Marigot, Saint Martin

🇫🇷 Marigot is the main town and capital in the French Collectivity of Saint Martin.

History and features Originally a fishing village on a swamp for which it was named, Marigot was made capital during the reign of King Louis XVI of France, who built Fort St. Louis on a hill near Marigot Bay. Today, that building is the most important in Marigot.

Marigot is typical of Caribbean towns, with gingerbread houses and sidewalk bistros. Market days are every Wednesday and Saturday morning. The crew of the 1997 motion picture Speed 2 shot the final scene here where the Seabourn Legend hits the island.

The St. Martin of Tours' Church on rue du Fort Louis was built in 1941.

Geography Marigot is located on the west coast of the island of St. Martin. It extends from the coast to the west, along the Bay of Marigot and the hills of the interior of the island to the east. On the south-west it is bounded by the Simpson Bay.

Economy As a part of France, the official currency of Saint Martin is the euro, though the US dollar is also widely accepted. Tourism is the main economic activity – with over one million visitors annually some 85% of the population is employed in this sector. The other major sector is the financial services industry. Though limited, agriculture and fishing are also practiced, though these sectors are very small and most food is imported.

INSEE estimated that the nominal GDP of Saint Martin amounted to 581.8 million euros in 2014 (US$771.9 million at 2014 exchanges rates; US$660.3 million at Feb. 2022 exchange rates). In that same year the nominal GDP per capita of Saint Martin was 16,572 euros (US$21,987 at 2014 exchanges rates; US$18,806 at Feb. 2022 exchange rates), which was only half the GDP per capita of metropolitan France in 2014, and 79% of Guadeloupe's GDP per capita. In comparison, the nominal GDP per capita on the Dutch side of the island, Sint Maarten, was US$33,536 in 2014.

Media: Press The following newspapers are published in Saint Martin: • Le Pelican • Faxinfo • SXMInfo.fr • Soualiga Post • St. Martin's Week • St. Martin News Network (also covers Sint Maarten).

Transport The city is served by Princess Juliana International Airport as well as L'Espérance Airport. There is a ferry to Blowing Point, Anguilla.