Understand
Oddly enough for a Caribbean island, the population is nearly entirely of European ancestry.
Having massacred the native Arawaks in the 17th century, the French population, originating from Normandy and Brittany, is one of the oldest in the Caribbean.
There was a minimal slave population on the island due to the lack of agricultural opportunities as the island is principally cliffs and hills and has no rivers or springs.
There are no official statistics but the "native" St Barths, known simply as "St Barths" make up around 30% of the population and have a distinct culture and manner of speech that distinguishes them from the more recent Metropolitain French arrivals.
The island has changed hands several times over the centuries, belonging to Sweden from the late 18th to late 19th century, after they swapped it for some warehouses with the French.
As part of the Treaty with Sweden, St Barts currently pays no taxes.
It is very Gallic in flavour now, and English is widely spoken as the island is frequently visited by the wealthier end of the World's demographic.
