CULTURE OF ST. MAARTEN
Sint Maarten, the Dutch side, is known for its festive nightlife, beaches, jewelry, exotic drinks made with native rum-based guavaberry liquors, and plentiful casinos, while Saint-Martin, the French side, is known more for its nude beaches, clothes, shopping (including outdoor markets), and rich French and Indian Caribbean cuisine.
Sint Maarten/Saint-Martin is home to several world-class accommodations, including hotels, villas, and timeshares, many of which are privately available for rent or sale. Some properties have over 200 rooms, while others have fewer than twenty. Many are located directly on beaches and in upscale shopping districts. Villas pepper the coast, boasting private beaches. Some are private residences, while others are available to affluent renters.
Rental cars are the primary mode of transportation for visitors staying on island. The island is served by several well-known agencies. If any driving is expected off the major roads (such as to some of the more secluded beaches), a 4-wheel drive is recommended. Traffic on the island, however, has become a major problem; long traffic jams between Marigot, Philipsburg and the airport are common.
Because the island is located along the intertropical convergence zone, it is occasionally menaced by tropical storm activity in the late summer and early fall. It is important to monitor local weather information during this time.
Neighbouring islands include Saint-Barthélemy (French), Anguilla (British), Saba (Dutch), Sint Eustatius "Statia" (Dutch), Saint Kitts and Nevis (Independent, formerly British). With the exception of Nevis, all of these islands are easily visible on a clear day from St. Maarten.
The island is widely known for its hundreds of gourmet (and more moderately priced) restaurants on both sides of the island.
 SHOPPING IN ST. MAARTEN
Shopping on St Maarten and Saint Martin offers high quality duty-free goods in numerous boutiques. The island has a well-earned reputation as a "shopper's paradise". Popular goods include local crafts & arts, exotic foods, jewelry, liquor, tobacco, leather goods, as well as most designer goods. Because of Duty free Tax free abound the island has become more of a shopping and relaxing destination. Most often the designer goods are offered at significant discounts, often up to 40% lower than US retail prices.
Saint Martin uses the euro as its currency, while Sint Maarten is currently outside the Eurozone and uses the Netherlands Antillean guilder, pegged at 1.79 per United States dollar. It is unknown if Sint Maarten will shift to the euro some time after the Netherlands Antilles dissolves.
CULTURE
The culture of St. Martin owes a great deal to its African, French, British, and Dutch heritage. Although St. Martin is a single island, it contains two separate nations: Saint Martin, a French overseas collectivity; and Sint Maarten, part of the Netherlands Antilles. Although each side's culture is influenced by their respective homelands, they share enough similar heritage and traditions that it can be difficult to tell where Saint Martin ends and Sint Maarten begins.
The native Creole population can trace most of their roots to Africa, France, Netherlands and the British Isles. Only some stones remain from the ruins of the two forts built by the Spanish occupation in its early take over. But during the colonial period, the British settlers and several military dominations left their idiom as the main language spoken on the island, also this make a large impact on St. Martin's culture.
Nowadays, due to a major influx of immigrants searching for better employment and living conditions, over the past twenty years the number of Creoles has been surpassed by the number of immigrants. Today, the island's population of 69,000 is truly a melting pot of people from 70 or more different countries.
With so many different nationalities present, quite a few languages are spoken, English being the most common one. However, the official languages are French for Saint Martin, with Dutch and English being official for Sint Maarten. Other common languages include French patois (a dialect mixing French with African and other influences), Spanish, and Papiamento (a language from Aruba, Bonaire, & Curaçao).
In French Saint Martin, the most popular religion is Roman Catholicism. Dutch Sint Maarten favors Protestant denominations, particularly Methodism. The island also has small Jewish and Seventh-day Adventist communities.
Perhaps in part due to French influences, the whole island is known for its excellent cuisine. Creole, French, and West Indian cooking are particularly renowned. Chefs trained in Europe elevate restaurant cuisine to gourmet level. Of course, with the diverse nationalities, plenty of international fare is cooked up.
Popular music on St. Martin includes a variety of styles beloved throughout the Caribbean. Calypso, merengue, soca, zouk, and reggae all contribute to the festive culture.
From Wikipedia.org, the Free Encyclopedia
 CARIBBEAN HOTELS & RESORTS
ST. MAARTEN TOURS & TRAVEL
HOME •
CARIBBEAN •
DISCOVER •
ST. MAARTEN •
Culture of St. Maarten
|
|
Looking for something specific?
|
 
|
CARIBBEAN TOURS & TRAVEL
Attractions, Culture, and more...
