Page last updated on February 5, 2013
Country name:
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
abbreviation:
Saint-Barth (French); St. Barts or St. Barths (English)
Dependency status:
overseas collectivity of France
Capital:
name: Gustavia
geographic coordinates:
17 53 N, 62 51 W
time difference:
UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Independence:
none (overseas collectivity of France)
National holiday:
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789); note - local holiday is St. Barthelemy Day, 24 August (1572)
Constitution:
4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system:
French civil law
Suffrage:
18 years of age, universal
[see also: Suffrage country ranks ]
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Francois HOLLANDE (since 15 May 2012), represented by Prefect Philippe CHOPIN (since 16 November 2011)
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 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
Legislative branch:
unicameral Territorial Council (19 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections:
last held on 18 March 2012 (next to be held in July 2017)
election results:
percent of vote by party - SBA 73.8%, Ensemble pour Saint-Barthelemy 15.9%, Tous Unis pour Saint-Barthelemy 10.3%; seats by party - SBA 16, Ensemble pour Saint-Barthelemy 2, Tous Unis pour Saint-Barthelemy 1
note:
Saint Barthelemy elects one seat to the French Senate; election last held on 21 September 2008 (next to be held in September 2014); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 1; one seat (shared with Saint Martin) was elected to the French National Assembly on 17 June 1012 (next to be held by June 2017); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 1
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]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
The Marine Reserve (protection of fish); Rotary Club
International organization participation:
UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas collectivity of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas collectivity of France)
Flag description:
the flag of France is used
National anthem:
name: "L'Hymne a St. Barthelemy" (Hymn to St. Barthelemy)
lyrics/music:
Isabelle Massart DERAVIN/Michael VALENTI
note:
local anthem in use since 1999; as a collectivity of France, "La Marseillaise" is official (see France)