Bonaire

History

The first inhabitants of Bonaire were the Indians Caiquetios, a branch of the Arawaks, which came from the coasts of the Venezuela about the year thousand.

Bonaire was discovered by the Alonso de Ojeda and Amerigo Vespucci in 1499 which asserted the island in the name of the Spain. Noting that they could not develop the island because of its dryness, Spanish entirely off-set the Indians on the island of Hispaniola to exploit them in plantations. The island was deserted but remained Spanish possession and was used occasionally as outpost.

Bonaire would draw its name from the word “bonay” (in language Caiquetio) which indicates a ground relatively low. The name was then transformed into Bojnaj then Bonaire by Spanish and the Dutch.

In 1526, Juan de Ampues, the governor of Bonaire, made bring cattle on the island and repatriate some Indians Caiquetios. In a few years, herds of sheep, goats, pigs, horses and asses left in freedom multiplied. They were not used for their meat but for their skin.

In same time, the island was used as place of deportation for condemned Spanish colonies of South America and whose dwellings were with Rincon.

In 1633, Bonaire passes to the hand of Dutch like Aruba and Curaçao. The three islands then accommodate slaves coming from Africa which are exploited in Bonaire in corn plantations and the saltworks of the Compagnie Dutchwoman of the Western Indies. The witnesses of this time are the small houses in which the slaves were placed and who constitute a historic site today.

In 1805, the conquests Napoleonean on the Netherlands make pass the Dutch West Indies to the hands of the French.

In 1816, they become again Dutchwomen with the treaty of Paris. A fort, Strong Oranje (in reference to the royal family of the Netherlands), is then built to defend the island and to protect its main resource: the marine salt. Indeed, salt was the only means of preserving the perishable goods at the time and the places of production were very coveted. Four Obélisque S red, white, blue and orange (colors of the flag and the Dutch crown) were built with the four places of production of salt to guide the boats towards their place of loading. The place of anchoring of the boats moreover was announced by a flag of the color of the obelisk. Three of these obelisks are still visible nowadays.

In 1863, the abolition of slavery curbs this industry of salt for one century. Today, it is Cargill, one of the largest company in the world in this sector which has the exploitations.

Bonaire starts to attract its first tourists when the first quay of mooring is built. The boats of cruising can then accost and be ravitalliés easily. The airport of the island, the Flamingo International Airport, is built in 1943, which facilitates tourism, one of the main activities current of Bonaire.

The May 9th 1969, according to the wish of the owner of the grounds to the Northern point of the island, the National park of Washington Slagbaai is created.

Geography

Bonaire is an island of the Caribbean Sea off the coasts of the Venezuela. Its culminating point is Brandaris and culminates with 241 meters.

Bonaire would be an island of ic origin Volcan but the traces of this activity are not visible any more nowadays because the sea having submerged the island 70 million years ago, the ground is made of remainders of coral reefs. The island is divided between coast Au-Vent (Windward) at the East and coast Under-the-Wind (Leeward) in the West and where the human sites and the airport concentrate.

With Aruba and Curaçao, Bonaire forms a group known under the name of islands ABC (for Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao).

A barrier of coral surrounds the island and makes its fame in the whole world for deep-sea diving (many sites of Bonaire hold in particular the English logo of diving Diver' S Paradise ). The whole of water surrounding the island is classified marine sanctuary and allows a discovery of fauna and underwater flora with a mask and a tuba or bottles of diving.

The island and known for its colonies of pink flamingos and its ass S savages which finds refuge in the National park of Washington Slagbaai in the North of the island and where finds the culminating point, the hill of Brandaris.

Klein Bonaire ( Small Bonaire in Dutch) is an small island (six km ²) uninhabited opposite Kralendijk.

Kralendijk is located at 12°10' Northern latitude and 68°17' of Western longitude.

Population

Bonaire counts only two villes : Kralendijk, the capital, and Rincon. However, there exist inhabited areas which are regarded as districts or communes dependant on the two principal cities. It is about Antriol, Belnem, Hato, Lagoen, Lima, Noord Salina, Nikiboko, Republiek, Sabadeco, Sabana, Santa Barbara and Tera Cora.

Other small towns existed in the natural park of Washington Slagbaai but they are now abandnnées : Labra, Ishiri, Kokorobi, Jan Doran, Vlijt, Rigot, Oporto Spano, and Kunchi.

Although the English, the Papiamento (creole) and the Spanish are usually spoken, the official language is the Dutch.

Bonaire is served by the Flamingo International Airport located at the south of Kralendijk.

Flag

The yellow triangle represents the sun and the beauty of nature whereas blue represents the sea. One can see it like a wave or as a mountain appearing the difficulties which the first inhabitants had to face. The white band symbolizes peace, peace and freedom.

The black ring represents a Boussole with the four cadinaux points in reference to the explorers who discovered the island. Inside, the red star with six branches symbolizes the blood and the spirit of combat of the six areas which formed Bonaire.

See too

colonial Empire Dutch
Company Dutchwoman of the Western Indies

External bonds

official Gate of the government of the Dutch West Indies
Gate general practitioner of Bonaire
Site of the National park Washington Slagbaai

Reference

Random links: