Saint-Martin
 

Collectivité Unofficial Flag 2007 - 9 Jan 2009 Collectivité Logo Flag Adopted 9 Jan 2009 Collectivité Emblem Flag Adopted 26 Oct 2010 St. Martin Island 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 (Fort Saint Louis [Quartier-d'Orleans]1648-1778, La Réunion 5 Apr 1795-1795) 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: 32,337 (2024) GDP: $649.2 million (2023) Exports: $8.6 million (2020) Imports: $437 million (2020) Ethnic groups: Creole (mulatto), black, Guadeloupe Mestizo (French-East Asian), White, East Indian, other  Total French Gendarmerie: 200 (2024) Defense is the Responsibility of France Merchant marine: None (2018) Religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jehovah's Witness, Hindu International Organizations/Treaties: ACS (associate), OECS (associate), 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 named the island                              Isla San Martín (a name in fact given to Nevis),                              the native Caribs called the island Sualouiga. 1516                       First mentioned as "Sam Mtim" on the Reinel map.  5-9 Oct 1624              First recorded European landing by Dutch sailor                              Pieter Schouten (d. 1625). Jul/Aug 1629               French captain Giron briefly shipwrecks on St Martin. Sep 1629 - Jul 1633        French from Saint-Christophe begin settling on                              east coast of Saint-Martin at a place called                              "Orléans". Aug 1631 -  1 Jul 1633     Dutch settlement in southern end of the island.  24 Jun 1633 - Feb 1648     Spanish occupation (San Martín)(see Sint Maarten). 17 Feb 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 the entire island. 15 Jun 1676 - 30 Jun 1676  Dutch occupy the entire island (see Sint Maarten). 30 Jun 1676 - 27 Jan 1690  French occupy the 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, most                              French settlers are evacuated.  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 the 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, the French settlers flee to Dominica                              and St. Vincent. 1749                       French settlers allowed to return to Saint-Martin                              following the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (of 18 Oct                              1748). 1759 - 1763                Frequent raids on French Saint-Martin by the British                              from Anguilla depopulate the French part.  5 Jan 1779 - 25 Feb 1779  British from Tortola occupy French Saint-Martin. 24 Feb 1779 -  5 Feb 1781  French occupy the Dutch part.   5 Feb 1781 - 27 Nov 1781  British occupy the entire island.  27 Nov 1781 - 11 Feb 1784  French occupy the Dutch part. 19 May 1793 -  5 Apr 1795  Dutch control entire island (see Sint Maarten)                              (in French part a provisional council is set-up                              by the Dutch).  5 Apr 1795 - 24 Mar 1801  French occupy the entire island. 24 Mar 1801 -  1 Dec 1802  British occupy the entire island (see Sint Maarten).  1 Dec 1802 - 14 Feb 1810  French and Dutch parts resumed. 14 Feb 1810 - 24 Jan 1815  British occupy the 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 (Collectivité de Saint-Martin)                              (by law of 21 Feb 2007). Arrondissement Saint-Martin et Saint-Barthélémy (1963-2007)

