parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy
type and the different Administrative divisions includes:none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
brown pelican, yellow sage (flower); national colors: red, white, blue
.Title | O Sweet Saint Martin's Land |
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Lyric/music | Gerard KEMPS |
Date of Independence | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) |
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National holiday | King's Day (birthday of King WILLEM-ALEXANDER), 27 April (1967); note - King's or Queen's Day are observed on the ruling monarch's birthday; celebrated on 26 April if 27 April is a Sunday; local holiday Sint Maarten's Day, 11 November (1985), commemorates the discovery of the island by COLUMBUS on Saint Martin's Day, 11 November 1493; celebrated on both halves of the island |
Legal system | based on Dutch civil law system with some English common law influence |
International law organization participation | |
Constitution | |
History | Previous 1947, 1955; latest adopted 21 July 2010, entered into force 10 October 2010 (regulates governance of Sint Maarten but is subordinate to the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands) |
Amendments | Proposals initiated by the Government or by Parliament; passage requires at least a two-thirds majority of the Parliament membership; passage of amendments relating to fundamental rights, authorities of the governor and of Parliament must include the "views" of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Government prior to ratification by Parliament |
Citizenship | |
Executive Branch | |
Chief of state | King WILLEM-ALEXANDER of the Netherlands (since 30 April 2013); represented by Governor Ajamu G. BALY (since 10 October 2022) |
Head of government | Prime Minister Luc MERCELINA (since 3 May 2024) |
Cabinet | Cabinet nominated by the prime minister and appointed by the governor |
Elections/appointments | the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch for a 6-year term; following parliamentary elections, the leader of the majority party usually elected prime minister by Parliament |
Legislative branch | |
Description | Unicameral Parliament of Sint Maarten (15 seats; members directly elected by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms) |
Elections | Last held 11 January 2024 (next to be held in 2028) |
Election results | Percent of vote by party - NA 23.9%, UPP 19.6%, URSM 13.9%, DP 13.6%, PFP 11.9%, NOW 10.3%, other 6.8%; seats by party - NA 4, UPP 3, URSM 2, DP 2, PFP2, NOW 2; composition - men 8, women 7, percentage women 46.7% (additional member is suspended) |
Judicial branch | |
Highest court(s) | Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten, and of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba or "Joint Court of Justice" (consists of the presiding judge, other members, and their substitutes); final appeals heard by the Supreme Court (in The Hague, Netherlands); note - prior to 2010, the Joint Court of Justice was the Common Court of Justice of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba |
Judge selection and term of office | Joint Court judges appointed by the monarch serve for life |
Subordinate courts | Courts in First Instance |
Diplomatic representation in the US | |
Diplomatic representation from the US | |
Embassy | The US does not have an embassy in Sint Maarten; the Consul General to Curacao is accredited to Sint Maarten |
Caricom (observer)
Want to know more about Sint Maarten? Check all different factbooks for Sint Maarten below.