Name
Named by explorer Christopher Columbus in 1493, Saint Barthélemy honors his brother Bartolomeo.
Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person
Country
Saint Barthélemy
Saint-Barthélemy · local name
17.90° N, 62.83° W
At 24 km², only 4 countries are smaller.
total area 24 km² · 231st/235
computed · ranks computed across the countries in this atlas that carry the value
- Population
- 9,961
- Natural Earth population estimate.
- Area
- 25 km²
- Official total area (land + water) from the CIA World Factbook. Computed from the Natural Earth boundary: ≈ 24 km².
- Population density
- ≈ 415 / km²
- Population divided by the computed boundary area.
- ISO codes
- BL · BLM
- GDP
- No source connected
Saint Barthélemy 25 km²Nauru 21 km²
geometry: Natural Earth 1:50m · EPSG:6933 equal-area
Where Saint Barthélemy sits in the world
Each line is every country in this atlas that carries the value, ordered smallest to largest. The line down the middle is the world median; the mark on each line is this country.
- Median age47.7 years6th of 224 · median 32.6 years
- Life expectancy81 years46th of 224 · median 76.2 years
- Fertility rate1.64 children per woman157th of 225 · median 1.92 children per woman
- Population9,961226th of 235 · median 5,454,073
- Total area25 km²226th of 228 · median 83,736 km²
Overview
Background
Named by Christopher Columbus for his brother Bartolomeo in 1493, the island was first settled by the French in 1648. In 1784, France sold the island to Sweden, which 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 1877 and took control the following year, placing it under the administration of Guadeloupe.
Saint Barthélemy retained its free port status along with various Swedish appellations, including street and town names, and the three-crown symbol on its coat of arms. In 2003, the islanders voted to secede from Guadeloupe. In 2007, the island became a French overseas collectivity. In 2012, it became an overseas territory of the EU, allowing it to exert local control over the permanent and temporary immigration of foreign workers, including non-French European citizens. Hurricane Irma hit the island in 2017 and caused extensive damage.
Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person
Geography
Between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, Saint Barthélemy lies in the northern Leeward Islands, east of the US Virgin Islands. Its hilly terrain is almost completely surrounded by shallow-water reefs and includes plentiful beaches.
Saint Barthélemy has few natural resources, and its beaches foster tourism. Zones around the island form the Reserve Naturelle, a marine nature reserve network protecting coral reefs, seagrass, and endangered marine species. Morne du Vitet is the highest point. The Caribbean Sea is the lowest point.
Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person
Key figures
CIA World Factbook
People
- Life expectancy
- 81 years
- Field “People and Society → Life expectancy at birth → total population” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Median age
- 47.7 years
- Field “People and Society → Median age → total” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Birth rate
- 9.32 per 1,000
- Field “People and Society → Birth rate” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Death rate
- 9.75 per 1,000
- Field “People and Society → Death rate” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Fertility rate
- 1.64 children per woman
- Field “People and Society → Total fertility rate” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Population growth
- -0.08% a year
- Field “People and Society → Population growth rate” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Languages
- French
- English
- Field “People and Society → Languages → Languages” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Land
- Total area
- 25 km²
- Field “Geography → Area → total” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Land borders
- 0 km
- Field “Geography → Land boundaries → total” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
- Highest point
- 286 m Morne du Vitet
- Field “Geography → Elevation → highest point” in the CIA World Factbook archive (frozen 2026-02-01). Public domain. The Factbook stopped publishing in February 2026; the year shows when the value was estimated.
Values from the CIA World Factbook archive. Each carries the year it describes; open a year for the exact source field.
Connections
Within
Natural geography 1
Natural Earth outlines · features with a Wikidata ID