Philipsburg Sint Maarten Island Netherlands Antilles

…Saint Martin (San Martín), sighted on November 11, 1493, the feast day of Saint Martin of Tours.

Originally settled by Arawaks and later by Caribs, the island’s inhabitants call it "Sualouiga," meaning "Land of Salt," for the salt pans and the brackish water found here in great abundance.

The Dutch had failed in several attempts to win back St. Martin from Spanish control.

When the the Eighty Years' War ended fifteen years after the Spanish had conquered the island, the Spanish lost their inclination to continue defending it, as they no longer need this additional base in the Caribbean and St. Martin barely turns a profit.

They abandon the island in 1648.

With St. Martin free again, both the Dutch and the French eagerly reestablish their settlements.

Dutch colonists come from St. Eustatius, while the French come from St. Kitts.

After some initial conflict, both sides realized that neither would yield easily.

Preferring to avoid an all-out war, they sign the Treaty of Concordia in 1648, which divides the island in two.

During the treaty's negotiation, the French have a fleet of naval ships off shore, which they use as a threat to bargain more land for themselves.