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.
Location
located approximately 125 miles northwest of Guadeloupe
Geographic coordinates
17 90 N 62 85 W
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Area
21 sq km
Area - comparative
less than an eighth of 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 20 beaches
Elevation extremes
lowest point
Caribbean Ocean 0 m
highest point
Morne du Vitet 286 m
Natural resources
has few natural resouces, its beaches being the most important
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
UTC-4 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight savings
+1 hour, starts 20 March and ends 17 October
Independence
none (overseas collectivity of France)
National holiday
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789); note - local holiday is St. Barthelemy Day, 24 August
Constitution
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system
the laws of France, where applicable, apply
Suffrage
18 years of age, universal
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
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%, other 27.8%; seats by party - SBA 16, other 3
Political parties and leaders
Saint-Barth d'Abord! or SBA [Bruno MAGRAS]
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
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 vistors 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 manufactured goods. Employment is very strong and attracts labor from Brazil and Portugal.
Currency (code)
euro (EUR); note - $US widely used
Exchange rates
euros per US dollar - 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002)
Telephone system
general assessment
fully integrated access
domestic
direct dial capability with both fixed and wireless systems
international
undersea fiber-optic cable provides voice and data connectivity to Puerto Rico and Guadeloupe; country code - 590
Internet country code
.gp; note - ccTLD for Guadeloupe remains in effect
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)
