Saint Barthélemy, officially the Territorial Collectivity of Saint Barthélemy, also known as St. Barts and St. Barths (English)R. P. Raymond BRETON. Dictionnaire caraïbe-françois, Auxerre, Chez Gilles Bouquet, 1665. or St. Barth (French), is an overseas collectivity of France in the Caribbean. The island lies about southeast of the island of Saint Martin. It is northeast of the Dutch islands of Saba and Sint Eustatius, and 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 (, abbreviated to ) 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 ( southeast) and Martinique. Saint Barthélemy is represented in both the French Senate and National Assembly, the latter through a shared seat with Saint Martin.
A volcanic island fully encircled by shallow reefs, Saint Barthélemy has an area of and a population of 10,660 at the January 2023 census. Its capital is Gustavia, 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 an 1877 referendum.
Symbolism from the Swedish national arms, the Three Crowns, appears in the island's coat of arms, due to the island's time as a Swedish colony. The language, cuisine and culture are French Caribbean, including a mix of French culture from mainland France as well as other influences including creole or patois languages, celebration of Carnival, and Caribbean music. 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 in honour of Bartholomew the Apostle in 1493; it was also a way of honouring his younger brother Bartholomew Columbus.
History
Early period Before European contact the island was possibly frequented by Eastern Caribbean Taíno and Arawak people, who called the island 'Ouanalao', though it is believed that the island was not inhabited permanently due to its lack of fresh water sources and poor soil. Christopher Columbus was the first European to encounter the island in 1493. Sporadic visits continued for the next hundred years until formal colonisation began taking shape.
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.Julianne Maher, 'Fishermen, Farmers, Traders: Language and Economic History on St. Barthélemy, French West Indies' in Language in Society, Vol. 25, No. 3 (Sep. 1996), pp. 374–406. Led by Jacques Gentes, the new arrivals began cultivating cacao. In 1656, the settlement was attacked by Caribs and briefly abandoned.Reinhard H. Luthin, "St. Bartholomew: Sweden's Colonial and Diplomatic Adventure in the Caribbean" in The Hispanic American Historical Review, Vol. 14, No. 3 (Aug. 1934), pp. 307–324.
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. By 1674, the company was dissolved and the islands became part of the French Kingdom and added to the colony of Guadeloupe.
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. In 1764, it reverted to French control. Deeming it to be of little worth, King Louis XVI traded the island to Sweden in 1784 in return for trading privileges in Gothenburg. 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.
19th century
In March 1801, British forces occupied the island as part of the French Revolutionary Wars. The Swedish put up no resistance due to being heavily outnumbered and agreed to surrender after assembling a council of war.
Slavery was practised in St. Barthélemy under the Ordinance concerning the Police of Slaves and free Coloured PeopleOrdinance concerning the Police of Slaves and free Coloured People. Source: 'Mémoire St Barth', Saint-Barthélemy. Memoirestbarth.com; Francine M. Mayer, and Carolyn E. Fick, "Before and After Emancipation: Slaves and Free Coloreds of Saint-Barthélemy (French West Indies) in The 19th Century." Scandinavian Journal of History 1993 18 (4): 251–273. of 1787. The last legally owned slaves in the Swedish colony of St. Barthélemy were granted their freedom by the state in October 1847.« 9 octobre » (1847) Source: 'Mémoire St Barth', Saint-Barthélemy. Memoirestbarth.com . 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, and few people of African descent remain on the island.
In 1850, a devastating hurricane hit the island, followed by a fire in 1852. The economy suffered, and Sweden sought to divest themselves of the island. Following a referendum in 1877, Sweden sold the island back to France in 1878, after which it was administered as part of Guadeloupe.Saint Barthélemy (France), October 1877: Integration into France Direct Democracy Swedish media supported the sale of the island to France, characterizing the island's poverty as a source of national humiliation for Sweden.
20th century On 19 March 1946, the people of the island became French citizens with full rights. With few economic prospects on the islands, many men from St. Barthélemy took jobs on Saint Thomas to support their families. 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.
The island soon became renowned as a high-class luxury destination, frequented by celebrities such as Greta Garbo, Howard Hughes, Benjamin de Rothschild, David Rockefeller, Lorne Michaels, Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, Jimmy Buffett and Johnny Hallyday. The boost in tourism led to a rise in living standards and rapid modernisation.
The island was not electrified until the 1980s.
21st century Saint Barthélemy was for many years a French commune, forming part of Guadeloupe, an overseas region and department of France. Through a referendum in 2003, island residents sought separation from the administrative jurisdiction of Guadeloupe. The island became a separate collectivity in February 2007.Code général des collectivités territoriales, Loi n°2007-223, Légifrance, République française 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. In January 2012, Saint Barthélemy ceased being an outermost region and left the EU to become an OCT (Overseas Country or Territory).Vanholme, Robin. Before Brexit, "St-Barthexit" happened, Eyes on Europe, 1 Dec 2017.
The island sustained damage from Hurricane Irma in September 2017 but recovered quickly, and by early 2018 transport and electricity were largely operational.
Geography
About east of Puerto Rico and the nearer Virgin Islands, St. Barthélemy is immediately southeast of the islands of Saint Martin and Anguilla. It 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.
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 away.
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. 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.
The marine reserve, founded in 1999, covers more than of protected and vulnerable habitats, bays, and islands, and includes a zone that is restricted to scientific observations only. 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.
There are as many as 22 public beaches (most beaches on St. Barthélémy are known as "Anse de..."), of which 15 are considered fit 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 quieter than St. Jean.
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 north of Anse de Flamands, is very safe and popular with locals for children. Anse Toiny beach is in a remote location and is considered suitable only for experienced surfers as the current is very strong.
On the leeward side, notable beaches are Anse du Gouverneur, Anse du Colombier (accessible only by foot or 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 a habitat for tropical birds. Ile islet, an offshoot of the leeward side, has a white sandy beach.
Shell Beach, also called Anse de Grand Galet (in French, 'Anse' means "cove" and Galet means "pebble"), is a beach in southwestern Gustavia. Many seashells are scattered on it. This beach was hit by the strong waves of Hurricane Lenny in 1999, causing erosion. It was supplemented with new sand in 2000.