St. Barts or St. Barths
New friends call it “St. Barts,” while old-time visitors prefer “St. Barths.” Either way, it’s short for St. Barthélemy (San Bar-te-le-mee), named by its discoverer Columbus in 1493. For the most part, St. Bartians are descendants of Breton and Norman fisherfolk. Many are of French and Swedish ancestry, the latter evident in their fair skin, blond hair, and blue eyes. The year-round population is small, about 8,000 people living on 41 sq. km (16 sq. miles) of land.8
