2015 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, 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.

Area

21 sq km

Area - comparative

less than one-eighth 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

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

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Natural resources

few natural resources; beaches foster tourism

Terrain

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

Age structure

0-14 years

17.36% (male 645/female 611)

15-24 years

7.03% (male 269/female 240)

25-54 years

45.32% (male 1,783/female 1,497)

55-64 years

15.3% (male 602/female 505)

65 years and over

14.99% (male 542/female 543) (2015 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Languages

French (primary), English

Median age

female

42.3 years (2014 est.)

male

42.4 years

total

42.4 years

Population

7,237 (July 2015 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jehovah's Witnesses

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.12 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.19 male(s)/female

55-64 years

1.19 male(s)/female

65 years and over

1 male(s)/female

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

1.13 male(s)/female (2015 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) (2013)

Country name

abbreviation

Saint-Barth (French); St. Barts or St. Barths (English)

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 elected by the Territorial Council; note - there is also an advisory, economic, social, and cultural council

chief of state

President Francois HOLLANDE (since 15 May 2012), represented by Prefect Philippe CHOPIN (since 16 November 2011)

election results

Bruno MAGRAS (SBA) reelected president; Territorial Council vote NA

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 in July 2012 (next to be held in 2017)

head of government

President of 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

French civil law

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)

election results

percent of vote by party - SBA 73.8%, Ensemble pour Saint-Barthelemy 15.9%, Tous Unis pour Saint-Barthelemy 10.3%; seats by party - SBA 16, Ensemble pour Saint-Barthelemy 2, Tous Unis pour Saint-Barthelemy 1

elections

last held on 18 March 2012 (next to be held in July 2017)

note

Saint Barthelemy holds one seat in the French Senate; elections last held on 28 September 2014 (next to be held not later than September 2017); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats by party UMP 1; Saint Barthelemy elects one seat to the National Assembly; elections last held on 17 June 2012 (next to be held by June 2017); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats by party UMP 1

National anthem

lyrics/music

Isabelle Massart DERAVIN/Michael VALENTI

name

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

note

local anthem in use since 1999; as a collectivity of France, "La Marseillaise" is official (see France)

National holiday

Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1789); note - local holiday is St. Barthelemy Day, 24 August (1572)

National symbol(s)

pelican

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

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 -

0.7489 (2014 est.)

0.7634 2013 est.)

0.7752 (2012 est.)

0.7185 (2011 est.)

0.755 (2010 est.)

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 (2008)

Airports

1 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

total

1

under 914 m

1 (2013)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Gustavia

Transportation - note

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

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

1,263 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

1,495

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

21 (2010 est.)

male

23

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of France