World Factbook
Saint Barthelemy
Introduction
Background
Discovered in 1493 by Christopher COLUMBUS who named it for his brother Bartolomeo, Saint Barthelemy was first settled by the French in 1648. In 1784, the French sold the island to Sweden, which renamed the largest town Gustavia, after the Swedish King GUSTAV III, and made it a free port; the island prospered as a trade and supply center during the colonial wars of the 18th century. France repurchased the island in 1877 and took control the following year. It was placed under the administration of Guadeloupe. Saint Barthelemy retained its free port status along with various Swedish appellations such as Swedish street and town names, and the three-crown symbol on the coat of arms. In 2003, the islanders voted to secede from Guadeloupe, and in 2007, the island became a French overseas collectivity. In 2012, it became an overseas territory of the EU, allowing it to exert local control over the permanent and temporary immigration of foreign workers including non-French European citizens.
Geography
Location
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean; located in the Leeward Islands (northern) group; Saint Barthelemy lies east of the US Virgin Islands
Geographic coordinates
17 90 N, 62 85 W
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Area
total: 25 sq km
land: 25 sq km
water: negligible
country comparison to the world: 239
Area - comparative
less than one-eighth the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries
0 km
Climate
tropical, with practically no variation in temperature; has two seasons (dry and humid)
Terrain
hilly, almost completely surrounded by shallow-water reefs, with plentiful beaches
Elevation
lowest point: Caribbean Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morne du Vitet 286 m
Natural resources
few natural resources; beaches foster tourism
Population distribution
most of the populace concentrated in and around the capital of Gustavia, but scattered settlements exist around the island periphery
Environment - current issues
land-based pollution; urbanization; with no natural rivers or streams, fresh water is in short supply, especially in summer, and is provided by the desalination of sea water, the collection of rain water, or imported via water tanker; overfishing
Geography - note
a 1,200-hectare marine nature reserve, the Reserve Naturelle, is made up of five zones around the island that form a network to protect the island's coral reefs, seagrass, and endangered marine species
People and Society
Population
7,160 (July 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 226
Ethnic groups
other white, Creole (mulatto), black, Guadeloupe Mestizo (French-East Asia)
Languages
French (primary), English
Religions
Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jehovah's Witnesses
Age structure
0-14 years: 15.96%(male 587 /female 556)
15-24 years: 7.26%(male 272 /female 248)
25-54 years: 43.13%(male 1,682 /female 1,406)
55-64 years: 16.13%(male 621 /female 534)
65 years and over: 17.51%(male 631 /female 623) (2018 est.)
population pyramid:
Median age
total: 44.7 years (2018 est.)
male: 44.6 years
female: 44.7 years
country comparison to the world: 9
Net migration rate
-4.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 186
Population distribution
most of the populace concentrated in and around the capital of Gustavia, but scattered settlements exist around the island periphery
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.2 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.16 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female
total population: 1.13 male(s)/female (2018 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
Major infectious diseases
note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus
Education expenditures
NA
Government
Country name
conventional long form: Overseas Collectivity of Saint Barthelemy
conventional short form: Saint Barthelemy
local long form: Collectivite d'outre mer de Saint-Barthelemy
local short form: Saint-Barthelemy
abbreviation: Saint-Barth (French); St. Barts or St. Barths (English)
etymology: explorer Christopher COLUMBUS named the island in honor of his brother Bartolomeo's namesake saint in 1493
Dependency status
overseas collectivity of France
Government type
parliamentary democracy (Territorial Council); overseas collectivity of France
Capital
name: Gustavia
geographic coordinates: 17 53 N, 62 51 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: named in honor of King Gustav III (1746-1792) of Sweden during whose reign the island was obtained from France in 1784; the name was retained when in 1878 the island was sold back to France
Independence
none (overseas collectivity of France)
National holiday
Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1790); note - local holiday is St. Barthelemy Day, 24 August (1572)
Constitution
history: 4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
amendments: amendment procedures of France's constitution apply (2018)
Legal system
French civil law
Citizenship
see France
Suffrage
18 years of age, universal
Executive branch
chief of state: President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017), represented by Prefect Anne LAUBIES (since 8 June 2015)
head of government: President of Territorial Council Bruno MAGRAS (since 16 July 2007)
cabinet: Executive Council elected by the Territorial Council; note - there is also an advisory, economic, social, and cultural council
elections/appointments: French president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of French Ministry of Interior; president of Territorial Council indirectly elected by its members for a 5-year term; election last held on 2 April 2017 (next to be held in 2022)
election results: Bruno MAGRAS (SBA) reelected president; Territorial Council vote - NA
Legislative branch
description: unicameral Territorial Council (19 seats; members elected by absolute majority vote in the first round vote and proportional representation vote in the second round; members serve 5-year terms); Saint Barthelemy indirectly elects 1 senator to the French Senate by an electoral college for a 6-year term and directly elects 1 deputy (shared with Saint Martin) to the French National Assembly
elections: Territorial Council - last held on 19 March 2017 (next to be held in September 2022) French Senate - election last held 24 September 2017 (next to be held in September 2020) French National Assembly - election last held on 11 and 18 June 2017 (next to be held by June 2022)
election results: Territorial Council - percent of vote by party - SBA 53.7%, United for Saint Barth 20.6%, Saint Barth Essential 18.1%, All for Saint Barth 7.7%; seats by party - SBA 14, United for Saint Barth 2, Saint Barth Essential 2, All for Saint Barth 1; composition - men 9, women 10, percent of women 52.6%; French Senate - percent of vote by party NA; seats by party UMP 1 French National Assembly - percent of vote by party NA; seats by party UMP 1
Political parties and leaders
All for Saint Barth (Tous pour Saint-Barth) [Bettina COINTRE]
Saint Barth Essential (Saint-Barth Autrement) [Marie-Helene BERNIER]
Saint Barth First! (Saint-Barth d'Abord!) or SBA [Bruno MAGRAS]
Saint Barth United (Unis pour Saint-Barthelemy) [Xavier LEDEE]
International organization participation
UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (overseas collectivity of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US
none (overseas collectivity of France)
Flag description
the flag of France is used
National symbol(s)
pelican
National anthem
name: "L'Hymne a St. Barthelemy" (Hymn to St. Barthelemy)
lyrics/music: Isabelle Massart DERAVIN/Michael VALENTI
note: local anthem in use since 1999; as a collectivity of France, "La Marseillaise" is official (see France)
Economy
Economy - overview
The economy of Saint Barthelemy is based upon high-end tourism and duty-free luxury commerce, serving visitors primarily from North America. The luxury hotels and villas host 70,000 visitors each year with another 130,000 arriving by boat. The relative isolation and high cost of living inhibits mass tourism. The construction and public sectors also enjoy significant investment in support of tourism. With limited fresh water resources, all food must be imported, as must all energy resources and most manufactured goods. The tourism sector creates a strong employment demand and attracts labor from Brazil and Portugal. The country’s currency is the euro.
Exchange rates
2013 est.)
0.885 (2017 est.)
0.903 (2016 est.)
0.9214 (2015 est.)
0.885 (2014 est.)
Communications
Telephone system
general assessment: fully integrated access; 4G and LTE services (2018)
domestic: direct dial capability with both fixed and wireless systems (2018)
international: country code - 590; landing points for the SSCS and the Southern Caribbean Fiber submarine cables providing voice and data connectivity to numerous Caribbean Islands (2019)
Broadcast media
no local TV broadcasters; 3 FM radio channels (2019)
Internet country code
.bl; note - .gp, the Internet country code for Guadeloupe, and .fr, the Internet country code for France, might also be encountered
Military and Security
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of France
Transportation
Airports
1 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 234
Airports - with paved runways
total: 1 (2017)
under 914 m: 1 (2017)
Ports and terminals
major seaport(s): Gustavia
Transportation - note
nearest airport for international flights is Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) located on Sint Maarten
