Page last updated on February 5, 2013
Country name:
conventional long form: Overseas Collectivity of Saint Martin
conventional short form:
Saint Martin
local long form:
Collectivite d'outre mer de Saint-Martin
local short form:
Saint-Martin
Dependency status:
overseas collectivity of France
Capital:
name: Marigot
geographical coordinates:
18 04 N, 63 05 W
time difference:
UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Independence:
none (overseas collectivity of France)
National holiday:
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789); note - local holiday is Schoalcher Day (Slavery Abolition Day) 12 July (1848)
Constitution:
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system:
French civil law
Suffrage:
18 years of age, universal
[see also: Suffrage country ranks ]
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Francois HOLLANDE (since 15 May 2012), represented by Prefect Philippe CHOPIN (since 16 November 2011)
head of government:
President of the Territorial Council Alain RICHARDSON (since 1 April 2012)
cabinet:
Executive Council; note - there is also an advisory economic, social, and cultural council
election:
French president elected by popular vote to a five-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the Territorial Council elected by the members of the Council for a five-year term
election results:
Alain RICHARDSON elected president by the Territorial Council on 1 April 2012
Legislative branch:
unicameral Territorial Council (23 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections:
last held on 18 and 25 March 2012 (next to be held in July 2017)
election results:
percent of seats by party - RRR 34.1%, Team Daniel Gibbs 2012 32%, UPP 13.3%, Saint-Martin pour tous 9.4%; seats by party - NA; second round, percent of seats by party - RRR 56.9%, Team Daniel Gibbs 43.1%; seats by party - RRR 17, Team Daniel Gibbs 6
note:
Saint Martin elects one member to the French Senate; election last held on 21 September 2008 (next to be held in September 2014); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 1; one seat (shared with Saint Barthelemy) was elected to the French National Assembly on 17 June 2012 (next to be held by June 2017); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 1
Political parties and leaders:
Union Pour le Progres or UPP [Louis-Constant FLEMING]; Rassemblement Responsabilite Reussite or RRR [Alain RICHARDSON]; Reussir Saint-Martin [Jean-Luc HAMLET]; Saint-Martin pour tous; Team Daniel Gibbs
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas collectivity of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas collectivity of France)
Flag description:
the flag of France is used
National symbol(s):
brown pelican
National anthem:
name: "O Sweet Saint Martin's Land"
lyrics/music:
Gerard KEMPS
note:
the song, written in 1958, is used as an unofficial anthem for the entire island (both French and Dutch sides); as a collectivity of France, in addition to the local anthem, "La Marseillaise" remains official on the French side (see France); as a constituent part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in addition to the local anthem, "Het Wilhelmus" remains official on the Dutch side (see Netherlands)
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