Saint Barthélemy
overseas collectivity of France, island of the Little Antilles
Saint Barthélemy, officially the Territorial Collectivity of Saint Barthélemy, also known as St. Barts and St. Barths (English) or St. Barth (French), is an overseas collectivity of France in the Caribbean. The island lies about 30 kilometres (19 mi) southeast of the island of Saint Martin. It is northeast of the Dutch islands of Saba and Sint Eustatius, and north of the independent country of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Saint Barthélemy was for many years a French commune forming part of Guadeloupe, which is an overseas region and department of France. In 2003 the island voted in favour of secession from Guadeloupe to form a separate overseas collectivity (collectivité d'outre-mer, abbreviated to COM) of France. The collectivity is one of four territories among the Leeward Islands in the northeastern Caribbean that make up the French West Indies, along with Saint Martin, Guadeloupe (200 kilometres (120 mi) southeast) and Martinique.
A volcanic island fully encircled by shallow reefs, Saint Barthélemy has an area of 25 square kilometres (9.7 sq mi) and a population of 10,660 at the January 2023 census.
The public source identifies “Saint Barthélemy” as overseas collectivity of France, island of the Little Antilles. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Saint, Barthélemy and overseas.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Saint Barthélemy”, the useful work is to connect “overseas collectivity of France, island of the Little Antilles” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 3, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q25362. VIAF identifies the subject as 140366779. The Library of Congress control number is n84179175. Authority coordinates are 17.898, -62.834. None of the 5 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2003 and 2023.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Saint Barthélemy”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Saint Barthélemy primary sources, Saint Barthélemy archive and Saint research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Saint Barthélemy”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Saint Barthélemy” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.