Saint Martin–Sint Maarten border
{{Short description|International border}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
The Saint Martin–Sint Maarten border, or France–Netherlands border, is the international border between the Collectivity of Saint Martin, an overseas collectivity of the French Republic, and Sint Maarten, a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, on the island of Saint Martin in the Caribbean. The {{convert|87|sqkm|adj=on}} island is divided roughly 60:40 between the French Republic ({{convert|53|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=comma}}){{cite web|title=Saint-Martin : Terre d'accueil et de contrastes, Synthese|url=https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/fichier/2527800/ga_ind_10_synthese.pdf|publisher=INSEE|date=16 December 2016|access-date=11 December 2020|language=fr}} and the Kingdom of the Netherlands ({{convert|34|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|disp=comma}}){{cite web|url=http://central-bureau-of-statistics.an/area_climate/area_a1.asp|title=Area, population density and capital|author=Central Bureau of Statistics Netherlands Antilles|access-date=27 January 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207033739/http://central-bureau-of-statistics.an/area_climate/area_a1.asp|archive-date=7 February 2009}} by the 16 km (10 mi) border.{{cite web |title=Saint Martin |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/saint-martin/ |publisher=CIA World Factbook |access-date=1 October 2020}} However, the two parts are roughly equal in population.
The border is completely open and can be crossed freely.{{cite web |title=Saint Martin |url=https://travel.usnews.com/St_Martin/ |website=US News |access-date=1 October 2020}}
Description
The border starts in the west at Cupecoy Bay and then proceeds eastward, cutting across Rue de Terre-Basses/Rhine Road. It then runs through the Simpson Bay Lagoon between the island of Little Key (Dutch) and Grand Islet (French). Back on land it crosses Rue de Hollande/Union Road and then turns north-eastwards, running across Sint Peter Hill, Mont des Accords, Concordia Hill, Marigot Hill, Mount Reward and Mount Flagstaff. It then turns south-eastwards and then eastwards, terminating in the east at Oysters Pond bay.
History
File:Saint Martin Dutch-French Border - panoramio.jpg
Historically the home of native Arawak and Carib people, the island of Saint Martin was first discovered by Europeans in 1493 when Christopher Columbus sailed by on his second voyage to the Americas.{{cite book |last1=Morison |first1=Samuel Eliot |title=The European Discovery of America, The Southern Voyages |url=https://archive.org/details/europeandiscover00mori_2 |url-access=registration |date=1974 |publisher=Oxford University Press |pages=[https://archive.org/details/europeandiscover00mori_2/page/108 108]-109}}{{cite web |url=http://www.stmartinisland.org/destination-st-martin/st-martin-history.html |title=History of Saint Martin|access-date= 24 July 2019}} Initially disputed between the Netherlands and Spain, the Spanish withdrew their claim in the 1640s, only for the French to begin settling on the north of the island. In order to avoid fighting over the matter, France and the Netherlands signed the Treaty of Concordia on 23 March 1648 which formally split the island into two jurisdictions.{{citation|page=13 |title=Concordia Treaty, 23rd March 1648|journal=Heritage |volume=6 |date=15 March 2010
|last=Henocq |first=Christophe |url=https://issuu.com/xtofsxm/docs/heritage_6/15 |access-date=2018-09-17}} The final border was confirmed in 1817.{{cite web |title=Saint Martin |url=http://www.thecaribbeanpet.com/st-maarten-sint-maarten/ |website=Caribbean Pet |access-date=1 October 2020}} Various local legends relate how the border was supposedly decided by a French and Dutch official walking round the island, the Dutch gaining less land due to their representative being drunk on genever.{{cite news |url=http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/24/one-island-two-countries/ |title=One Island, Two Countries |date=24 April 2012 |newspaper=The New York Times |first=Frank | last=Jacobs}}{{cite web |title=Border Legend or How St. Martin Was Divided |url=https://www.st-maarten.com/index.php/island/history-overview-st-maarten-st-martin/border-legend-sxm |website=St Maarten |access-date=1 October 2020}}
In 1994, France and the Netherlands signed the Franco-Dutch treaty on Saint Martin border controls, which improved the mutual border controls at their airports on the island.The Daily Herald – [http://news.caribseek.com/set-up/exec/view.cgi?archive=123&num=41442 Dutch Parliament ratifies Franco-Dutch Treaty]
Today there is a movement in both Sint Maarten and Saint Martin promoting the unification of the island, which would make the border between them disappear.{{cite news|url=http://houseofnehesipublish.com/sxm/2004/12/25/the-reunification-of-st-martin-a-pipe-dream-or-an-inevitable-choice-by-fabian-adekunle-badejo/|title=The reunification of St. Martin: A pipe dream or an inevitable choice?|first=Fabian Adekunle|last=Badejo|publisher=House of Nehesi Publishers|date=25 December 2004}}
References
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{{Borders of France}}
{{Borders of the Netherlands}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:France-Netherlands border}}
Category:Borders of the Netherlands