Compare Norfolk Island (2003) - Saint Barthelemy (2008)

Two British attempts at establishing the island as a penal colony (1788-1814 and 1825-55) were ultimately abandoned. In 1856, the island was resettled by Pitcairn Islanders, descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian companions.

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 (2003 est.)

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Budget

revenues: $4.6 million

expenditures: $4.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY 92/93)

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Capital

Kingston

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

subtropical, mild, little seasonal temperature variation

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

Coastline

32 km

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Constitution

Norfolk Island Act of 1979

4 October 1958 (French Constitution)

Country name

conventional long form: Territory of Norfolk Island

conventional short form: Norfolk 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)

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Death rate

NA deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

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Debt - external

$NA

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Dependency status

territory of Australia; Canberra administers Commonwealth responsibilities on Norfolk Island through the Department of 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

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Economic aid - recipient

$NA

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Economy - overview

Tourism, the primary economic activity, has steadily increased over the years and has brought a level of prosperity unusual among inhabitants of the Pacific islands. The agricultural sector has become self-sufficient in the production of beef, poultry, and eggs.

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: 0%

hydro: 0%

nuclear: 0%

other: 0% (2002)

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Elevation extremes

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

highest point: Mount Bates 319 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

descendants of the Bounty mutineers, Australian, New Zealander, Polynesians

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

Exchange rates

Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.8406 (2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998)

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); the UK and Australia are represented by Administrator Anthony J. MESSNER (since 4 August 1997)

head of government: Assembly President and Chief Minister Geoffrey Robert GARDNER (since 5 December 2001)

cabinet: Executive Council is made up of four of the nine members of the Legislative Assembly; the council devises government policy and acts as an advisor to the administrator

elections: the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia; chief minister elected by the Legislative Assembly for a term of not more than three years; election last held 29 November 2001 (next to be held by December 2004)

election results: Geoffrey Robert GARDNER elected chief minister; percent of Legislative Assembly vote - NA%

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

$1.5 million f.o.b. (FY 91/92)

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Exports - commodities

postage stamps, seeds of the Norfolk Island pine and Kentia palm, small quantities of avocados

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Exports - partners

Australia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia, Europe

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Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

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Flag description

three vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green with a large green Norfolk Island pine tree centered in the slightly wider white band

the flag of France is used

GDP

purchasing power parity - $NA

-

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: NA%

industry: NA%

services: NA%

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GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $NA

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GDP - real growth rate

NA%

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Geographic coordinates

29 02 S, 167 57 E

17 90 N, 62 85 W

Geography - note

most of the 32-km coastline consists of almost inaccessible cliffs, but the land slopes down to the sea in one small southern area on Sydney Bay, where the capital of Kingston is situated

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Highways

total: 80 km

paved: 53 km

unpaved: 27 km (2001)

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Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA%

highest 10%: NA%

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Imports

$17.9 million c.i.f. (FY 91/92)

-

Imports - commodities

NA

-

Imports - partners

Australia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia, Europe

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Independence

none (territory of Australia)

none (overseas collectivity of France)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

-

Industries

tourism

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Infant mortality rate

total: NA%

male: NA%

female: NA%

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Inflation rate (consumer prices)

NA%

-

International organization participation

none

UPU

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

2 (2000)

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Irrigated land

NA sq km

-

Judicial branch

Supreme Court; Court of Petty Sessions

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Labor force

NA

-

Labor force - by occupation

tourism NA%, subsistence agriculture NA%

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Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 0%

permanent crops: 0%

other: 100% (1998 est.)

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Languages

English (official), Norfolk a mixture of 18th century English and ancient Tahitian

French (primary), English

Legal system

based on the laws of Australia, local ordinances and acts; English common law applies in matters not covered by either Australian or Norfolk Island law

the laws of France, where applicable, apply

Legislative branch

unicameral Legislative Assembly (9 seats; members elected by electors who have nine equal votes each but only four votes can be given to any one candidate; members serve three-year terms)

elections: last held 29 November 2001 (next to be held by December 2004)

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 (2003 est.)

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Literacy

NA

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Location

Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia

located approximately 125 miles northwest of Guadeloupe

Map references

Oceania

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM

territorial sea: 12 NM

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Merchant marine

none (2002 est.)

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Military - note

defense is the responsibility of Australia

defense is the responsibility of France

National holiday

Pitcairners Arrival Day, 8 June (1856)

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

Nationality

noun: Norfolk Islander(s)

adjective: Norfolk Islander(s)

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Natural hazards

typhoons (especially May to July)

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Natural resources

fish

has few natural resouces, its beaches being the most important

Net migration rate

NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

-

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

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Population

1,853 (July 2003 est.)

6,852 (1999 March census)

Population below poverty line

NA%

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Population growth rate

0.01% (2003 est.)

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Ports and harbors

none; loading jetties at Kingston and Cascade

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Radio broadcast stations

AM 0, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)

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Railways

0 km

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Religions

Anglican 37.4%, Uniting Church in Australia 14.5%, Roman Catholic 11.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.1%, none 12.2%, unknown 17.4%, other 3.9% (1996)

Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jehovah's Witness

Sex ratio

NA (2003 est.)

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Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

18 years of age, universal

Telephone system

general assessment: adequate

domestic: NA

international: radiotelephone service with Sydney (Australia)

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

1,087 (1983)

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Telephones - mobile cellular

0 (1983)

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Television broadcast stations

1 (local programming station plus two repeaters that bring in Australian programs by satellite) (1998)

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Terrain

volcanic formation with mostly rolling plains

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