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.

Geographic coordinates:

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean; Guadeloupe: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 25 km²
Land: 25 km²
Water: negligible
Comparative: less than one-eighth the size of Washington, DC
Country comparison total: 0 km

Land boundaries
Total: 0 km

Climate:

Terrain:

Elevation
Highest point: Morne du Vitet 286 m
Lowest point: Caribbean Ocean 0 m

Natural resources: few natural resources; beaches foster tourism

Geography
Note: a 1,200-hectare 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
Distribution: most of the populace concentrated in and around the capital of Gustavia, but scattered settlements exist around the island periphery
Total: 7,086
Male: 3,737
Female: 3,349 (2024 est.)
Growth rate: -0.11% (2024 est.)

Ethnic groups: French, Portuguese, Caribbean, Afro-Caribbean

Languages: French (primary), English
Major-language samples: Gheos World Guide une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French); Gheos World Guide, the indispensable source for basic information.

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)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 30.8
Youth dependency ratio: 17.5
Elderly dependency ratio: 13.3
Potential support ratio: 7.5 (2021)

Median age
Total: 47.4 years (2024 est.)
Male: 47 years
Female: 47.8 years

Population growth rate: -0.11% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 9.3 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 9.5 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Net migration rate: -1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Population distribution: most of the populace concentrated in and around the capital of Gustavia, but scattered settlements exist around the island periphery

Environment
Current issues: land-based pollution; urbanization; with no natural rivers or streams, fresh water is in short supply, especially in summer, and is provided by the desalination of sea water, the collection of rain water, or imported via water tanker; overfishing

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

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 (2024 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: NA

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 100% of population
Unimproved rural: NA
Unimproved total: 0% of population (2020)
Unimproved urban: 0% of population

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban: 100% of population
Improved rural: NA
Improved total: 100% of population
Unimproved urban: 0% of population
Unimproved rural: NA
Unimproved total: 0% of population (2020)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: NA

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy
Total population: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA

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's namesake saint in 1493

Government type: parliamentary democracy (Territorial Council); 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 (1746-1792) of Sweden during whose reign the island was obtained from France in 1784; the name was retained when in 1878 the island was sold back to France

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)

Constitution
History: 4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
Amendments: amendment procedures of France's constitution apply

Legal system: French civil law

Citizenship: see France

Suffrage: 18 years of age, universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017), represented by Prefect Vincent BERTON (since 28 March 2022)
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 2,027)
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
Description: unicameral Territorial Council (19 seats; members elected by absolute majority vote in the first-round vote and proportional representation vote in the second round; members serve 5-year terms)
Elections: Territorial Council - first round held on 20 March 2022 and second round held on 27 March 2022 (next to be held in 2,027); French Senate - election last held on 24 September 2023 (next to be held on 30 September 2026); French National Assembly - election last held on 12 and 19 June 2022 (next to be held by June 2,027)
Elections results: Territorial Council - percent of vote by party in first round - SBA 46.2%, Saint Barth Action Equilibre 27.1%, Unis pour Saint Barthelemy 26.8%; percent of vote by party in second round - Saint Barth Action Equilibre and Unis pour Saint Barthelemy 50.9%, SBA 49.2%, seats by party - Saint Barth Action Equilibre and Unis pour Saint Barthelemy 13, SBA 6; composition - men NA, women NA, percentage women NA%; French Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 1; French National Assembly - percent of vote by party NA; seats by party - UMP 1
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 and leaders: 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)

International organization participation: ACS (associate), UPU

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (overseas collectivity of France)
From the us: embassy: none (overseas collectivity of France)

Flag description: the flag of France is used

National symbols: 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 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: Nigeria 98%, Suriname 1%, France 0%, Switzerland 0%, Poland 0% (2022)
Partners note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Commodities: refined petroleum, fruit juice, precious metal watches, beauty products, special pharmaceuticals (2022)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports
Partners: Switzerland 37%, Italy 14%, Portugal 11%, Suriname 9%, Brazil 5% (2022)
Partners note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Commodities: precious metal watches, base metal watches, jewelry, refined petroleum, cars (2022)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2021)

Airports: 1 (2024)

Roadways
Total: 40 km