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| 2189 The map of Saint Barthélemy (1) |
Posted on 05.01.2016, 24.08.2016
Saint-Barthélemy, officially the Territorial collectivity of Saint-Barthélemy, is an overseas collectivity of France, located about 35km southeast of Saint Martin and north of St. Kitts. Often abbreviated to Saint-Barth in French, or St. Barths in English, the indigenous people called the island Ouanalao. It was for many years a French commune forming part of Guadeloupe, but in 2003 the island voted in favour of secession from Guadeloupe.
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| 2705 The map of Saint Barthélemy (2) |
Columbus was the first European to encounter the island in 1493, and named it after his brother. By 1648, it was settled from St. Christopher (Saint Kitts), but the settlement was destroyed by Caribs six years later. In 1674 it became part of the French Kingdom. There was a very brief takeover by the British in 1758, and in 1784 it was given to Sweden in exchange for trade rights in Gothenburg. This change of control saw progress and prosperity as the Swedes declared Gustavia a free port.
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