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The Netherlands Antilles,also known as the Dutch Antilles,was a constituent Caribbean country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands consisting of the islands of Saba,Sint Eustatius,and Sint Maarten in the Lesser Antilles,and Aruba,Curaçao,and Bonaire in the Leeward Antilles. The country came into being in 1954 as the autonomous successor of the Dutch colony of Curaçao and Dependencies,and it was dissolved in 2010,when like Aruba in 1986,Sint Maarten and Curaçao gained status of constituent countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands,and Saba,Sint Eustatius,and Bonaire gained status of special municipality of Netherlands as the Caribbean Netherlands. The neighboring Dutch colony of Surinam in continental South America,did not become part of the Netherlands Antilles but became a separate autonomous country in 1954. All the territories that belonged to the Netherlands Antilles remain part of the kingdom today,although the legal status of each differs. As a group they are still commonly called the Dutch Caribbean,regardless of their legal status. People from this former territory continue to be called Antilleans in the Netherlands.
Saint Martin is an island in Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles in the northeastern Caribbean,approximately 300 km (190 mi) east of Puerto Rico. The 87 km2 (34 sq mi) island is divided roughly 60:40 between the French Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands,but the Dutch part is more populated than the French. Divided since 1648,the northern French part comprises the Collectivity of Saint Martin and is an overseas collectivity of the French Republic. The southern Dutch part comprises Sint Maarten and is one of four constituent countries that form the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Even though the island is an overseas possession of two European Union member states,only the French part of the island is part of the EU.
Saba is a Caribbean island and the smallest special municipality of the Netherlands. It consists largely of the dormant volcano Mount Scenery,which at 887 metres (2,910 ft) is the highest point of the entire Kingdom of the Netherlands. The island lies in the northern Leeward Islands portion of the West Indies,southeast of the Virgin Islands. Together with Bonaire and Sint Eustatius it forms the BES islands,also known as the Caribbean Netherlands.
The National Alliance is a political party in Sint Maarten,formed by the Sint Maarten Patriotic Alliance (SPA) and the National Progressive Party (NPP). It is one of main political parties within Sint Maarten. At the legislative elections in the Netherlands Antilles,18 January 2002,the alliance won 4.8% of the popular vote of Sint Maarten and 1 out of 22 seats. At the elections in the Netherlands Antilles of 27 January 2006,it won one extra seat.
Same-sex marriage is legal in Aruba and Curaçao,two constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands,in accordance with a ruling from the Supreme Court of the Netherlands issued on 12 July 2024. In September 2021,a lower court in Curaçao ruled that preventing same-sex couples from marrying violates the equality provisions of the Constitution of Curaçao,but left the decision of whether to legalise same-sex marriage up to the Parliament. In December 2022,the Joint Court of Justice of Aruba,Curaçao,Sint Maarten,and of Bonaire,Sint Eustatius and Saba ruled on appeal that Aruba's and Curaçao's same-sex marriage bans were unconstitutional. The court order was set to go into effect on 7 March 2023 if not appealed to the Supreme Court;however,the governments of both Curaçao and Aruba subsequently appealed. On 12 July 2024,the Supreme Court upheld the lower court ruling,effectively legalizing same-sex marriage in Aruba and Curaçao with immediate effect.
Sint Maarten is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean region of North America. With a population of 58,477 as of June 2023 on an area of 34 km2 (13 sq mi),it encompasses the southern 44% of the divided island of Saint Martin,while the northern 56% of the island constitutes the French overseas collectivity of Saint Martin. Sint Maarten's capital is Philipsburg. Collectively,Sint Maarten and the other Dutch islands in the Caribbean are often called the Dutch Caribbean.
The Netherlands Antilles was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It was dissolved on 10 October 2010.
The Kingdom of the Netherlands,commonly known simply as the Netherlands,is a sovereign state consisting of a collection of constituent territories united under the monarch of the Netherlands,who functions as head of state. The realm is not a federation;it is a unitary monarchy with its largest subdivision,the eponymous Netherlands,predominantly located in Northwestern Europe and with several smaller island territories located in the Caribbean.
