Saint Barthélemy

Collectivity of Saint Barthélemy

LOCATION

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.

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
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

Population: total: 7,079 (2025 est.)
male: 3,730
female: 3,349
Ethnic groups: French, Portuguese, Caribbean, Afro-Caribbean
Languages: 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.
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)
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.)
Median age: total: 47.7 years (2025 est.)
male: 47 years
female: 47.8 years
Population growth rate: -0.08% (2025 est.)
Birth rate: 9.32 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate: 9.75 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
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
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: 6.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
male: 7.6 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.3 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 81 years (2024 est.)
male: 78 years
female: 84.2 years
Total fertility rate: 1.64 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate: 0.79 (2025 est.)
Drinking water source: improved: urban: urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total: total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban: urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total: total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Sanitation facility access: improved: urban: urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total: total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban: urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total: total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Environmental 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.)

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; 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 votes2017: Bruno MAGRAS (Saint Barth First!) elected president; Territorial Council vote - 14 out of 19 votes
expected date of next election: 2027
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
Political parties: All for Saint Barth (Tous pour Saint-Barth)Saint Barth Action EquilibreSaint 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)
Flag: the flag of France is used
National symbol(s): pelican
National anthem(s): title: "La Marseillaise"
lyrics/music: Claude-Joseph ROUGET de Lisle
history: official anthem, as a French collectivity

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)
Exports - commodities: refined copper, jewelry (2023)
Imports - partners: Switzerland 50%, Portugal 14%, Brazil 6%, Japan 5%, Ireland 5% (2023)
Imports - commodities: precious metal watches, base metal watches, jewelry, cars, garments (2023)
Exchange rates: Currency: euros (EUR) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2024: 0.924 (2024 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 0.925 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 0.95 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 0.845 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2020: 0.876 (2020 est.)

Electricity access: electrification - total population: 100% (2021)

Broadcast media: 2 local TV broadcasters; 5 FM radio channels (2021)
Internet country code: .bl
Internet users: percent of population: 71.3% (2022 est.)

Airports: 1 (2025)

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France