Jan Mayen (2004) | Saint Barthelemy (2007) | |
Airports | 1 (2003 est.) | 1 |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 1
under 914 m: 1 |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
- |
Area | total: 373 sq km
land: 373 sq km water: 0 sq km |
21 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC | less than an eighth of the size of Washington, DC |
Background | This desolate, mountainous island was named after a Dutch whaling captain who indisputably discovered it in 1614 (earlier claims are inconclusive). Visited only occasionally by seal hunters and trappers over the following centuries, the island came under Norwegian sovereignty in 1929. The long dormant Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg volcano resumed activity in 1970; it is the northernmost active volcano on earth. | 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 | arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog | tropical, with practically no variation in temperature; has two seasons (dry and humid) |
Coastline | 124.1 km | - |
Constitution | - | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Jan Mayen |
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 Norway; since August 1994, administered from Oslo through the county governor (fylkesmann) of Nordland; however, authority has been delegated to a station commander of the Norwegian Defense Communication Service | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | - | none (overseas collectivity of France) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | - | none (overseas collectivity of France) |
Disputes - international | none | - |
Economy - overview | Jan Mayen is a volcanic island with no exploitable natural resources. Economic activity is limited to providing services for employees of Norway's radio and meteorological stations 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. |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Norwegian Sea 0 m
highest point: Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg 2,277 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 Norway is used | the flag of France is used |
Geographic coordinates | 71 00 N, 8 00 W | 17 90 N, 62 85 W |
Geography - note | barren volcanic island with some moss and grass | - |
Independence | - | none (overseas collectivity of France) |
International organization participation | - | UPU |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1998 est.) | - |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001) |
- |
Languages | - | French (primary), English |
Legal system | the laws of Norway, 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 | Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian Sea, northeast of Iceland | located approximately 125 miles northwest of Guadeloupe |
Map references | Arctic Region | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 4 nm
contiguous zone: 10 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
- |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Norway | defense is the responsibility of France |
National holiday | - | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789); note - local holiday is St. Barthelemy Day, 24 August |
Natural hazards | dominated by the volcano Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg; volcanic activity resumed in 1970 | - |
Natural resources | none | 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: personnel operate the Long Range Navigation (Loran-C) base and the weather and coastal services radio station (July 2004 est.) |
6,852 (1999 March census) |
Ports and harbors | none; offshore anchorage only | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
note: there is one radio and meteorological station (1998) |
- |
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 | volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers | 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) |