The Caribbean Netherlands is a geographic region of the Netherlands located outside of Europe,in the Caribbean,consisting of three special municipalities. These are the islands of Bonaire,Sint Eustatius,and Saba,as they are also known in legislation,or the BES islands for short. The islands are officially classified as public bodies in the Netherlands and as overseas territories of the European Union;as such,European Union law does not automatically apply to them.
The governor of Sint Maarten is the representative on Sint Maarten of the Dutch head of state. The governor's duties are twofold:he represents and guards the general interests of the kingdom and is head of the government of Sint Maarten. He is accountable to the government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. As the head of the government,the governor is immune. The governor exercises the executive power under the responsibility of the ministers,who are responsible to the Estates of Sint Maarten. The governor does not have political responsibilities and is not part of the cabinet. During the formation of a cabinet the governor plays an important role. The governor is appointed by the monarch for a period of six years. This period can be prolonged for one more term of six years. The governor is supported by his secretariat the cabinet of the governor,and is advised by the Council of Advice,consisting of at least five members,appointed by the governor,advising him on the drafts of state ordinances,state decrees,kingdom acts and general administrative orders.
Eugene Bernard Holiday is a Sint Maarten politician and who served as the first governor of Sint Maarten,which became a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands on 10 October 2010. He was installed by the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of the Netherlands on 7 September 2010. He was president of Princess Juliana International Airport before assuming his office as governor.
The Parliament of Sint Maarten is a unicameral legislature that consists of 15 members,each elected for a four-year term in a general election. The first parliament was installed on 10 October 2010,the date of the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles,and consisted of the members of the predecessor island council elected on 17 September 2010. The current President of Parliament is Sarah A. Wescot-Williams.
The Minister Plenipotentiary of Sint Maarten represents the constituent country of Sint Maarten in the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The current Minister Plenipotentiary is Patrice Gumbs with Gracita Arrindell as the acting deputy.
The prime minister of Sint Maarten became the head of government of Sint Maarten after the Netherlands Antilles had been dissolved on 10 October 2010. The prime minister,together with the Council of Ministers and the governor of Sint Maarten,form the executive branch of the government of Sint Maarten. Sint Maarten's current prime minister is Luc Mercelina.
Sint Maarten,a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands,has a government formed by the monarch,represented by the governor,and the ministers. The Prime Minister of Sint Maarten presides over the council of ministers. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. The minister plenipotentiary is not part of the government and represents the Sint Maarten government in the Netherlands. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The country is a parliamentary representative democratic country with a multi-party system. Sint Maarten has full autonomy on most matters,with the exceptions summed up in the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands under the title "Kingdom affairs". The Constitution of Sint Maarten was ratified in September 2010,and entered into force on 10 October 2010.
Jacob Wit was a Dutch jurist who was justice of the Caribbean Court of Justice,and located in Trinidad and Tobago. Beginning in 2010 he also served as the President of the Constitutional Court of Sint Maarten,and was once a Judge of the Rotterdam District Court and the Common Court of Justice of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba.
The following lists events that happened during 2022 in the Caribbean.
The following lists events that happened during 2023 in the Caribbean.
The Mercelina cabinet is the 11th Council of Ministers of Sint Maarten headed by Prime Minister Luc Mercelina. It was installed by Governor Ajamu Baly on 3 May 2024.
Snap general elections were held in Sint Maarten on 19 August 2024,following the early dissolution of the parliament elected in January.
References
- ↑ "King Willem-Alexander receives St. Maarten's new Governor". The Daily Herald. 5 October 2022.
- 1 2 3 "About the Governor". www.kabgsxm.com. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
- ↑ "Ajamu Baly will be new St. Maarten Governor". www.thedailyherald.sx. 26 August 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
- ↑ "New acting Governor for St. Maarten". 27 October 2023. Archived from the original on 27 October 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
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