St. Maarten, Saint Maarten or Sint Maarten, part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, is a country on the southern part of a Caribbean island shared with Saint Martin, a French overseas collectivity. The island is famous for its runway at Princess Juliana International Airport, in which landing aircraft pass within less than 35 meters of Maho Beach below, due to the close proximity of the runway to the ocean. Therefore, this beach and airport has become a popular place for people to view airplane landings.
Natural landscapes span lagoons, beaches and salt pans, while the capital, Philipsburg, has cobblestone streets and colorful, colonial-style buildings lining its Front Street shopping area.