Compare Christmas Island (2001) - Saint Barthelemy (2008)

Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement was begun by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958. The phosphate mine, closed in 1987, was reopened four years later, but the need for an alternative industry has spurred investment in tourism. Old mining areas are being restored, and almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park.

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.

Birth rate

NA births/1,000 population

-

Budget

revenues:
$NA

expenditures:
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

-

Capital

The Settlement

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; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds

tropical, with practically no variation in temperature; has two seasons (dry and humid)

Coastline

138.9 km

-

Constitution

Christmas Island Act of 1958

4 October 1958 (French Constitution)

Country name

conventional long form:
Territory of Christmas Island

conventional short form:
Christmas Island

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

Currency

Australian dollar (AUD)

-

Death rate

NA deaths/1,000 population

-

Debt - external

$NA

-

Dependency status

territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of the Environment, Sport, and Territories

overseas collectivity of France

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

-

Economic aid - recipient

$NA

-

Economy - overview

Phosphate mining had been the only significant economic activity, but in December 1987 the Australian Government closed the mine. In 1991, the mine was reopened by union workers. With the support of the government, Australian-based Casinos Austria International Ltd. built a $34 million casino on Christmas Island, which opened in 1993. As of yearend 1999, gaming facilities at the casino were temporarily closed but were expected to reopen in early 2000. Another economic prospect is the possible location of a space-launching site on the island.

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.

Electricity - consumption

NA kWh

-

Electricity - production

NA kWh

-

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel:
NA%

hydro:
NA%

nuclear:
NA%

other:
NA%

-

Elevation extremes

lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m

highest point:
Murray Hill 361 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

Chinese 61%, Malay 25%, European 11%, other 3%, no indigenous population

white, Creole (mulatto), black, Guadeloupe Mestizo (French-East Asia)

Exchange rates

Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.7995 (January 2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997), 1.2773 (1996)

euros per US dollar - NA (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)

Executive branch

chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general

head of government:
Administrator William Leonard TAYLOR (since 4 February 1999)

elections:
none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia

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

Exports

$NA

-

Exports - commodities

phosphate

-

Exports - partners

Australia, NZ

-

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

-

Flag description

the flag of Australia is used

the flag of France is used

GDP

purchasing power parity - $NA

-

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture:
NA%

industry:
NA%

services:
NA%

-

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $NA

-

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

-

Geographic coordinates

10 30 S, 105 40 E

17 90 N, 62 85 W

Geography - note

located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean

-

Highways

total:
140 km (not including 100 km that is maintained by private industry)

paved:
30 km

unpaved:
110 km (1999)

-

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%

-

Imports

$NA

-

Imports - commodities

consumer goods

-

Imports - partners

principally Australia

-

Independence

none (territory of Australia)

none (overseas collectivity of France)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

-

Industries

tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion)

-

Infant mortality rate

NA deaths/1,000 live births

-

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

NA%

-

International organization participation

none

UPU

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

2 (2000)

-

Irrigated land

NA sq km

-

Judicial branch

Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court

-

Labor force

NA

-

Labor force - by occupation

tourism 400 people, mining 100 people (1995)

-

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land:
NA%

permanent crops:
NA%

permanent pastures:
NA%

forests and woodland:
NA%

other:
NA%

note:
mainly tropical rainforest of which 60%-70% is in a national park

-

Languages

English, Chinese, Malay

French (primary), English

Legal system

under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law

the laws of France, where applicable, apply

Legislative branch

unicameral Christmas Island Shire Council (9 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve one-year terms)

elections:
last held NA December 2000 (next to be held NA December 2001)

election results:
percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 9

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population:
NA years

male:
NA years

female:
NA years

-

Location

Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia

located approximately 125 miles northwest of Guadeloupe

Map references

Southeast Asia

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

contiguous zone:
12 NM

exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
3 NM

-

Merchant marine

none (2000 est.)

-

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of Australia

defense is the responsibility of France

National holiday

NA

Bastille Day, 14 July (1789); note - local holiday is St. Barthelemy Day, 24 August

Nationality

noun:
Christmas Islander(s)

adjective:
Christmas Island

-

Natural hazards

the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard

-

Natural resources

phosphate

has few natural resouces, its beaches being the most important

Net migration rate

NA migrant(s)/1,000 population

-

Political parties and leaders

none

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]

Political pressure groups and leaders

none

-

Population

2,771 (July 2001 est.)

6,852 (1999 March census)

Population below poverty line

NA%

-

Population growth rate

7.77% (2001 est.)

-

Ports and harbors

Flying Fish Cove

-

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)

-

Radios

1,000 (1997)

-

Railways

24 km to serve phosphate mines

-

Religions

Buddhist 55%, Christian 15%, Muslim 10%, other 20% (1991)

Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jehovah's Witness

Suffrage

-

18 years of age, universal

Telephone system

general assessment:
NA

domestic:
NA

international:
satellite earth stations - one Intelsat earth station provides telephone and telex service

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

Telephones - main lines in use

NA

-

Telephones - mobile cellular

0 (1999)

-

Television broadcast stations

NA

-

Terrain

steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau

hilly, almost completely surrounded by shallow-water reefs, with 20 beaches