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  Saint Barthelemy
(overseas collectivity of France)
 
Flag of Saint Barthelemy
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 Introduction
 Geography
 People
 Government
 Economy
 Communications
 Transportation
 Military
 Transnational Issues

This page was last updated on 17 January, 2008


Map of Saint Barthelemy
Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Saint Barthelemy Top of Page
Background:
Definition Field Listing
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    Saint Barthelemy Top of Page
Location:
Definition Field Listing
located approximately 125 miles northwest of Guadeloupe
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
17 90 N, 62 85 W
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
21 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
less than an eighth of the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
0 km
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
tropical, with practically no variation in temperature; has two seasons (dry and humid)
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
hilly, almost completely surrounded by shallow-water reefs, with 20 beaches
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Caribbean Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morne du Vitet 286 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
has few natural resouces, its beaches being the most important
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
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    Saint Barthelemy Top of Page
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
6,852 (1999 March census)
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
white, Creole (mulatto), black, Guadeloupe Mestizo (French-East Asia)
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jehovah's Witness
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
French (primary), English
   Government    Saint Barthelemy Top of Page
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
overseas collectivity of France
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
name: Gustavia
geographic coordinates: 17 53 N, 62 51 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight savings: +1 hour, starts 20 March and ends 17 October
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
none (overseas collectivity of France)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789); note - local holiday is St. Barthelemy Day, 24 August
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
the laws of France, where applicable, apply
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age, universal
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
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
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
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]
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (overseas collectivity of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (overseas collectivity of France)
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
the flag of France is used
   Economy    Saint Barthelemy Top of Page
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
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.
Currency (code):
Definition Field Listing
euro (EUR); note - US dollar (USD) widely used
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
euros per US dollar - NA (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)
   Communications    Saint Barthelemy Top of Page
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
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
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.bl; note - .gp, the ccTLD for Guadeloupe, and .fr, the ccTLD for France, might also be encountered
   Transportation    Saint Barthelemy Top of Page
Airports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 1
under 914 m: 1
Transportation - note:
Definition Field Listing
nearest airport for international flights is Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) located in Sint Maarten (Netherlands Antilles)
   Military    Saint Barthelemy Top of Page
Military - note:
Definition Field Listing
defense is the responsibility of France

This page was last updated on 17 January, 2008


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