Saint Barthélemy
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" redirects here. For other uses, see Saint-Barthélemy (disambiguation).
Saint BarthélemySaint-Barthélemy (French)
1648
1 July 1784
16 March 1878
22 February 2007
- Barthélemois
- Saint-Barth
Devolved parliamentary dependency
1 senator (of 348)
1 seat shared with Saint Martin (of 577)
25[note 1] km2 (9.7 sq mi)
negligible
10,967[4]
9,961 (not ranked)
398/km2 (1,030.8/sq mi) (not ranked)
2014 estimate
US$487 million (€367 million)[6]
US$51,735 (€38,994)[6]
right
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. The island is a popular tourist destination during the winter holiday season, geared towards the high-end, luxury tourist market.
Etymology[edit]
The island was named by Christopher Columbus for his younger brother Bartholomew Columbus in 1493.[9]
The island's public preschools and primary schools, under the authority of the Académie de la Guadeloupe, are [58]
Private primary schools:[58]
Media[edit]
A weekly journal entitled Journal de St. Barth is published in the French language. Its English-language abridged version, St. Barth Weekly, is published only during the winter (for Anglophone tourists). Reflecting the island's popularity with the rich and famous, the high-fashion magazine L'Officiel publishes a seasonal local edition. Other tourist-related information is available at the airport and in the offices of the Tourist Authority.[23]
There are two local TV broadcasters and five FM radio channels (2021). The island has a fully integrated access telephone system with capability for the direct dialing on fixed and wireless systems. There is a 4G/LTE mobile service since 2019.[69]
Health facilities[edit]
The island has a small hospital, the Hôpital de Bruyn, in Gustavia with an adjacent diagnostic laboratory. There is also at least one private diagnostic facility.[70] Specialists in cardiology, general medicine, dentists, ENT, OB/GYN, paediatrics and rheumatology are also available. There are many pharmacies dispensing medicines. For more advanced facilities, patients go to Guadeloupe, the United States, San Juan or France.[23]