Ashmore and Cartier Islands (2001) | Saint Barthelemy (2007) | |
Airports | - | 1 |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 1
under 914 m: 1 |
Area | total:
5 sq km land: 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and Cartier Island |
21 sq km |
Area - comparative | about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | less than an eighth of the size of Washington, DC |
Background | These uninhabited islands came under Australian authority in 1931; formal administration began two years later. Ashmore Reef supports a rich and diverse avian and marine habitat; in 1983 it became a National Nature Reserve. Recent geological explorations have indicated promising petroleum formations. | Discovered in 1493 by Christopher COLUMBUS who named it for his brother Bartolomeo, St. 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. St. Barthelemy retained its free port status along with various Swedish appelations 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. |
Capital | - | name: Gustavia
geographic coordinates: 17 53 N, 62 51 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight savings: +1 hour, starts 20 March and ends 17 October |
Climate | tropical | tropical, with practically no variation in temperature; has two seasons (dry and humid) |
Coastline | 74.1 km | - |
Constitution | - | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) |
Country name | conventional long form:
Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands conventional short form: Ashmore and Cartier Islands |
conventional long form: Overseas Collectivity of Saint Barthelemy
conventional short form: Saint Barthelemy local long form: Collectivite d'outre mer de Saint-Barthelemy local short form: Saint-Barthelemy |
Dependency status | territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of the Environment, Sport, and Territories | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of Australia) | none (overseas collectivity of France) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territory of Australia) | none (overseas collectivity of France) |
Disputes - international | none | - |
Economy - overview | no economic activity | 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. |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 3 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morne du Vitet 286 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | 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 |
Ethnic groups | - | white, Creole (mulatto), black, Guadeloupe Mestizo (French-East Asia) |
Exchange rates | - | euros per US dollar - 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002) |
Executive branch | - | chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007), represented by Prefect Dominique LACROIX (since 21 March 2007)
head of government: President of the Territorial Council Bruno MAGRAS (since 16 July 2007) cabinet: Executive Council; note - there is also an advisory, economic, social, and cultural council elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the Territorial Council is elected by the members of the Council for a five-year term election results: Bruno MAGRAS unanimously elected president by the Territorial Council on 16 July 2007 |
Flag description | the flag of Australia is used | the flag of France is used |
Geographic coordinates | 12 14 S, 123 05 E | 17 90 N, 62 85 W |
Geography - note | Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in August 1983 | - |
Independence | - | none (overseas collectivity of France) |
International organization participation | - | UPU |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1993) | - |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land:
0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100% (all grass and sand) |
- |
Languages | - | French (primary), English |
Legal system | the laws of the Northern Territory of Australia, where applicable, apply | the laws of France, where applicable, apply |
Legislative branch | - | unicameral Territorial Council (19 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 1 and 8 July 2007 (next to be held July 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - SBA 72.2%, Action-Equilibre-Transparence 9.9%, Ensemble pour Saint-Barthelemy 7.9%, Tous Unis pour Saint-Barthelemy 9.9%; seats by party - SBA 16, Action-Equilibre-Transparence 1, Ensemble pour Saint-Barthelemy 1, Tous Unis pour Saint-Barthelemy 1 |
Location | Southeastern Asia, islands in the Indian Ocean, northwest of Australia | located approximately 125 miles northwest of Guadeloupe |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | contiguous zone:
12 NM continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 3 NM |
- |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Australia; periodic visits by the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force | defense is the responsibility of France |
National holiday | - | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789); note - local holiday is St. Barthelemy Day, 24 August |
Natural hazards | surrounded by shoals and reefs that can pose maritime hazards | - |
Natural resources | fish | has few natural resouces, its beaches being the most important |
Political parties and leaders | - | Action-Equilibre-Transparence [Maxime DESOUCHES]; Ensemble pour Saint-Barthelemy [Benoit CHAUVIN]; Saint-Barth d'Abord! or SBA [Bruno MAGRAS]; Tous Unis pour Saint-Barthelemy [Karine MIOT-RICHARD] |
Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: there are only seasonal caretakers (July 2001 est.) |
6,852 (1999 March census) |
Ports and harbors | none; offshore anchorage only | - |
Religions | - | Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jehovah's Witness |
Suffrage | - | 18 years of age, universal |
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 |
Terrain | low with sand and coral | hilly, almost completely surrounded by shallow-water reefs, with 20 beaches |
Transportation - note | - | nearest airport for international flights is Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) located in Sint Maarten (Netherlands Antilles) |
Waterways | none | - |