A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
Saint Barthélemy Saint-Barthélemy (French) | |
|---|---|
| Territorial Collectivity of Saint Barthélemy Collectivité de Saint-Barthélemy | |
| Anthem: La Marseillaise ("The Marseillaise") | |
| Territorial song: "L'Hymne à Saint-Barthélemy" | |
.svg) Location of Saint Barthélemy (circled in red) in the Western Hemisphere | |
| 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] |
• 2017[note 2] census | 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 | |
.svg)
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 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.
Etymology
The island was named by Christopher Columbus for his younger brother Bartholomew Columbus in 1493.[9]
History
Early period
Before European contact the island was possibly frequented by Eastern Caribbean Taíno and Arawak people, who called the island 'Ouanalao',[12] though it is believed that the island was not inhabited permanently due to its lack of fresh water sources and poor soil.[note 3] Christopher Columbus was the first European to encounter the island in 1493.[12] Sporadic visits continued for the next hundred years until formal colonisation began taking shape.[11]
17th century
By 1648 the island was settled by the French, encouraged by Phillippe de Longvilliers de Poincy, the lieutenant-governor of the French West India Company, and initially comprised about 50 to 60 settlers, later augmented by smaller numbers coming from St Kitts.[14] Led by Jacques Gentes, the new arrivals began cultivating cacao. However, the settlement was attacked by Caribs in 1656 and briefly abandoned.[12][15]
De Poincy was the dominant administrator in this period and a member of the Order of Saint John. He facilitated the transfer of ownership from the Compagnie des Îles de l'Amérique to the Order. He continued to rule the island until he died in 1660. Five years later, it was bought by the French West India Company along with the Order's other possessions in the Caribbean.[12] By 1674, the company was dissolved and the islands became part of the French Kingdom and added to the colony of Guadeloupe.[15]
18th century
The island proved economically unsuccessful, and was subject to the activities of pirates (most notably Daniel Montbars aka 'Montbars the Exterminator'). In 1744, British forces captured the island, holding it until 1764 when it reverted to French control.[12] Thus deeming it to be of little worth, King Louis XVI traded the island to Sweden in 1784 in return for trading privileges in Gothenburg.[16] This change of control saw progress and prosperity as the Swedes declared Gustavia (named after the Swedish king Gustav III who ruled at that time) a free port, convenient for trading by the Europeans for goods, including contraband material.[17]: 22–23 [12]
19th century
Slavery was practised in St. Barthélemy under the Ordinance concerning the Police of Slaves and free Coloured People[18] of 1787. The last legally owned slaves in the Swedish colony of St. Barthélemy were granted their freedom by the state on 9 October 1847.[19] Since the island was not a plantation area, the freed slaves suffered economic hardships due to lack of opportunities for employment and many left to more prosperous islands, so there are few people remaining on the island of African descent.[17]: 24
In 1852, a devastating hurricane[verification needed] hit the island and this was followed by a fire.[citation needed] The economy suffered, and thus Sweden sought to relieve themselves of the island. Following a referendum in 1877, Sweden sold the island back to France in 1878,[17]: 157–159 after which it was administered as part of Guadeloupe.[16] Swedish media supported the sale of the island to France, characterizing the island's poverty as a source of national humiliation for Sweden.[20]
20th century
On 19 March 1946, the people of the island became French citizens with full rights.[12] With few economic prospects on the islands, many men from St. Barthélemy took jobs on Saint Thomas to support their families.[citation needed] Organised tourism and hotels began in earnest in the 1960s and developed in the 1970s onwards, particularly after the building of the island's landing strip that can accommodate mid-sized aircraft.[citation needed] The island soon became renowned as a high-class luxury destination, being frequented by numerous celebrities such as Greta Garbo, Howard Hughes, Benjamin de Rothschild, David Rockefeller, Lorne Michaels, Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, Jimmy Buffett and Johnny Hallyday.[12] The boost in tourist numbers has led to a rise in living standards and rapid modernisation.[citation needed]
