2010 Edition

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, 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. 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 populace of the island voted to secede from Guadeloupe and in 2007, the island became a French overseas collectivity.

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

highest point

Morne du Vitet 286 m

lowest point

Caribbean Ocean 0 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 resources, its beaches being the most important

Terrain

hilly, almost completely surrounded by shallow-water reefs, with 20 beaches

Age structure

0-14 years: 19.2% (male 734/female 696) 15-64 years: 70.6% (male 2,855/female 2,402) 65 years and over: 10.2% (male 378/female 383) (2010 est.)

Ethnic groups

white, Creole (mulatto), black, Guadeloupe Mestizo (French-East Asia)

Languages

French (primary), English

Median age

female

39.6 years (2010 est.)

male

39.9 years

total

39.8 years

Population

7,406 (July 2010 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jehovah's Witness

Sex ratio

at birth

1.053 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.19 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female

total population

1.14 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Capital

geographic coordinates

17 53 N, 62 51 W

name

Gustavia

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

cabinet

Executive Council; note - there is also an advisory, economic, social, and cultural council (For more information visit the World Leaders website )

chief of state

President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007), represented by Prefect Dominique LACROIX (since 21 March 2007)

election results

Bruno MAGRAS unanimously elected president by the Territorial Council on 16 July 2007

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 elected by the members of the Council for a five-year term

head of government

President of the Territorial Council Bruno MAGRAS (since 16 July 2007)

Flag description

the flag of France is used

Independence

none (overseas collectivity of France)

International organization participation

UPU

Legal system

the laws of France, where applicable, apply

Legislative branch

unicameral Territorial Council (19 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

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 note: Saint Barthelemy elects one seat to the French Senate; election last held on 21 September 2008 (next to be held in September 2014); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 1

elections

last held on 1 and 8 July 2007 (next to be held in July 2012)

National anthem

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)

name

"L'Hymne a St. Barthelemy" (Hymn to St. Barthelemy)

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 - 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 - 0.7715 (2010), 0.7338 (2009), 0.6827 (2008), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006)

Broadcast media

no local TV broadcasters; 3 FM radio channels (2 via repeater)

Internet country code

.bl; note - .gp, the internet country code for Guadeloupe, and .fr, the internet country code for France, might also be encountered

Telephone system

domestic

direct dial capability with both fixed and wireless systems

general assessment

fully integrated access

international

country code - 590; undersea fiber-optic cable provides voice and data connectivity to Puerto Rico and Guadeloupe

Airports

1 (2010)

Airports - with paved runways

total

1 under 914 m: 1 (2010)

Ports and terminals

Gustavia

Transportation - note

nearest airport for international flights is Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) located in Sint Maarten

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 1,543 females age 16-49: 1,303 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

21 (2010 est.)

male

21

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of France page last updated on January 12, 2011 ======================================================================