St. Maarten is one of the 5 islands that form the Netherlands Antilles. This unique island is located approximately 280 miles east of Puerto Rico or 18.1 degrees north and 63.3 degrees west. St. Maarten is unique in that it shares the island with St. Martin, a French dependency that occupies 21 square miles on the northern part of the island.

St. Maarten/St. Martin enjoys the perfect blend of two European cultures, namely the French and the Dutch, with the beauty of a Caribbean paradise. The island of St. Maarten also boasts a captivating historical background. Christopher Columbus discovered St. Maarten in 1493, on the feast day of St. Martin of Tours, and in the 140 years that followed, it changed flags many times

The Spanish, French, Dutch and English have all claimed possession. In 1648, the island was divided in two by a Treaty of Concordia, which was signed on March the 23rd 1648. The Dutch received 16 square miles and the French received 21. Today, the inhabitants of this friendly island are proud of their 350-year coexistence and, have never constructed an official border, only a symbolic border between the island’s two countries. There is no border control (i.e. Checkpoint) between the two parts of the island; there is free access and movement between the two. Monuments and border signs indicate the entrance from one side to the other.

There are many historical sights to see and to photograph. Indians, pirates, smugglers, slaves, soldiers, merchants and mariners have all left their mark here. Be that as it may, the island is certainly a treasure trove of history.

St. Maarten, with its capital Philipsburg, occupies the southern part of the island’s 16 square miles. Philipsburg is one of the major commercial centers of the island. In Philipsburg, one can find a concentration of jewelry stores, clothing stores, souvenir stores, restaurants and tourists attractions.