The island was not electrified until the 1980s.[21]
21st century
Saint Barthélemy was for many years a French commune forming part of Guadeloupe, which is an overseas region and department of France. Through a referendum in 2003, island residents sought separation from the administrative jurisdiction of Guadeloupe. The island officially became a separate collectivity on 22 February 2007.[22] The island of Saint Barthélemy became an Overseas Collectivity (COM). A governing territorial council was elected for its administration, which has provided the island with a certain degree of autonomy. A senator represents the island in Paris. St. Barthélemy has retained its free port status.[23][24] Saint Barthélemy ceased being an outermost region and left the EU, to become an OCT, (Overseas Country or Territory) on 1 January 2012.[25]
The island sustained damage from Hurricane Irma in September 2017 but recovered quickly, and by early 2018 transport and electricity were largely operational.[12]
Geography
Approximately 250 kilometres (160 mi) east of Puerto Rico and the nearer Virgin Islands, St. Barthélemy lies immediately southeast of the islands of Saint Martin and Anguilla. St. Barthélemy is separated from Saint Martin by the Saint-Barthélemy Channel. It lies northeast of Saba and St Eustatius, and north of St Kitts. Several smaller uninhabited islands lie offshore, the largest of which are Île Fourchue, Île Coco, Île Chevreau (Île Bonhomme), Île Frégate, Île Toc Vers, Île Tortue, Roche Plate (Table à Diable) and Mancel ou la Poule et les Poussins. There are numerous smaller islets, such as La Petite Islette, L'Îlet au Vent, Île Pelé, Île le Boulanger, Roche le Bœuf, Île Petit Jean, L'Âne Rouge, Les Gros Islets, La Baleine des Gros Islets, Pain de Sucre, Les Baleines du Pain de Sucre, Fourmis, Les Petit Saints, Roches Roubes, Les Baleines de Grand Fond and Les Grenadins.[26]
Marine areas
St. Barthélemy forms, with St. Martin, Anguilla, and Dog Island, a distinct group that lies upon the western edge of a flat bank of soundings composed chiefly of shells, sand, and coral. From St. Barthélemy, the bank extends east-southeast, ending in a small tongue or spit. It is separated from the main bank by a narrow length of deep water. East of the island, the edge of the bank lies 22 kilometres (14 miles) away.[26]
Grande Saline Bay provides temporary anchorage for small vessels while Colombier Bay, to the northwest, has a 4 fathoms patch near mid-entrance. In the bight of St. Jean Bay, there is a narrow cut through the reef.[26] The north and east sides of the island are fringed, to a short distance from the shore, by a visible coral reef. Reefs are mostly in shallow waters and are clearly visible. The coastal areas abound with beaches and many of these have offshore reefs, some of which are part of a marine reserve.[23]
The marine reserve, founded in 1999, covers more than 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres) of protected and vulnerable habitats, bays, and islands, and includes a zone that is restricted to scientific observations only.[27] As the sea surrounding the St. Barthélemy is rich in coral reefs and other precious marine life, the area has been declared a protected area since 1996. Environmental awareness is quite pronounced in St. Barthélemy and is promoted by the Environmental Commission.[17]: 3
There are as many as 22 public beaches (most beaches on St. Barthélémy are known as "Anse de...") of which 15 are considered suitable for swimming. They are categorized and divided into two groups, the leeward side (calm waters protected by the island itself) and the windward side (some of which are protected by hills and reefs). Windward beaches are popular for windsurfing. The beach of St Jean is suitable for water sports and facilities have been created for that purpose. The long beach at Lorient has shade and is a quiet beach as compared to St. Jean.[17]: 177–178
