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Collectivity of Saint Barthélemy Collectivité de Saint-Barthélemy
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: La Marseillaise
Capital (and largest city)		Gustavia
Official language(s)		French
Local languages		Saint-Barthélemy French, Antillean Creole, English
Ethnic groups		European, Mulatto, West African, Mestizo (French-East Asia)[1]
Government		Dependent territory
-	President of France	Nicolas Sarkozy
-	Prefect	Dominique Lacroix
-	President of the Territorial Council	Bruno Magras
-	Deputy	Victorin Lurel
-	Senator	Michel Magras
Overseas collectivity of France
-	French colony	1648
-	Exchanged to Sweden	1 July 1784
-	Sold to France	16 March 1878
-	as separate Overseas Collectivity	22 February 2007
Area
-	Total	21 km2 (not ranked) 8.1 sq mi
-	Water (%)	negligible
Population
-	2008 census	8,823[2]
-	Density	354.7/km2 (26th) 919.5/sq mi
HDI (2003)		n/a (unranked) (n/a)
Currency		Euro (€) (EUR)
Time zone		AST (UTC-4)
ISO 3166 code		BL
Internet TLD		.bl assigned but not in use, .fr and .gp in use
Calling code		590

Saint Barthélemy (French: Saint-Barthélemy, French pronunciation: [sɛ̃baʁteləmi]; Swedish: Sankt Bartholomeus), officially the Territorial collectivity of Saint Barthélemy (French: Collectivité territoriale de Saint-Barthélemy), is an overseas collectivity of France.^[3] Often abbreviated to Saint-Barth in French, or St. Barts in English, the indigenous people called the island Ouanalao.^[4] The collectivity is one of four territories among the Leeward Islands in the northeastern Caribbean that comprise the French West Indies, along with Guadeloupe (200 km southeast), Martinique and Saint Martin. St. Barts lies c. 35 km southeast of Sint Maarten/Saint Martin, and north of St Kitts. Puerto Rico is 240 km to its west in the Lesser Antilles.^[5]

St. Barts, a volcanic island fully encircled by shallow reefs, has an area of 21 km² and a population of 8,823 (census 2008). Its capital is Gustavia, which also contains the main harbour to the island. It is the only Caribbean island which was a Swedish colony for any significant length of time; Guadeloupe was under Swedish rule only briefly, at the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Symbolism from the Swedish national arms, the Three Crowns, still appears in the island's coat of arms. The language, cuisine and culture, however, are distinctly French. The island is a popular tourist destination during the winter holiday season.

[edit] Etymology

The island was named by Christopher Columbus after his brother Bartholomeo.

[edit] History

Coastline of St. Barts

The ancient history of the island is dated to about 1000 BC when the Ciboney people attempted to settle here but left due to the lack of water, either for drinking or for practicing agriculture.

Climate: The climate in St. Barth is arid tropical The year round temperature range from 72 degrees to 86 degrees Fahrenheit. December through May is considered the dry season, while June through November is considered the more humid season. The warm coastal water temperatures stay between 20 degrees and 23 degrees celsuis. The average temperature in coastal areas range from 22 degrees to 30 degrees celsuis and in inland areas from 19 degrees to 27 degrees celsuis.

[edit] 17th century

The first colonisation of the island began in 1623 (settlers from Dieppe

[edit] 18th century

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For quite some years the island, was not a popular destination. There was one brief take over by the British in 1758.^{[verification needed]} The island was given to Sweden in 1784 in exchange for trade rights in Gothenburg. It was only after 1784, when King Louis XVI exchanged the island to Sweden, that the island's fortunes changed for the good. This change of control saw progress and prosperity as the Swedes declared Gustavia a free port, convenient for trading by the Europeans for goods, including contraband material^[7] and slave trade. However, this was a short-lived prosperity and the island returned to a lean period.

