Saint Barthelemy
Background
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.
Area
Elevation
Geographic coordinates
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
Land boundaries
total: 0 km
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
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Natural resources
Terrain
hilly, almost completely surrounded by shallow-water reefs, with plentiful beaches
Age structure
Birth rate
Death rate
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 60.1 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 22 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 38 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 2.6 (2025 est.)
Ethnic groups
Gross reproduction rate
0.79 (2025 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 6.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 7.6 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.3 deaths/1,000 live births
Languages
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 81 years (2024 est.) male: 78 years female: 84.2 years
Median age
total: 47.7 years (2025 est.) male: 47 years female: 47.8 years
Net migration rate
-0.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 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
Population growth rate
-0.08% (2025 est.)
Population
- breakdown
- {"male":{"value":3730,"unit":"people","formatted":"3,730","name":"Male Population"},"female":{"value":3349,"unit":"people","formatted":"3,349","name":"Female Population"}}
- meta
- {"year":2025}
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.)
Total fertility rate
1.64 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Climate
tropical, with practically no variation in temperature; has two seasons (dry and humid)
Environmental issues
land-based pollution; urbanization; limited freshwater resources; overfishing
Land use
agricultural land: 0% (2022 est.) forest: 8.5% (2022 est.) other: 91.5% (2022 est.)
Capital
- name
- Gustavia
- geo
- {"lat":17.8833,"lng":-62.85}
- timezone
- {"difference":"UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)","note":null,"dst":null}
- meta
- {}
Citizenship
see France
Constitution
history: 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) amendment process: amendment procedures of France's constitution apply
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
Dependency status
overseas collectivity of France
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; there is also an advisory, economic, social, and cultural council election/appointment process: 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 most recent election date: 27 March 2022 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 expected date of next election: 2027
Flag
the flag of France is used
Government type
parliamentary democracy (Territorial Council); overseas collectivity of France
Independence
International organization participation
Legal system
French civil law
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
National anthem(s)
title: "L'Hymne à St. Barthelemy" (Hymn to St. Barthelemy) lyrics/music: Isabelle Massart DERAVIN/Michael VALENTI history: local anthem in use since 1999 _____ title: "La Marseillaise" lyrics/music: Claude-Joseph ROUGET de Lisle history: official anthem, as a French collectivity
National holiday
National symbol(s)
pelican
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)
Suffrage
18 years of age, universal
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
Exchange rates
euros (EUR) per US dollar - Exchange rates: 0.924 (2024 est.) 0.925 (2023 est.) 0.95 (2022 est.) 0.845 (2021 est.) 0.876 (2020 est.)
Exports - commodities
Exports - partners
Imports - commodities
Imports - partners
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 100% (2021)
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, are also used
Internet users
percent of population: 71.3% (2022 est.)
Airports
1 (2025)
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of France