Geography
St. Eustatius is the second biggest of the Netherlands Leeward
Islands (21 km2). Its capital is Oranjestad.
Map of St. Eustatius
History
The Carib Indians who lived on St. Eustatius called the island
Alo, which means cashew tree. In November 1493 Columbus sailed
past the island and claimed it for Spain. He probably named it
after one of several saints called Eustace, although there is no
feast day in November devoted to a saint of that name.
The Spaniards
were rather selective in their interest in the Leeward Islands,
thus creating a vacuum that was eagerly filled by the French,
English and Dutch. In 1636 a group of men from Zeeland led by patroon
Jan
Snouck of Flushing captured St. Eustatius from the French. In
1629 the French had built a fort there, which the Dutchmen renamed
Fort
Oranje.
Throughout history the island changed hands about 22
times between the French, English and Dutch. In 1679 the successors
of
the original patroon sold half of their titles to St. Eustatius
and Saba to the WIC. In 1683 they also sold the other half
to the Company. On many occasions during various wars the inhabitants
sought refuge on other islands such as Nevis, Saba, the Danish
Antilles and other neighbouring islands.
The 18th century was
a period of varying prosperity for the island. Most money was
earned in trade and smuggling. During
the American
war of independence St.
Eustatius served as a transshipment hub for arms for the rebellious states.
In late 1776 the governor of the island, Johannes de Graaff,
even went as far as
greeting American ships with a gun salute, making the Netherlands – via
St. Eustatius – the first country to recognize the United States
as a nation.
In 1795 the island was occupied by the French. Six years later
(1801) the
English conquered the three Netherlands Leeward Islands, and one year
later, in the
Treaty of Amiens, they gave them back to the French. In 1810 the islands
were again
captured by the English. In the Treaty of London the islands were given
back to William I as sovereign ruler of the Netherlands. The transfer
took place
in early 1816.
On 15 December 1954 it was laid down in the Charter for
the Kingdom of the Netherlands that from then on the Netherlands,
the Netherlands Antilles
and
Surinam would
jointly constitute the Kingdom of the Netherlands, as equal administrative
units. Surinam became independent in 1975.
For other developments
see under Aruba.
Information about the other islands:
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