What is the capital of Saint Barthélemy?

The capital of Saint Barthélemy is Gustavia. The harbor town is the main settlement and administrative center of this French overseas collectivity in the Caribbean.

Gustavia surrounds a protected, U-shaped harbor on the island’s western side. The settlement was originally known as Le Carénage, a French name associated with a ship-repairing or careening harbor. After Sweden acquired Saint Barthélemy from France in 1784, the town was renamed Gustavia in honor of King Gustav III of Sweden.

That Swedish connection makes Saint Barthélemy unusual in the Caribbean. The island remained Swedish for nearly a century and developed Gustavia as a free port and trading center. France regained the island after a referendum in 1877, and Saint Barthélemy later became a separate French overseas collectivity in 2007.

Marigot, Philipsburg, and Oranjestad are common Caribbean mix-ups, but they belong to other islands: Marigot to the French side of Saint Martin, Philipsburg to Sint Maarten, and Oranjestad to Aruba. Gustavia’s harbor, Swedish-era buildings, and historic forts still preserve the town’s layered colonial past.