In 1493, Christopher COLUMBUS named Saint Barthelemy for his brother Bartolomeo, but the island was first settled by the French in 1648. In 1784, France 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, placing it 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. In 2012, it became an overseas territory of the EU, allowing it to exert local control over the permanent and temporary immigration of foreign workers, including non-French European citizens. Hurricane Irma hit the island in 2017 and caused extensive damage.
Geography
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
total : 25 sq km
land: 25 sq km
water: negligible
comparison ranking: total 237
Area – comparative
less than one-eighth the size of Washington, D.C.
Land boundaries
total: 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
highest point: Morne du Vitet 286 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Natural resources
few natural resources; beaches foster tourism
Land use
agricultural land: 0% (2022 est.)
forest: 8.5% (2022 est.)
other: 91.5% (2022 est.)
Population distribution
most of the populace is concentrated in and around the capital of Gustavia, but scattered settlements exist around the island’s periphery
Geography – note
a 1,200-hectare (3,000-acre) marine nature reserve, the Reserve Naturelle, is made up of five zones around the island that form a network to protect the island’s coral reefs, seagrass, and endangered marine species
People and Society
Population
total: 7,086 (2024 est.)
male: 3,737
female: 3,349
comparison rankings: total 225; female 225; male 225
Ethnic groups
French, Portuguese, Caribbean, Afro-Caribbean
Languages
French (primary), English
major-language sample(s):
The World Factbook, une source indispensable d’informations de base. (French)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
French audio sample:
Religions
Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jehovah’s Witnesses
Age structure
0-14 years: 13.9% (male 506/female 479)
15-64 years: 63.1% (male 2,413/female 2,057)
65 years and over: 23% (2024 est.) (male 818/female 813)
2024 population pyramid:
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 58.5 (2024 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 22 (2024 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 36.5 (2024 est.)
potential support ratio: 2.7 (2024 est.)
Median age
total: 47.4 years (2024 est.)
male: 47 years
female: 47.8 years
comparison ranking: total 6
Population growth rate
-0.11% (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 204
Birth rate
9.3 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 195
Death rate
9.5 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 47
Net migration rate
-1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 144
Population distribution
most of the populace is concentrated in and around the capital of Gustavia, but scattered settlements exist around the island’s periphery
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.17 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female
total population: 1.12 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 6.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
male: 7.6 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.3 deaths/1,000 live births
comparison ranking: total 161
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 81 years (2024 est.)
male: 78 years
female: 84.2 years
comparison ranking: total population 47
Total fertility rate
1.64 children born/woman (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 173
Gross reproduction rate
0.79 (2024 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
NA
Drinking water source
improved:
urban: 100% of population
rural: NA
total: 100% of population
unimproved:
urban: 0% of population
rural: NA
total: 0% of population (2020)
Sanitation facility access
improved:
urban: 100% of population
rural: NA
total: 100% of population
unimproved:
urban: 0% of population
rural: NA
total: 0% of population (2020)
Literacy
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA
Environment
Environment – current issues
land-based pollution; urbanization; limited freshwater resources; overfishing
Climate
tropical, with practically no variation in temperature; has two seasons (dry and humid)
Land use
agricultural land: 0% (2022 est.)
forest: 8.5% (2022 est.)
other: 91.5% (2022 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form: Overseas Collectivity of Saint Barthelemy
conventional short form: Saint Barthelemy
local long form: Collectivité d’outre mer de Saint-Barthélemy
local short form: Saint-Barthélemy
abbreviation: Saint-Barth (French)/ St. Barts or St. Barths (English)
etymology: explorer Christopher COLUMBUS named the island in honor of his brother Bartolomeo in 1493
Government type
parliamentary democracy (Territorial Council); overseas collectivity of France
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)
etymology: named in honor of King GUSTAV III of Sweden, who was ruler when Sweden bought the island from France in 1784; the name was retained when the island was sold back to France in 1878
Legal system
French civil law
Constitution
history: 4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
amendment process: amendment procedures of France’s constitution apply
Citizenship
see France
Suffrage
18 years of age, universal
Executive branch
chief of state: President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017), represented by Prefect Cyrille LE VELY (since 15 January 2025)
head of government: President of Territorial Council Xavier LEDEE (since 3 April 2022)
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 on 27 March 2022 (next to be held in 2027)
election results:
2022: Xavier LEDEE (Saint Barth United) elected president; Territorial Council vote – 13 votes for, 6 blank votes
2017: Bruno MAGRAS (Saint Barth First!) elected president; Territorial Council vote – 14 out of 19 votes
Legislative branch
legislature name: Territorial Council
legislative structure: unicameral
number of seats: 19 (directly elected)
electoral system: mixed
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 5 years
most recent election date: 3/27/2022
parties elected and seats per party: Saint Barth Action-Équilibre and Unis pour Saint Barthelemy (13); SBA (6)
expected date of next election: 2027
note: 1 senator is indirectly elected to the French Senate by an electoral college for a 6-year term, and 1 deputy (shared with Saint Martin) is directly elected to the French National Assembly for a five-year term
Political parties
All for Saint Barth (Tous pour Saint-Barth)
Saint Barth Action Equilibre
Saint Barth First! (Saint-Barth d’Abord!) or SBA (affiliated with France’s Republican party, Les Republicans)
Saint Barth United (Unis pour Saint-Barthelemy)
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (overseas collectivity of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US
embassy:
none (overseas collectivity of France)
International organization participation
ACS (associate), UPU
Independence
none (overseas collectivity of France)
National holiday
Fête de la Fédération, 14 July (1790); note – local holiday is St. Barthelemy Day, 24 August (1572)
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
Economic overview
high-income French Caribbean territorial economy; duty-free luxury commerce and tourism industries; import-dependent for food, water, energy, and manufacturing; large Brazilian and Portuguese labor supply; environmentally fragile
Exports – partners
Spain 57%, Switzerland 24%, France 6%, Ireland 5%, Canada 2% (2023)
note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Exports – commodities
refined copper, jewelry (2023)
note: top export commodities based on value in dollars over $500,000
Imports – partners
Switzerland 50%, Portugal 14%, Brazil 6%, Japan 5%, Ireland 5% (2023)
note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Imports – commodities
precious metal watches, base metal watches, jewelry, cars, garments (2023)
note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
Exchange rates
euros (EUR) per US dollar –
Exchange rates:
0.925 (2023 est.)
0.95 (2022 est.)
0.845 (2021 est.)
0.876 (2020 est.)
0.893 (2019 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification – total population: 100% (2021)
Communications
Broadcast media
2 local TV broadcasters; 5 FM radio channels (2021)
Internet country code
.bl; note – .gp, the Internet country code for Guadeloupe, and .fr, the Internet country code for France, might also be encountered
Internet users
percent of population: 71.3% (2022 est.)
Transportation
Airports
1 (2025)
comparison ranking: 213
Military and Security
Military – note
defense is the responsibility of France
