2008 Edition
CIA World Factbook 2008 (Project Gutenberg)
Introduction
Background
Discovered in 1493 by Christopher COLUMBUS who named it for his brother Bartolomeo, St. Barthelemy was first settled by the French in 1648. In 1784, the French sold the island to Sweden, who 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 1878 and placed it under the administration of Guadeloupe. St. Barthelemy retained its free port status along with various Swedish appelations such as Swedish street and town names, and the three-crown symbol on the coat of arms. In 2003, the populace of the island voted to secede from Guadeloupe and in 2007, the island became a French overseas collectivity.
Geography
Area
21 sq km
Area - comparative
less than an eighth of the size of Washington, DC
Climate
tropical, with practically no variation in temperature; has two seasons (dry and humid)
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Caribbean Ocean 0 m highest point: Morne du Vitet 286 m
Environment - current issues
with no natural rivers or streams, fresh water is in short supply, especially in summer, and provided by desalinization of sea water, collection of rain water, or imported via water tanker
Geographic coordinates
17 90 N, 62 85 W
Land boundaries
0 km
Location
located approximately 125 miles northwest of Guadeloupe
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Natural resources
has few natural resouces, its beaches being the most important
Terrain
hilly, almost completely surrounded by shallow-water reefs, with 20 beaches
People and Society
Ethnic groups
white, Creole (mulatto), black, Guadeloupe Mestizo (French-East Asia)
Languages
French (primary), English
Population
7,492 (July 2008 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jehovah's Witness
Government
Capital
name: Gustavia geographic coordinates: 17 53 N, 62 51 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Constitution
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
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
Dependency status
overseas collectivity of France
Diplomatic representation from the US
none (overseas collectivity of France)
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (overseas collectivity of France)
Executive branch
chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007), represented by Prefect Dominique LACROIX (since 21 March 2007) head of government: President of the Territorial Council Bruno MAGRAS (since 16 July 2007) cabinet: Executive Council; note - there is also an advisory, economic, social, and cultural council elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the Territorial Council is elected by the members of the Council for a five-year term election results: Bruno MAGRAS unanimously elected president by the Territorial Council on 16 July 2007
Flag description
the flag of France is used
Independence
none (overseas collectivity of France)
International organization participation
UPU, WFTU
Legal system
the laws of France, where applicable, apply
Legislative branch
unicameral Territorial Council (19 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 1 and 8 July 2007 (next to be held July 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - SBA 72.2%, Action-Equilibre-Transparence 9.9%, Ensemble pour Saint-Barthelemy 7.9%, Tous Unis pour Saint-Barthelemy 9.9%; seats by party - SBA 16, Action-Equilibre-Transparence 1, Ensemble pour Saint-Barthelemy 1, Tous Unis pour Saint-Barthelemy 1
National holiday
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789); note - local holiday is St. Barthelemy Day, 24 August
Political parties and leaders
Action-Equilibre-Transparence [Maxime DESOUCHES]; Ensemble pour Saint-Barthelemy [Benoit CHAUVIN]; Saint-Barth d'Abord! or SBA [Bruno MAGRAS]; Tous Unis pour Saint-Barthelemy [Karine MIOT-RICHARD]
Political pressure groups and leaders
The Marine Reserve (protection of fish); Rotary Club
Suffrage
18 years of age, universal
Economy
Currency (code)
euro (EUR); note - US dollar (USD) widely used
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. Employment is strong and attracts labor from Brazil and Portugal.
Exchange rates
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)
Communications
Internet country code
.bl; note - .gp, the ccTLD for Guadeloupe, and .fr, the ccTLD for France, might also be encountered
Telephone system
general assessment: fully integrated access domestic: direct dial capability with both fixed and wireless systems international: country code - 590; undersea fiber-optic cable provides voice and data connectivity to Puerto Rico and Guadeloupe
Transportation
Airports
1
Airports - with paved runways
total: 1 under 914 m: 1
Transportation - note
nearest airport for international flights is Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) located in Sint Maarten (Netherlands Antilles)
Military and Security
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually
male: 21 female: 20 (2008 est.)
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of France This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008