Originally claimed by Spain, the island attracted the attention of European powers like France, Britain, and the Netherlands. The French aimed to establish colonies between Trinidad and Bermuda, while the Dutch saw it as a strategic location between New Amsterdam (now New York) and New Holland. In 1631, the Dutch constructed Fort Amsterdam on the island, with Jan Claeszen van Campen as its first governor. In 1633, the Spanish took control, but by 1648, they abandoned the island as the Eighty Years’ War ended and it lost its strategic value. The Dutch and the French then vied for control. To avoid all-out conflict, they signed the Treaty of Concordia on 03/26/1648, splitting the island into two parts.1 The Dutch segment of the island was integrated into the Dutch West Indies in 1828 and, by 1845, had become one of the six Dutch island territories in the West Indies subjected to joint governance.2 On 10/10/2010, Sint Maarten became a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.2 Sint Maarten follows a parliamentary representative democratic system featuring a multi-party framework. Sint Maarten enjoys extensive self-governing authority on most issues, except for those outlined in the „Kingdom affairs“ section of the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands.3 The Sint Maarten judiciary acts independently and regular elections for the Estates of Sint Maarten (the parliament) are held under universal suffrage.4 The most recent fair and free elections were held on 08/19/2024.5 Based on our observations, multiparty executive and legislative elections were held during this period. LIED, V-Dem and FH do not register Sint Maarten in their data.
Liberal Democracy as of 07/01/2025 continued.
Siam see Thailand