males age 16-49: 1,495
females age 16-49: 1,263 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 23
female: 21 (2010 est.)
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of France
Airports: 1
country comparison to the world: 231
Ports and terminals: Gustavia
Transportation - note: nearest airport for international flights is Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) located on Sint Maarten
Telephone system: general assessment: fully integrated access
domestic: direct dial capability with both fixed and wireless systems
international: country code - 590; undersea fiber-optic cable provides voice and data connectivity to Puerto Rico and Guadeloupe
Broadcast media: no local TV broadcasters; 3 FM radio channels (2 via repeater)
Internet country code: .bl
note - .gp, the Internet country code for Guadeloupe, and .fr, the Internet country code for France, might also be encountered
The economy of Saint Barthelemy is based upon high-end tourism and duty-free luxury commerce, serving visitors primarily from North America. The luxury hotels and villas host 70,000 visitors each year with another 130,000 arriving by boat. The relative isolation and high cost of living inhibits mass tourism. The construction and public sectors also enjoy significant investment in support of tourism. With limited fresh water resources, all food must be imported, as must all energy resources and most manufactured goods. Employment is strong and attracts labor from Brazil and Portugal.
Dependency status: overseas collectivity of France
Religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jehovah's Witnesses
Population: 7,332
country comparison to the world: 227
Median age: total: 41.1 years
male: 41.2 years
female: 41 years
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
Land boundaries: 0 km
Climate: tropical, with practically no variation in temperature; has two seasons (dry and humid)
Terrain: hilly, almost completely surrounded by shallow-water reefs, with plentiful beaches
Natural resources: has few natural resources, its beaches being the most important
Environment - current issues: with no natural rivers or streams, fresh water is in short supply, especially in summer, and provided by desalinization of sea water, collection of rain water, or imported via water tanker
Discovered in 1493 by Christopher COLUMBUS who named it for his brother Bartolomeo, Saint Barthelemy was first settled by the French in 1648. In 1784, the French sold the island to Sweden, who 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 1878 and placed 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 populace of the island voted to secede from Guadeloupe and in 2007, the island became a French overseas collectivity.
