le for military service:

males age 16-49: 48,358 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 38,660 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 1,591
female: 1,504 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

NA

Transnational Issues
Saint Lucia

Disputes - international:

joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves
Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under UNCLOS, which
permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large
portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea

Illicit drugs:

transit point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Saint Martin

Introduction
Saint Martin

Background:

Although sighted by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 and claimed for
Spain, it was the Dutch who occupied the island in 1631 and set
about exploiting its salt deposits. The Spanish retook the island in
1633, but continued to be harassed by the Dutch. The Spanish finally
relinquished St. Martin to the French and Dutch, who divided it
amongst themselves in 1648. The cultivation of sugar cane introduced
slavery to the island in the late 18th century; the practice was not
abolished until 1848. The island became a free port in 1939; the
tourism industry was dramatically expanded during the 1970s and
1980s. In 2003, the populace of St. Martin voted to secede from
Guadeloupe and in 2007, the northern portion of the island became a
French overseas collectivity.

Geography
Saint Martin

Location:

island 300 km southeast of Puerto Rico

Geographic coordinates:

18 05 N, 63 57 W

Map references:

Central America and the Caribbean

Area:

total: 54.4 sq km
land: 54.4 sq km
water: NEGL

Area - comparative:

more than one-third the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

total: 15 km
border countries: Netherlands Antilles (Sint Maarten) 15 km

Coastline:

58.9 km (for entire island)

Climate:

temperature averages 80-85 degrees all year long; low humidity,
gentle trade winds, brief, intense rain showers; July-Novemeber is
the hurricane season

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Caribbean Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pic du Paradis 424 m

Natural resources:

salt

Environment - current issues:

fresh wate