|
 Saint-Barthélémy
(pop: 5,038) (St Barts or St Barth’s), also in
the Leewards, is 230 kilometers north of Guadeloupe, 240
kilometers east of the Virgin Islands, and 35 kilometers
southeast of Saint-Martin. Its 21 square kilometers are
inhabited mostly by people of Breton, Norman, and Poitevin
descent who live in quiet harmony with the small
percentage of blacks, although immigrants from mainland
France have taken the best jobs in hotels and restaurants
and relations there are sometimes strained. The island has
lush volcanic hillsides and 32 splendid white sandy
beaches, most of which are protected by both cliff and
reef. The people are generally known for their courtesy
and honesty. St Barts has become a very ‘chic’ and
expensive holiday destination; the Rockefellers, Fords,
and Rothschilds own property on the island, while the
rich, royal and famous stay in the luxury villas dotted
around the island. |
