Saint Barthélemy
Overseas collectivity of France / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Saint Barthélemy (French: Saint-Barthélemy, [sɛ̃ baʁtelemi] ⓘ), officially the Collectivité territoriale de Saint-Barthélemy,[7] also known as St. Barts (English)[8] or St. Barth (French), is an overseas collectivity of France[9] in the Caribbean. The island lies about 30 kilometres (19 mi) southeast of the island of Saint Martin;[10] it is northeast of the Dutch islands of Saba and Sint Eustatius, as well as north of the independent country of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Saint Barthélemy | |
---|---|
Territorial Collectivity of Saint Barthélemy Collectivité de Saint-Barthélemy | |
Anthem: La Marseillaise ("The Marseillaise") | |
Territorial song: "L'Hymne à Saint-Barthélemy" | |
Sovereign state | France |
Colony established | 1648 |
Swedish purchase | 1 July 1784 |
Returned to France | 16 March 1878 |
Collectivity status | 22 February 2007 |
Capital and largest city | Gustavia |
Official languages | French |
Recognised regional languages | |
Demonym(s) |
|
Government | Devolved parliamentary dependency |
Emmanuel Macron | |
• Prefect | Vincent Berton[1] |
Xavier Lédée[2] | |
Legislature | Territorial Council |
French Parliament | |
• Senate | 1 senator (of 348) |
1 seat shared with Saint Martin (of 577) | |
Area | |
• Total | 25[note 1] km2 (9.7 sq mi) |
• Water (%) | negligible |
Population | |
• 2022 estimate | 10,967[4] |
9,961 (not ranked) | |
• Density | 398/km2 (1,030.8/sq mi) (not ranked) |
GDP (nominal) | 2014 estimate |
• Total | US$487 million (€367 million)[6] |
• Per capita | US$51,735 (€38,994)[6] |
Currency | Euro (€) (EUR) |
Time zone | UTC-4:00 (AST) |
Driving side | right |
Calling code | +590 |
ISO 3166 code | |
Internet TLD |
Saint Barthélemy was for many years a French commune forming part of Guadeloupe, which is an overseas region and department of France. In 2003 the island voted in favour of secession from Guadeloupe to form a separate overseas collectivity (collectivité d'outre-mer, abbreviated to COM) of France. The collectivity is one of four territories among the Leeward Islands in the northeastern Caribbean that make up the French West Indies, along with Saint Martin, Guadeloupe (200 kilometres (120 mi) southeast), and Martinique.
Saint Barthélemy, a volcanic island fully encircled by shallow reefs, has an area of 25 square kilometres (9.7 sq mi)[note 1][3] and a population of 9,961 at the Jan. 2017 census.[5] Its capital is Gustavia,[11] which also contains the main harbour. It is the only Caribbean island that was a Swedish colony for any significant length of time. It remained so for nearly a century before it returned to French rule after a referendum. 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.[citation needed] The island is a popular tourist destination during the winter holiday season, geared towards the high-end, luxury tourist market.