Historical quartiers (1801)

[edit] 19th century

Slavery was practiced in St. Barts in those years, under the "Ordinance concerning the Police of Slaves and free Coloured People"^[8] of 1787. The last legally owned slaves in the Swedish colony of St. Barts were granted their freedom by the state on 9 October 1847.^[9] Since the island was not a plantation area, the slaves who were freed suffered economic hardships due to lack of opportunities for employment.^{[10][verification needed]} In 1852, a devastating hurricane^{[verification needed]} hit the island and this was followed by a fire, which added to the misery of the islanders. Sweden sold the island back to France in 1878.^[11] The Swedish period left its mark in the names of many of the streets and the town Gustavia (in honour of King Gustav III), and the presence of Sweden's national arms, the Tre Kronor in the island's coat of arms. Other heraldry include the Maltese cross, the Fleur-de-lis, the mural crown and two pelicans.

[edit] 20th century

On 19 March 1946, the people of the island became French citizens with full rights.

[edit] 21st century

Local residents sought separation from the administrative jurisdiction of Guadeloupe since 2003, and it was finally accomplished in 2007. This was based on a referendum conducted on the island in 2003. It became a Overseas Collectivity (COM). A governing territorial council was elected for its administration, which has provided the island with a certain degree of autonomy. The Hotel de Ville, which was the town hall, is now the Hotel de la Collectivité. A senator represents the island in Paris. St. Barts has retained its free port status.^[14][12]

[edit] Geography

Map showing location of Saint Barts relative to Sint Maarten/Saint Martin and St Kitts.

Map of Saint-Barthélemy

Located approximately 250 kilometres (160 mi) east of Puerto Rico and the nearer Virgin Islands, St. Barts lies immediately southeast of the islands of Saint Martin and Anguilla. It is separated from Saint Martin by the Saint-Barthélemy Channel. It lies northeast of Saba and St Eustatius, and north of St Kitts. Some small satellite islets belong to St. Barts including Île Chevreau (Île Bonhomme), Île Frégate, Île Toc Vers, Île Tortue and Gros Îlets (Îlots Syndare). A much bigger islet, Île Fourchue, lies on the north of the island, in the Saint-Barthélemy Channel. Other rocky islets which include Coco, the Roques (or little Turtle rocks), the Tortiie

[edit] Marine areas

St. Barts forms, with St. Martin, Anguilla, and Dog Island, a distinct group that lies upon the western edge of a flat bank of soundings composed chiefly of shells, sand, and coral. From St. Barts, the bank extends east-southeast, ending in a small tongue or spit. It is separated from the main bank by a narrow length of deep water. East of the island, the edge of the bank lies 22 km away.^[15]

Grande Saline Bay provides temporary anchorage for small vessels while Colombier Bay, to the northwest, has a 4 fathoms patch near mid entrance. In the bight of St. Jean Bay there is a narrow cut through the reef.^[15] The north and east sides of the island are fringed, to a short distance from the shore, by a visible coral reef. Reefs are mostly in shallow waters and are clearly visible. The coastal areas abound with beaches and many of these have offshore reefs, some of which are part of a marine reserve.^[12] The marine reserve, founded in 1999, covers more than 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres) of protected and vulnerable habitats, bays and islands, and includes a zone that is restricted to scientific observations only.^[16] As the sea surrounding the St. Barts is rich in corral reefs and other precious marine life, the area has been declared a protected area since 1996. Environmental awareness is quite pronounced in St. Barts and is promoted by the Environmental Commission.^[17]

View of Gustavia.

Shell Beach (Anse De Grand Galet).

