There are many historical sights to visit and 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.
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.