Grand-cul-de-sac is a long beach with facilities for water sports. Anse de Flamands is a very wide sandy beach and Le petit Anse (The little beach), just to the north of Anse de Flamands is very safe and popular with the locals for their children. Anse Toiny beach is in a remote location and is considered suitable for experienced surfers as the water current is very strong.[17]: 177–178
On the leeward side, the notable beaches are Anse du Gouverneur, Anse du Colombier which is only accessible by foot or by boat, Anse de Grand Galet (Shell Beach), and Anse de Grande Saline which is popular with nudists. The area around the salt ponds near the Anse de Grande Saline beach is marshy and is a habitat for tropical birds. Ile islet, an offshoot of the leeward side, has a white sandy beach.[17]: 177–178
Shell Beach, also called Anse de Grand Galet (in French, 'Anse' means "cove" and Galet means "pebble"), is a beach in the southwestern part of Gustavia. A large number of sea shells are scattered on this beach. This beach was subject to the strong waves of hurricane Lenny in 1999, which resulted in the erosion of the sand. This necessitated supplementing the beach with new sand in 2000.[17]: 170–173
On the north coast, on the far eastern side of the island, there are two lagoons called the Anse de Marigot[verification needed] and Anse du Grand Cul-de-Sac.[17]: 170–173
Interior areas
Morne de Vitet, 286 metres (938 feet) in height, is the highest peak on the island.[9] Hills and valleys of varying topography cover the rest of the island.[23] Notable are Morne Rouge, Morne Criquet, Morne de Grand Fond, Morne de Dépoudré and Morne Lurin. The largest bodies of water on the island are Étang de Saint-Jean, Grande Saline, Grand Étang, and Petit Étang.
Populated areas
The population is spread among 40 quartiers, roughly corresponding to settlements. They are grouped into two paroisses (parishes):
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Climate
The island covers an area of 25 square kilometres (10 sq mi). The eastern side is wetter than the western. Although the climate is essentially arid, the rainfall does average 1,000 millimetres (40 inches) annually, but with considerable variation over the terrain. Summer is from May to November, which is also the rainy season. Winter from December to April is the dry season. Sunshine is very prominent for nearly the entire year and even during the rainy season. Humidity, however, is not very high due to the winds. The average temperature is around 25 °C (77 °F) with day temperatures rising to 32 °C (90 °F). The average high and low temperatures in January are 28 °C (82 °F) and 22 °C (72 °F), respectively, while in July they are 30 °C (86 °F) and 24 °C (75 °F). The lowest night temperature recorded is 13 °C (55 °F). The Caribbean sea waters in the vicinity generally maintain a temperature of about 27 °C (81 °F).[17]: 4
Demographics
As of 2017, Saint-Barthélemy had a population of 9,961.[note 2] Residents, known as Saint-Barthélemois, are French citizens. Most of them are descendants of the first settlers, of Breton, Norman, Poitevin, Saintongeais and Angevin lineage. There is also a big community of Portuguese emigrants mainly from the North of Portugal, around 3000 people.[28] French is the native tongue of the population, though English is understood in most hotels and restaurants; a small population of Anglophones has been resident in Gustavia for many years.[citation needed] The St. Barthélemy French patois is spoken by some 500–700 people in the leeward portion of the island and is superficially related to Quebec French,[29][30][31] whereas Créole French is limited to the windward side. Unlike other populations in the Caribbean, language preference between the Créole and Patois is geographically, and not racially, determined.[32][page needed]
Historical population
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| Official figures from French and Swedish censuses.[33][34][35][5] Census date for censuses after 1999 is 1 January. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Structure of the population
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 5 117 | 4 508 | 9 625 | 100 |
| 0–4 | 261 | 239 | 500 | 5.19 |
| 5–9 | 270 | 230 | 500 | 5.19 |
| 10–14 | 241 | 221 | 462 | 4.80 |
| 15–19 | 177 | 169 | 346 | 3.59 |
| 20–24 | 309 | 316 | 624 | 6.48 |
| 25–29 | 505 | 424 | 929 | 9.65 |
| 30–34 | 467 | Zdroj:https://en.wikipedia.org?pojem=Territorial_collectivity_of_Saint_Barthélemy