Officially the Collectivity of Saint Barthélemy, St. Barthelemy is an overseas collectivity of France, also known as Saint Barth in French, or St. Barts in English. The collectivity is one of the four territories among the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean that comprise the French West Indies, and is the only one to have been a Swedish colony. One of the most chic, civilized and least known parts of France, it is known as a perfect playground, with its tiny harbor, red - roofed bungalows dotting the hillsides, a beautiful shoreline with some of the most beautiful coves, many of them culminating in perfect strands of beach. When Christopher Columbus ‘discovered’ the island in 1493, he named it after his brother, Bartholomeo. Settlers came in 1659 and began their living growing crops such as tobacco and indigo. But the islands main income came from smugglers and pirates, en route from South America to the Bahamas, who took advantage of the islands strategic location and well-protected harbor to repair their ships and stock up on provisions. In 1784, St. Barts was taken over by Sweden. The King of France had simply swapped the island for trading rights in the Baltic without even consulting the people of St. Barts. In 1878, King Oscar II put sovereignty to a referendum and St. Barts was handed back to France. The tourist industry has steadily grown in the last 30 years, but St. Barts has still maintained an exclusive and luxurious style. This gem of an island continues to draw an ever-widening circle of fans.
From The Navigator
We will arrive at the anchorage of St. Barts from the east after having turned the ship from the south around ”Les Gros Islets” or big islands, before the coast of St. Barts. The island of St Barts is located some 1242 miles (2000km) from Miami and has a typical Caribbean climate. St. Bart's weather is warm throughout the year. The high temperatures vary just slightly between the summer and winter months, and the humidity levels on St. Barts are lower than nearby islands. Winter mornings and late evenings are somewhat cooler.
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