A 37 Square Mile Island, 
But With A Big Personality
				
				
									Do you know that St. Martin is shared by two nations? The Dutch side of the island, known as St. Maarten, is only 16 squared miles and was part of the Netherlands Antilles before claiming its independence on October 10th, 2010. The French side of the island, known as St. Martin, 21 squared miles and is governed by France.
On March 23rd, 1648, the Treaty of Concordia was signed between the Dutch and the French to share the island. Local folklore tells a different story from the official treaty that divided the island: it claims the border was set by a race between a Frenchman and a Dutchman, each walking in opposite directions from a shared starting point. According to the tale, the Frenchman covered more ground—thanks, it’s said, to drinking lighter wine, while the Dutchman was slowed by his stronger gin