd time)  (s.a.)               UD + TG
 3 Apr 2022 -              Louis Mussington                   (b. 1961)            RSM


Party abbreviations:
DVG = Divers Gauche (Diverse Left, left-wing candidates not members of a large party); Ind = Indépendant (Independent); RRR = Rassemblement, Responsabilité, Réussite (Togetherness, Responsibility, Success; Saint-Martin regionalist, est.2007); RSM = Rassemblement Saint-Martinois (Saint-Martin Gathering, independentist, socialist to 2021, 2016-2021 named Mouvement pour la Justice et la Prospérité [Movement for Justice and Prosperity], 1996-2016 named Movement of Advancement of the People, est.1996); DU = Union pour la Démocratie (Union for Democracy, right-wing, est.2011); UPP = Union Pour le Progrès (Union for Progress, center-right, affiliated with UMP); TG = Team Daniel Gibbs (Daniel Gibbs list, affiliated with UMP/LR, formerly Team Gibbs 2012 and Team Gibbs 2017, renamed Team Gibbs 2022, est.2012);
- Former parties: RPF = Rassemblement du Peuple Français (Rally for the French People, Gaullist, conservative, 1947-1955); UDR = Union pour la Défense de la République (Union for the Defense of the Republic, Gaullist, conservative, UNR successor, 1971 renamed Union des Démocrates pour la République [Union of Democrats for the Republic], 1968-1976)







© Ben Cahoon