There are as many as 22 public beaches of which 15 are considered suitable for swimming. They are categorized divided into two areas, the leeward side (calm waters protected by the island itself) and windward side (some of which are protected by hills and reefs). The windward beaches are popular for windsurfing. St Jean beach is suitable for water sports and all facilities have been created for the purpose. The long Lorient beach has shade and is a quiet beach as compared to the St. Jean beach.^[18] The Grand-cul-de-sac is a long beach with facilities for water sports. Anse Toiny beach is in a remote location and is considered suitable for experienced surfers as the water current is very strong.^[18] The Anse de Grande Saline beach is popular with nudists. On the leeward side, the notable beaches are: Anse du Gouverneur, the Anse du Colombier, and Anse des Flamands. The salt pond near the Flamands beach is marshy and is habitat for tropical birds.^{[verification needed]} Ile islet, an offshoot of the leeward side, has a white sandy beach.^{[18][verification needed]} Shell Beach, also called Anse de Grand Galet (in French, ‘Anse’ means “panhandle” and Galet means “pebble”), is a beach in the southwestern part of Gustavia. A large number of sea shells are scattered on this beach. This beach was subject to the strong waves of hurricane Lenny in 1999, which resulted in erosion of the sand. This necessitated supplementing the beach with new sand in 2000.^[19]

On the north coast, on the far eastern side of the island, there are two lagoons called the Anse de Marigot^{[verification needed]} and Anse du Grand Cul-de-Sac.^[19]

Turtle and Whale^{[verification needed]}

[edit] Interior areas

Morne Vitet, 286 m in height, is the highest peak in the island. There are few sheep pens built with stone walls on the slopes of the mountain. A hill road leads to the Grand Cul-de-Sac from where scenic views of the entire coast line can be witnessed.^[19] Hills and valleys of varying topography cover the rest of the island.^[12] Two other hills near the island's east end are of nearly the same elevation at 262 and 250 m above sea level.^[15]

[edit] Populated areas

Small villages are seen spread out in the rolling hills in the interior. Gustavia, the capital of the island is located in a natural harbour which has witnessed many historical transitions. Yachts are a common sight in the harbour. The oldest settlement still remaining is the village of Lorient (or L'Orient). Lorient's sister village on the French mainland is the city of Lorient on the southern coast of Brittany. The population is spread among 40 quartiers, roughly corresponding to settlements. They are grouped into two halves:

Territorial subdivision into 40 quartiers

Satellite picture of the island

[edit] Climate

The island covers an area of c. 21 km². The eastern side is wetter than the western. Though an arid terrain, the rainfall still averages 1000 mm but varies very widely. Summer is from May to November which is also the rainy season. Winter from December to April is the dry season. Sunshine is very prominent almost all through the year and even during the rainy season. Humidity, however, is not very high because of the winds. It has an average temperature of 25°C with day temperatures rising to 32°C. The average temperature in January is 28°C (22°C) while in July it is 30°C (24°C). The lowest night temperature recorded is 13°C. The Caribbean sea waters in the vicinity generally maintain a temperature of about 27°C.^[20] Between May and November, brief showers of 10 to 15 minutes are commonplace. The island faces frequent catastrophic threats of cyclonic storms.

[edit] Demographics

According to the 2008 census, St. Barts had 8,823 inhabitants,^[2] with caucasian islanders forming the large majority.

Many of the full-time residents are French citizens who work at the various establishments on the island. Most of the population are French-speaking descendants of the first settlers, Breton, Normand, Poitevin, Saintonge and Angevin lineage. The widely spoken language is Norman dialect, French and English are also spoken by people of the island.^[6] However, French is the primary language spoken, in standard form as well as the native dialects, Saint-Barthélemy French patois and Antillean Creole. English is increasingly the language of hotels and restaurants, although a small population of Anglophones has been resident in Gustavia for many years. The St. Barts French patois is spoken by some 500–700 people in the leeward portion of the island and is superficially related to Quebec French,^[21][22][23] whereas Creole French is limited to the windward side. Unlike other populations in the Caribbean, language preference between the Creole and Patois is geographically determined, and not racially.^{[24][page needed]}

[edit] Politics and government

Saint Barthélemy

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Saint-Barthélemy