ARRL DXCC ENTITY RE-EVALUATION MEMORANDUM – FJ

FJ — SAINT BARTHÉLEMY
Evaluation Under 2007 ARRL DXCC Rules

I. PURPOSE

This memorandum evaluates whether FJ — Saint Barthélemy qualifies as a separate ARRL DXCC Entity under the 2007 ARRL DXCC Rules, which were in effect at the time of St. Barthélemy’s political reorganization.

The evaluation includes:

• Political status change in 2007
• Degree of administrative separation from Guadeloupe and Metropolitan France
• DXCC Rule 1 (Political Entities) as amended by 2004–2007 interpretations
• Geographic considerations
• Whether St. Barthélemy satisfies the criteria for addition to the DXCC List under 2007 rules

II. BACKGROUND

A. Pre-2007 Status

Prior to 2007:

• Saint Barthélemy (St. Barts) was part of the French Overseas Department of Guadeloupe
• As such, DXCC treated it as part of FG — Guadeloupe
• It did not qualify as a separate DXCC Entity because it lacked autonomous administration

B. Political & Administrative Reorganization (2007)

On 15 July 2007, St. Barthélemy underwent a major legal transformation:

• It ceased being part of the Department of Guadeloupe
• It became a French Overseas Collectivity (Collectivité d’Outre-mer, COM)
• It acquired its own:
– Territorial council
– Local government
– Taxation authority
– Budgetary autonomy
– Administrative autonomy
• It became directly governed by France, not by Guadeloupe

This administrative separation is precisely the type of change identified in DXCC Rule 1 (Political Entities) as qualifying an area for separate DXCC Entity status.

C. International & Administrative Standing

• St. Barthélemy remained under French sovereignty (not a country), but
• Gained separate, internationally recognized administrative status
• Was separately listed by the EU as a “territory associated with the European Union” (OCT status)

This aligns with DXCC’s category for “separate political entities under the same sovereign”.

D. Telecommunication & Prefix Identity

• St. Barthélemy uses the FJ prefix
• Licensing authority remained French, but its geographic and administrative prefix assignment was separate from Guadeloupe (FG)
• The prefix distinction is fully compatible with DXCC rules for French overseas territories

E. DXCC Context (2007)

Under the 2007 DXCC Rules, DXCC recognized:

Political Entities if they met one of the following:

UN Member States, OR
Separately administered territories recognized by the international community and/or ITU, OR
Areas determined by ARRL to possess “separate administrative identity”

ARRL used this exact clause in 2007 to add St. Barthélemy as a new DXCC Entity.

III. ANALYSIS UNDER THE 2007 DXCC RULES

1. POLITICAL ENTITY CRITERIA (2007) — PASS

1(a) Sovereign Nation (UN Member State) — ❌ FAIL

• St. Barthélemy is not sovereign; it is a French territory
• This is not required if Rule 1(b) is met

1(b) Separately Administered Political Entity — ✔ PASS

In 2007, St. Barthélemy:

• Became a full Overseas Collectivity
• Had separate governance from Guadeloupe
• No longer formed part of a French department
• Had distinct budgetary, legal, and taxation authority
• Was recognized by France and the EU as a distinct political unit

This is explicitly the criterion ARRL used to create the DXCC Entity.

1(c) Defined Territory Under Distinct Administration — ✔ PASS

• The island of St. Barthélemy is a geographically well-defined area
• Administered separately from all other French territories
• Matches the DXCC definition of “a distinct political division of a parent country”

1(d) Telecommunication & Prefix Identity — ✔ PASS

• FJ prefix uniquely identifies the territory
• Administered under its own territorial government structure despite French sovereignty

Conclusion:
Under Rule 1(b), St. Barthélemy qualifies as a Political DXCC Entity.

2. GEOGRAPHIC ENTITY CRITERIA (2007) — NOT REQUIRED

Because St. Barthélemy qualifies under the Political Entity criteria, a geographic evaluation is unnecessary.

However, the following geographic characteristics reinforce its distinctiveness:

• Remote Caribbean island
• No land connection with Guadeloupe or any French territory
• Historically treated separately from both France and French Guiana

3. SPECIAL ENTITY CATEGORIES (2007) — NOT APPLICABLE

St. Barthélemy is not:

• A UN Trust Territory
• A disputed sovereignty zone
• A special treaty area
• An Antarctic entity

4. 2007 DELETION CRITERIA — NOT TRIGGERED

St. Barthélemy was added in 2007 because:

• It met Rule 1(b) due to its new political status
• No subsequent legal or geographic changes nullified the criteria

V. FINAL DETERMINATION

✅ FJ — SAINT BARTHÉLEMY qualifies as a DXCC Entity under the 2007 ARRL DXCC Rules.

Qualification Basis (2007):

✔ Major political-status change in 2007
✔ Became a French Overseas Collectivity (COM)
✔ Gained separate administrative identity from Guadeloupe
✔ Recognized in the EU as a distinct territorial unit
✔ Matches DXCC Rule 1(b): “separately administered territories under the sovereignty of the same state”
✔ Uses distinct prefix FJ
✔ Fully consistent with ARRL policy regarding autonomous French overseas units

Conclusion:
Under the 2007 ARRL DXCC Rules, FJ — Saint Barthélemy clearly qualifies as a valid DXCC Entity, and its creation in December 2007 matches a strict reading of Rule 1(b).

VI. SUMMARY TABLE

Rule (2007)	Pass/Fail	Notes
UN Member (1a)	❌ FAIL	Not sovereign
Separate Administration (1b)	✔ PASS	Gained COM status July 2007
Distinct Territorial Identity (1c)	✔ PASS	Separate from Guadeloupe
Separate Prefix & Licensing	✔ PASS	FJ prefix
Geographic Criteria	N/A	Not needed
Special-Area	N/A	Not applicable
Deletion Criteria	Not Triggered	Entity newly qualified
Final Status	VALID DXCC ENTITY (2007)	Meets Rule 1(b)

References

ARRL DXCC Rules, editions in force through 2007
Clinton B. DeSoto, W1CBD, “How to Count Countries Worked, A New DX Scoring System,” QST, October 1935
French legal instruments establishing Saint Barthélemy as an overseas collectivity (effective 2007)
ARRL DXCC announcements and country list updates related to Saint Barthélemy (2007)
Geographic and administrative documentation of Saint Barthélemy and Guadeloupe