Saint Martin Geography - 2023

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

18 05 N, 63 57 W

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Area

total: 50 sq km

land: 50 sq km

water: negligible

Area - comparative

more than one-third the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries

total: 16 km

border countries (1): Sint Maarten 16 km

Coastline

58.9 km (for entire island)

Climate

temperature averages 27-29 degrees Celsius all year long; low humidity, gentle trade winds, brief, intense rain showers; hurricane season stretches from July to November

Elevation

highest point: Pic du Paradis 424 m

lowest point: Caribbean Ocean 0 m

Natural resources

salt

Population distribution

most of the population is found along the coast, with a largest concentrations around the capital Marigot, Orleans, and Grand-Case

Natural hazards

subject to hurricanes from July to November

Geography - note

note 1: the southern border is shared with Sint Maarten, a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; 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 

NOTE: The information regarding Saint Martin on this page is re-published from the 2023 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Saint Martin 2023 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Saint Martin 2023 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.