Sint Maarten Flag Meaning
Horizontal tricolor with coat of arms featuring the courthouse, yellow-sage flower, and motto 'Semper Progrediens' (Always Progressing).
- Continent
- North America
- Adopted
- 1985
- Ratio
- 2:3
- Colors
- red, white, blue
Symbolism
Red Stripe: Represents courage, determination, and the strength of the Sint Maarten people in building their nation and overcoming challenges.
White Stripe: Symbolizes peace, hope, and the harmonious coexistence of the diverse cultures that make up Sint Maarten's multicultural society.
Blue Stripe: Represents the Caribbean Sea surrounding the island, the sky above, and Sint Maarten's connection to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Courthouse on Coat of Arms: Symbolizes justice, law and order, and Sint Maarten's commitment to democratic governance and the rule of law.
Yellow-Sage Flower: The national flower represents the island's natural beauty, resilience, and the ability to flourish in the Caribbean environment.
Motto 'Semper Progrediens': Latin for 'Always Progressing,' reflecting Sint Maarten's continuous development and forward-looking spirit as a young nation.
History
- 1648: Treaty of Concordia divided the island between France and the Dutch Republic, creating the world's smallest landmass shared by two sovereign nations.
- 1816-1954: Sint Maarten was part of the Dutch colony of Curaçao and Dependencies, later the Netherlands Antilles, administered from Willemstad.
- 1985: The current flag was adopted as Sint Maarten began developing its distinct identity within the Netherlands Antilles federation.
- October 10, 2010: Sint Maarten became an autonomous constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands following the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles.
- 2017: Hurricane Irma devastated the island, leading to reconstruction efforts and international cooperation that strengthened national identity.
Trivia
- Sint Maarten shares the island with French Saint-Martin, making it the smallest landmass in the world divided between two countries.
- The island has no border controls between the Dutch and French sides - you can walk freely between two different countries.
- Princess Juliana International Airport is famous for its beach approach, where planes fly extremely low over Maho Beach before landing.
- Sint Maarten uses both the US dollar and the Netherlands Antillean guilder, reflecting its complex economic relationships.
- The island is only 37 square kilometers (14 square miles), with the Dutch side occupying the southern 34 square kilometers.
- Sint Maarten has one of the highest population densities in the Caribbean, with about 40,000 residents in a very small area.
- The border between Dutch and French sides is marked by simple monuments and signs, not fences or checkpoints.
- Tourism is the island's main economy, with cruise ships bringing hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.
- Hurricane Irma in 2017 destroyed 95% of the island's buildings, making it one of the most devastating natural disasters in Caribbean history.
- The island celebrates two national days: Kingdom Day (April 27) with the Netherlands and Concordia Day (March 23) commemorating the 1648 treaty.
- Sint Maarten's carnival is one of the Caribbean's largest, featuring elaborate costumes, calypso music, and cultural celebrations lasting several weeks.
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