Regional anthem of Saint-Martin Sint Maarten | |
Lyrics | Gerard Kemps, 1958 |
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Music | Gerard Kemps, 1958 |
Audio sample | |
Digital instrumental rendition of the English version |
"O Sweet Saint Martin's Land", also known by its French title, "Saint-Martin, si jolie" ("Saint Martin, So Pretty"), [1] [2] is the bi-national song of Saint-Martin / Sint Maarten island, an island divided between the French Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It was written in English (the main language of Saint Martin) by Gerard Kemps in 1958. [3] Kemps also wrote and composed a French version with its own lyrics and a different tune. [2]
After being appointed as priest for the Catholic Church of French St-Martin in 1954, Father Gerard Kemps felt compelled to compose lyrics and a melody about the beauty of the land of Saint Martin. In 1958, Kemps created "O Sweet Saint Martin's Land". Because of the message the lyrics conveyed and the melody that carried the tune, it served the purpose of a national song. [4]
In 1984, on the occasion of the Dutch Queen's Birthday, Kemps was knighted in the Order of Orange-Nassau. [4]
Although there are some now on St. Martin who are unaware of Kemps, his legacy lives on in the St. Martin's song. [4]
A wide-hole 7-inch vinyl record [5] (made in the Netherlands) was issued by Kemps & the Marigot Catholic Church choir.
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French original [1] [2] | English translation |
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Saint Martin is an island in the northeast Caribbean, approximately 300 km (190 mi) east of Puerto Rico. The 87 square kilometres (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 part. The division dates to 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. As an overseas possession of two European Union member states, the island is itself part of the EU.
The SSS islands, locally also known as the Windward Islands, is a collective term for the three territories of the Dutch Caribbean that are located within the Leeward Islands group of the Lesser Antilles. In order of population size, they are: Sint Maarten, Sint Eustatius and Saba. In some contexts, the term is also used to refer to the entire island of Saint Martin, alongside Sint Eustatius and Saba.
St. Martin's history shares many commonalities with other Caribbean islands. Its earliest inhabitants were Amerindians, followed by Europeans who brought slavery to exploit commercial interests.
The Collectivity of Saint Martin, commonly known as simply Saint Martin, is an overseas collectivity of France in the West Indies in the Caribbean, on the northern half of the island of Saint Martin, as well as some smaller adjacent islands. Saint Martin is separated from the island of Anguilla by the Anguilla Channel. Its capital is Marigot.
Sint Maarten is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean. With a population of 41,486 as of January 2019 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 flag of Sint Maarten consists of a white triangle situated at the hoist charged with the constituent country's coat of arms, along with two horizontal bands of red and blue. Adopted in 1985 shortly after the territory was granted a coat of arms, it has been the flag of Sint Maarten since 13 June of that year. Since the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles on 10 October 2010, it has been the sole flag used in the constituent country.
Simpson Bay Lagoon is one of the largest inland lagoons in the West Indies of the Caribbean. It is located on the island of Saint Martin. The border between the French and Dutch halves of the island runs across the centre of the lagoon. There are two small islands that lie in the lagoon: the larger, Grand Ilet to the north, is within the French region of Saint-Martin; the smaller, Little Key, to the south, is on the Dutch Sint Maarten side.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the Collectivity of Saint Martin:
The following is an alphabetical list of topics related to the French overseas collectivity of Saint Martin.
Rugby union in Saint Martin is a minor but growing sport. The 87-square-kilometre (34 sq mi) island is divided roughly in half between France (53 km2) and the Netherlands (34 km2); it is the smallest inhabited sea island divided between two nations. There is free movement between the two parts of Saint Martin/Sint Maarten.
The economy of Saint Martin, divided between the French Collectivity of Saint Martin and the Dutch Sint Maarten, is predominately dependent on tourism. For more than two centuries, the main commodity exports have generally been salt and locally grown commodities, like sugar.
St. Martin of Tours Church is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Basse-Terre located on rue du Fort Louis in the city of Marigot, St. Martin in the Lesser Antilles.
The Saint Martin–Sint Maarten border, or France–Netherlands border, is the border between the Collectivity of Saint Martin, an overseas collectivity of France, and Sint Maarten, a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, on the island of Saint Martin in the Caribbean. The 87-square-kilometre (34 sq mi) island is divided roughly 60:40 between the French Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands by the 16 km (10 mi) border. However, the two parts are roughly equal in population.
Ruby Bute is a painter, storyteller, and writer of the island of Saint Martin. She became the first woman to publish a book in Saint Martin with her poetry collection Golden Voices of S'maatin in 1989. Bute has been referred to as "the first dame of St. Martin’s cultural arts."
The unification of Saint Martin is the proposed unification of the small island of Saint Martin, located in the Caribbean Sea. Currently, it is divided into Sint Maarten and the Collectivity of Saint Martin. The island has been divided since the signing of the Treaty of Concordia in 1648, which today remains as one of the oldest treaties still in effect.
Sint Maarten is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Daniella Jeffry-Pilot was a writer, teacher and historian from Saint Martin, who was the founder of the United Saint-Martin Movement. She was awarded the Ordre des Palmes Académiques by the French government for her activism.
Fort Louis is a historic French military fort on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin. It is located in Marigot, the capital of the French side of the island, overlooking Marigot Bay. The fort was built in the 18th century to defend Marigot's harbor and its warehouses. It was built during the reign of King Louis XVI.