CAPITALS MARIGOT (ST MARTIN), PHILIPSBURG (SINT MAARTEN) -POPULATION 35,000 (ST MARTIN), 34,000 (SINT MAARTEN) - AREA 54.4 SQ KM (ST MARTIN), 41.44 SQ KM (SINT MAARTEN) - OFFICIAL LANGUAGES FRENCH (ST MARTIN), DUTCH (SINT MAARTEN)
No, St Martin and Sint Maarten aren't just alternative spellings of the same place name, but two neighboring dependencies on a tiny land mass shared by France and the Netherlands. Unlike many of the smaller Caribbean isles, Sint Maarten is neither sleepy nor exclusive: charter planes fly in with enthusiasm, bringing in thousands to populate its casinos, clubs and duty-free extravaganzas, whilst condo development seems to know no bounds. St Martin, the island's second face, is casino-less (for the moment, at least) with finer dining and more space on the sands, including, if you're in the mood for nude, one of the Caribbean's only naturist resorts, near Orient Beach.
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