Sint Maarten ] is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It encompasses the southern half of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin, while the northern half of the island constitutes the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Martin. Its capital is Philipsburg. Before 10 October 2010, Sint Maarten was known as the Island Territory of Sint Maarten , and was one of five island territories that constituted the Netherlands Antilles. In 1493, during Christopher Columbus' second voyages to the West Indies, upon first sighting the island he named it Isla de San Martín after... Saint Martin of Tours because it was 11 November, St. Martin Day. However, though he claimed it as a Spanish territory, Columbus never landed there, and Spain made the settlement of the island a low priority. The French and Dutch, on the other hand, both coveted the island. While the French wanted to colonize the islands between Trinidad and Bermuda, the Dutch found San Martín a convenient halfway point between their colonies in New Amsterdam and Brazil.
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| Founded: | October 10, 2010 |
| Capital: | Philipsburg |
| Population: | 37,429 |
| Official language: | Dutch Language, English Language |
| Currency: | Netherlands Antillean gulden |
| Area: | 8.1 sq. mi. |
| Form of government: | Constitutional monarchy |
| Also known as: | Sint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles, Island Territory of Sint Maarten |