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Central America and Caribbean :: Saint Barthelemy (overseas collectivity of France)

- ## Introduction :: SAINT BARTHELEMY

- 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.

- ## Geography :: SAINT BARTHELEMY

- 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:
  21 sq km
  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 extremes:
  lowest point: Caribbean Ocean 0 m
  highest point: Morne du Vitet 286 m
  Natural resources:
  few natural resources; beaches foster tourism
  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

- ## People and Society :: SAINT BARTHELEMY

- Ethnic groups:
  white, Creole (mulatto), black, Guadeloupe Mestizo (French-East Asia)
  Languages:
  French (primary), English
  Religions:
  Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jehovah's Witnesses
  Population:
  7,237 (July 2015 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 227
  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.)
  population pyramid:
  Median age:
  total: 42.4 years
  male: 42.4 years
  female: 42.3 years (2014 est.)
  Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  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
  total population: 1.13 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

- ## Government :: SAINT BARTHELEMY

- 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)
  Dependency status:
  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)
  Independence:
  none (overseas collectivity of France)
  National holiday:
  Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1789); note - local holiday is St. Barthelemy Day, 24 August (1572)
  Constitution:
  4 October 1958 (French Constitution) (2013)
  Legal system:
  French civil law
  Suffrage:
  18 years of age, universal
  Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Francois HOLLANDE (since 15 May 2012), represented by Prefect Philippe CHOPIN (since 16 November 2011)
  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 in July 2012 (next to be held in 2017)
  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)
  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
  elections: last held on 18 March 2012 (next to be held in July 2017)
  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
  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
  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 :: SAINT BARTHELEMY

- 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.)

- ## Communications :: SAINT BARTHELEMY

- 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 (2008)
  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

- ## Transportation :: SAINT BARTHELEMY

- Airports:
  1 (2013)
  country comparison to the world: 231
  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

- ## Military :: SAINT BARTHELEMY

- Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 16-49: 1,495
  females age 16-49: 1,263 (2010 est.)
  Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
  male: 23
  female: 21 (2010 est.)
  Military - note:
  defense is the responsibility of France

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