Sint Maarten Geography - 2023

Location

Caribbean, located in the Leeward Islands (northern) group; Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin in the Caribbean Sea; Sint Maarten lies east of the US Virgin Islands

Geographic coordinates

18 4 N, 63 4 W

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Area

total: 34 sq km

land: 34 sq km

water: 0 sq km

note: Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin

Area - comparative

one-fifth the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries

total: 16 km

border countries (1): Saint Martin (France) 16 km

Coastline

58.9 km (for entire island)

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate

tropical marine climate, ameliorated by northeast trade winds, results in moderate temperatures; average rainfall of 150 cm/year; hurricane season stretches from July to November

Terrain

low, hilly terrain, volcanic origin

Elevation

highest point: Mount Flagstaff 383 m

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

Natural resources

fish, salt

Population distribution

most populous areas are Lower Prince's Quarter (north of Philipsburg), followed closely by Cul de Sac

Natural hazards

subject to hurricanes from July to November

Geography - note

note 1: the northern border is shared with the French overseas collectivity of Saint Martin; together, these two entities make up the smallest landmass in the world shared by two self-governing states

note 2: Simpson Bay Lagoon (aka as Simson Bay Lagoon or The Great Pond) is one of the largest inland lagoons in the West Indies; the border between the French and Dutch halves of the island of Saint Martin runs across the center of the lagoon, which is shared by both of the island's entities