Commanders
Jul/Aug 1629               Giron
Aug/Sep 1629 - 1629        Pierre Belain, sieur d'Esnambuc    (b. 1585 - d. 1636)
1629 - 16..                sieur de St. Martin (captain)
1633 - 1648                Spanish occupation
17 Feb 1648 - 1651         Robert de Longvilliers de Poincy   (b. 1611 - d. 1666)
                             (governor)
1651 - 1660?               Phillippe de Longvilliers de Poincy(b. 1584 - d. 1660)
                             (governor)
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
1666                       Saint Laurent
16.. - 16..                Gabriel Folio, sieur des Roses     (b. 161. - d. bf.1690)
16.. - 16..                Saint Laurent, 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 Lauriol                (b. c.1660 - d. af.1731)
                             (Lauréol, de la Réole)
1731? - 1732?              Jacques Gréaux, Jr.                (d. 1744)
c.1732 - c.1736            Christophe Mathieu
c.1736 - 174.              Jean Pymont (Pimont)               (b. 1692 - d. 17..)
174. - c.1744              Rouve de La Pérelle (1st time)
                             (commandant)
1749 - 1753                Rouve de La Pérelle (2nd time)
                             (commandant)
1753 - 1763                Alexis Brin (governor)
Commandants (Commandants de Saint-Martin [et St Barthélémy to 1784]) 
Aug 1764 - 1785            Auguste Lescuiller Descoudrelles   (d. 1785)
                             ("governor")
1764                       Vupil du Sablon
                             (acting for Descoudrelles)
1768 - 1770                Laurent François Isnard            (d. 1787)
                             (acting for Descoudrelles) 
1770                       Gaspard Bayon
                             (acting for Descoudrelles) 
1775                       René Camille, comte de Carné de    (b. 1719 - d. 1785)
                             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               (b. 1736 - d. 1793/96)   
                             (acting for Descoudrelles)
18 Jan 1784 - 1785?        Georges Manganon de la Perrière    (d. 1789)
Commandants Particulier
1785 - 19 May 1793         Jean Sébastien, chevalier de Durat (b. 1757 - d. 1814)
                             (commandant, later governor; nominally to 1795)
1788                       François Desbonne Belasse          (b. 1733 - d. 1792)
                             (acting for Durat)
May 1793 - Apr 1795        Provisional Council
                           - Jean Rouvelet (president)   
                           - John Mardenbrough
                           - Richard Romney                   (d. 1795)
1795 - 1798                Commissioners of the Republic
                           - La Bruyère (Labruyere)
                             (commissioner-delegate of National Convention)
                           - Jean Rouvelet  
                           - Pierre Charles Dormoy (d'Ormoy)  (b. 1748 - d. 1817)
1798 - 1799                Pierre Charles Dormoy (1st time)   (s.a.)
                             (commissioner delegate of the Directoy)
19 Oct 1799 - 15 Mar 1800  Pierre Louis d'Arnauld             (b. 1771 - d. 1832)
1800 - 1801?               Pierre Charles Dormoy (2nd time)   (s.a.)
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 - d. 2025)
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                 (b. 1947)
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)
Prefects to the State Representatives in the Collectivités of Saint Martin and
Saint Barthelemy (until 15 Feb 2025, Préfets délégués auprès du représentant de l'État dans les collectivités de Saint-Martin et de Saint-Barthélemy [delegated to the prefect of Guadeloupe, who from 9 Jul 2007, 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 -  6 Feb 2025  Vincent Berton                     (b. 1966)
 6 Feb 2025 - 10 Feb 2025  Fabrice Thibier (acting)           (b. 1978)
10 Feb 2025 -              Cyrille Le Vély                    (b. 1964)
 

Presidents of the Municipal Council
1828 - 1832                Abraham Zymonsz Doncker            (d. 1832)
1832 - 1838                Pierre Antoine Philippe Henri      (b. c.1790 - d. 1866)
                             O'Reilly   
Mayors (Maire)
21 Jul 1838 - 1866         Pierre Georges Bayley Dormoy       (b. 1799 - d. 1875)
Feb 1866 - Jul 1867        Pierre Martin
 1 Jul 1867 - 30 Jul 1871  Louis de Durat
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 Emile Becker (1st time)    (b. 1847 - d. 1905)
                             (acting)
12 Jul 1879 - 1891         Jean-Frédéric Becker               (d. 1891)
1891 -  8 May 1904         Charles Emile Becker (2nd time)    (s.a.)
                             (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             (b. 1877 - d. 1925)
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)     (b. 1921 - d.af.1983)
                             (acting to Mar 1949)
Mar 1959 - 1977            Fernand Hubert Petit               (b. 1926 - d. 2006)  DVG + UDR
1977 - 1983                Hugues Élie Fleming (2nd time)     (s.a.)               RPF
1983 - 15 Jul 2007         Raoul Albert Fleming-Romney        (b. 1936 - d. 2023)
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

Territorial Disputes: None identified.

 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)