Sint Eustatius Gallery

As a result of the referendum carried out on various islands forming part of the territory, 1 July 2007, the Dutch Antilles were rozpadaæ on 5 separate territories. However, as a result of the decision of listopda in 2006 decided to postpone the process, setting a new date for 15 December 2008. However, this date is not met, and the future status of the islands is due to come into force for an indefinite future . After Antylii division of the Dutch island of Curaçao and Sint Maarten will have similar status to what is now Aruba (Associated with the Kingdom of the Netherlands but not its composition), and the island of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba will become Dutch “communities overseas,” which will be could be included if you so wish, to the European Union as its peripheral regions.

The island was seen by Christopher Columbus in 1493 and claimed by an astonishing welter of nations over the next 150 years. In 1636, it was colonized by the chamber of Zeeland of the Dutch West India Company. As of 1678, the islands Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten and Saba fell under direct command of the Dutch West India Company. At Sint Eustatius a commander was stationed, who also governed over the islands Sint Maarten and Saba. At the time, the island was of some importance for sugar cultivation. The island was also home to one of the first Jewish settlements in the New World, dating back at least to the early 18th century. The Honen Dalim Synagogue, built in 1739, now stands in ruins, burned by Admiral Rodney in 1781. That same year, part of Jewish community was forcibly deported.

In the eighteenth century the island became known as Golden Rock, since the island’s economy flourished by ignoring the trade embargoes between the great powers.

Geographically, the island is saddle-shaped, with the 602 meter-high Mount Mazinga, colloquially called the Quill (a dormant volcano) (from Dutch Kuil, meaning ‘pit’ – because of its crater) to the southeast and the smaller pair Signal Hill/Little Mountain and Boven Mountain to the northwest. The Quill Crater is a minor tourist destination. The bulk of the island’s population lives in the “dip” between the two areas, which crosses the center of the island.

Sint Eustatius is comfortably warm all year, though prices are lower during the summer months (April through August) when most potential visitors (North Americans) tend to keep to their own latitudes. When prices skyrocket on other Caribbean islands during the prime winter months (December through April), low tourism keeps Sint Eustatius affordable.

Oranjestad is a small town of nearly 1,000 inhabitants, and is the capital of Sint Eustatius island in the Netherlands Antilles. Oranjestad is a pleasant, historical harbour town. It can be divided into two main sections, the Lower Town along the waterfront is the more historical side of the town (with colonial-era ruins, the island’s best beach and the still-functioning harbour), and the Upper Town up away from the seafront is Oranjestad’s main commercial and residential centre.

The main sight in Oranjestad is Fort Oranje, a well-kept 17th century fort site in the direct centre of the town, overlooking the waterfront. This cliffside fort has cannons, intact fortifications and a beautiful courtyard. Nearby is an excellent museum, a house containing collections of historical artifacts, the second oldest synagogue in the western hemisphere (abandoned), and a Jewish cemetery. The town’s historical features also include an old Dutch reformed church built in 1755, which is partly ruined but still accessible (its tower can be climbed for outstanding views). The ruined buildings now submerged at the seafront can be explored by snorkelling, which is quite safe here.

Oranjestad itself contains all the essential features of island life, such as grocery stores, a school, a clinic and administrative offices of the government. Oranjestad is a major shopping destination for people from neighbouring Saint Kitts, as many goods there, especially imported foodstuffs are cheaper than at home. Sint Eustatius itself also boasts a fully functioning, highly reputable, medical university with more than 100 students.

Sint Eustatius, also known as Statia, or Saint Eustace, is one of the islands which make up the Netherlands Antilles; it is in the northern, Leeward Islands portion of the West Indies, some distance southeast of the Virgin Islands. It forms part of the inner arc of the Leeward Island chain, lying immediately to the northwest of Saint Kitts and Nevis and to the southeast of Saba at 17°30′N, 62°58′W. The regional capital is Oranjestad. It is named after the legendary Catholic Saint Eustace.

Sint Eustatius has a land area of 21 km² (8.1 sq. miles). At the 2001 Netherlands Antilles census, the population was 2,292 inhabitants, which means a population density of 109 inh. per km². In 2004, the population was estimated at 2,498 inhabitants.