Saint Barthelemy
Overseas Collectivity of Saint BarthelemyCollectivité d'outre mer de Saint-Barthélemy
parliamentary democracy (Territorial Council)Independence none (overseas collectivity of France)
Saint Barthelemy as the 2025 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 66 fields, one of 19 editions from 2007 to 2025.
field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.
No fields match. Try a shorter word.
Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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.
Geography
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
13 fieldsLand useshare of 25 sq 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
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
People and Society
18 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2024 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2025 est.)
Male · female
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.
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
Environment
3 fieldsLand use(2022 est.)
Government
Parliamentary democracy (Territorial Council); President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017), represented by Prefect Cyrille LE VELY (since 15 January 2025); President of Territorial Council Xavier LEDEE (since 3 April 2022)
19 fieldsCountry 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
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
Constitution
- history:
- 4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
- amendment process:
- amendment procedures of France's constitution apply
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
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
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)
National holiday
Fête de la Fédération, 14 July (1790)
note 1: local holiday is St. Barthelemy Day, 24 August (1572)
note 2: often incorrectly referred to as Bastille Day, France's national celebration commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison on 14 July 1789 and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy;
other names for the holiday are la Fête nationale (National Holiday) and le Quatorze Juillet (14th of July)
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
Economy
6 fieldsTrading partnersexports left, imports right
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 - commodities
refined copper, jewelry (2023) note: top export commodities based on value in dollars over $500,000
Imports - commodities
precious metal watches, base metal watches, jewelry, cars, garments (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
Exchange rates
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.924 (2024 est.) · 0.925 (2023 est.) · 0.95 (2022 est.) · 0.845 (2021 est.) · 0.876 (2020 est.)
Energy
1 fieldElectrification% of population · (2021)
Communications
3 fieldsInternet country code
.bl note: .gp, the Internet country code for Guadeloupe, and .fr, the Internet country code for France, are also used
Transportation
1 fieldMilitary and Security
1 fieldCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Saint Barthelemy.” The World Factbook 2025. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/saint-barthelemy.