The island has been fought over by Spain, France the British and the Netherlands. It ended up as a compromise between the French and the Dutch who agreed to split it - which seems rather foolish, given its small size.

French
Dutch
Creole

The island has two administrations, one part of the French Caribbean, linked to Martinique and Guadeloupe; the other is a part of the Dutch Antilles federation.

The French side has the euro as its official currency. The Dutch side officially uses the Netherlands Antilles Guilder. But the US dollar circulates freely.

Tourism is the main business.