St-Barthèlemy

French island in the Leeward Islands group in the West Indies, a dependency of Guadeloupe, lying between St Martin and St Kitts, 200 km/120 mi north of Guadeloupe; area 25 sq km/9.5 sq mi; population (1990) 5,038. The island is rocky and dry, but the soil is fertile and crops include bananas, sugar, and cacao. The island is a tourist resort and yachting centre. The capital is Gustavia on the west coast.

Originally called Ouanalao by the Caribs, the island was renamed after the brother of the explorer Christopher Columbus, who first landed there in 1493. French colonists from Dieppe made the first European attempt to settle the island in 1648 but this was not successful; they made a second, successful, attempt in 1660. France ceded the island to Sweden in 1784 in exchange for trading rights in Göteborg, but repurchased it in 1878. Most of the inhabitants are of European descent.

The prosperity of the island was destroyed by hurricanes and a great fire in Gustavia in 1852 and 1877 respectively, which prompted the return of the now impoverished island to French control. In September 1995 Hurricane Luis destroyed the island's only waterworks.