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St Barth
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Saint-Barthélemy is a French island located in
the Caribbean at 17°54′N 62°50′W, among the
Leeward Islands. Its land area is 21.0 km² (8.1
sq. miles). Administratively, the whole island
of Saint-Barthélémy is a French commune (commune
de Saint-Barthélémy) part of Guadeloupe, which
is an overseas région and overseas département
of France, and therefore part of the European
Union. The island is also known as Saint Barts,
Saint Barths, or Saint Barth. In 2003 the
population voted in favour of secession from
Guadeloupe in order to form a separate overseas
collectivity of France. However, as of the end
of 2005 Saint-Barthélémy is still part of the
région and département of Guadeloupe.
At the 1999 census, the population of Saint-Barthélémy
was 6,852 inhabitants (up from 2,491 habitants
at the 1974 census), which means a population
density of 326 inh. per km² in 1999. |
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History
Saint-Barthélemy was first claimed by France
in 1648, and except for a century as a Swedish
colony between 1785 and 1878, it has remained in
French hands.
Geography
Located approximately 150 miles east of Puerto
Rico, it lies near the islands of Saint Martin,
Saba, and Anguilla.
Gustavia, which is the main town of the island,
was named after King Gustav III of Sweden, and
remains as a reflection of the Swedish period.
Transportation
Saint Barts has a small airport (IATA identifier
SBH) that is served by small regional commercial
aircraft and charters. Most visiting aircraft
carry less than twenty passengers, such as the
Twin Otter, a common sight around Saint Barths
and throughout the northern West Indies. The
short airstrip is right on the beach and
incoming planes fly right over the heads of
sunbathers. The nearest commercial airport is on
the neighboring island of Saint Martin.
Miscellaneous
Most hotels in Saint Barts are small and
exclusive, but private villas are also
available. There are no timeshares.
It is rumored that Jimmy Buffett wrote
"Cheeseburger in Paradise" at now famous Le
Select, a restaurant and bar located in Gustavia.
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Background:
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Guadeloupe has been a French possession since 1635.
The island of Saint Martin is shared with the
Netherlands; its southern portion is named Sint
Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles and
its northern portion is named Saint-Martin and is
part of Guadeloupe |
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Location:
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Caribbean, islands in the eastern Caribbean Sea,
southeast of Puerto Rico |
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Geographic coordinates:
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16 15 N, 61 35 W
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Map references:
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Central America and the Caribbean |
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Area:
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total: 1,780 sq km
note: Guadeloupe is an archipelago of nine
inhabited islands, including Basse-Terre,
Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Desirade, Iles des
Saintes (2), Saint-Barthelemy, Iles de la Petite
Terre, and Saint-Martin (French part of the island
of Saint Martin)
water: 74 sq km
land: 1,706 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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10 times the size of Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 10.2 km
border countries: Netherlands Antilles (Sint
Maarten) 10.2 km |
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Climate:
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subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high
humidity |
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Terrain:
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Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior
mountains; Grande-Terre is low limestone formation;
most of the seven other islands are volcanic in
origin |
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Geography - note:
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a narrow channel, the Riviere Salee, divides
Guadeloupe proper into two islands: the larger,
western Basse-Terre and the smaller, eastern
Grande-Terre |
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Nationality:
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noun: Guadeloupian(s)
adjective: Guadeloupe |
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Ethnic groups:
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black or mulatto 90%, white 5%, East Indian,
Lebanese, Chinese less than 5% |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 4%,
Protestant 1% |
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Languages:
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French (official) 99%, Creole patois |
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Currency:
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euro (EUR); French franc (FRF) |
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Currency code:
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EUR; FRF |
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Exchange rates:
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Euros per US dollar - 1.1324 (January 2002), 1.1175
(2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs
per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997) |
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