ôt ▁to ▁the ▁French , ▁in ▁exchange ▁for ▁the ▁Car ib bean ▁col ony ▁of ▁Saint ▁Bar th é le my , ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁subs id ies . ▁Although ▁Sweden ▁was ▁successful ▁in ▁acqu iring ▁the ▁island ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 4 , ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁the ▁col ony ▁was ▁less ▁than ▁ 1 0 0 0 ▁people , ▁and ▁neither ▁were ▁particularly ▁prop it ious ▁trad ing ▁ports — s ug ar ▁and ▁cot ton ▁only ▁provided ▁four ▁ship loads ▁a ▁year , ▁and ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁other ▁resources ▁were ▁only ▁produced ▁in ▁large ▁enough ▁quantities ▁to ▁provide ▁subs istence ▁for ▁the ▁inhabitants . ▁ ▁However , ▁the ▁islands ▁were ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁British ▁and ▁French ▁trad ing ▁posts ▁of ▁the ▁Le ew ard ▁and ▁Wind ward ▁islands . ▁A ▁new ▁town ▁was ▁also ▁constructed , ▁Gust avia ▁( named ▁after ▁the ▁King ), ▁and ▁this ▁facil itated ▁trade . ▁Within ▁a ▁year , ▁the ▁population ▁had ▁double d ▁and ▁the ▁King ▁saw ▁fit ▁to ▁form ▁the ▁Swedish ▁West ▁India ▁Company . ▁The ▁Napole onic ▁Wars ▁( 1 8 0 3 – 1 8 1 5 ) ▁benef itted ▁trade , ▁as ▁did ▁the ▁opening ▁of ▁free ▁trade ▁with ▁Sweden ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 6 ; ▁the ▁population ▁had ▁continued ▁to ▁increase , ▁reaching ▁approximately ▁ 5 0 0 0 ▁by ▁ 1 8 0 0 . ▁Dis count ing ▁a ▁brief ▁period ▁of ▁British ▁occupation ▁from ▁ 1 8 0 1 ▁to ▁ 1 8 0 2 ,