History, why not !
Bonaire is made up of a nucleus of old igneous rock and sedimentary rock, formed more than a hundred million years ago by
undersea eruptions and oceanic deposits. About sixty million years ago this rock appeared above sea level and subsequently it was
surrounded by much younger deposits in the form of coral limestone. Under the influence of these geological processes an island has come
into existence with, in the north-west, a very pretty hill landscape, in the center, a terrace landscape and in the south a relatively low and flat landscape.
Bonaire has a tropical-arid climate with much sun and nearly constant tradewind.
Since the moment that Alonso Ojedas set foot ashore documents have been written, from which the history of Bonaire, wrapped in darkness
until that moment, can be deduced.
In 1515 the Spaniards carried off the whole Indian population of the three islands to employ them as slaves in the copper mines of Santo Domingo on the
island Hispaniola (the present day Dominican Republic and Haiti). A few years later the Spaniard Juan de Ampuès managed to have part of the original
inhabitants return to the islands. The Spaniards thought the islands only fit to serve as a cattle breeding colony. For this purpose they transported cattle from
Europe: sheep, goats, donkeys, cows, pigs, and horses. The islands had turned into a kind of farm.
In those times the Dutch were an undertaking people, sailing all the oceans. They were expert merchants. For their herring-fishery they needed salt. They got
this in Spain and Portugal, until the Spaniards and the Portuguese decided to stop supplying the Dutch. Then they were forced to look for new sources of salt.
The limited number of the Spanish occupants on Curacao and the other two islands was known, and in April 1634 the West India Company decided to conquer Curacao
and two years later Bonaire and Aruba. After the island had been returned to the Dutch in 1816, it kept the status of government's plantation till 1868.
The exploitation of the islands was taken up with new zest and in spite of the order prohibiting residence on the island - which would only
be lifted officially in 1868 - again some new inhabitants came from elsewhere. Slowly but surely Playa developed into a small town: variouse houses were built,
including the house of the Governor. About 1840 the name Kralendijk came into use.
As a result of the steady growth of the salt exploitation, the number of slaves rose gradually, and by the middle of the nineteenth century there were nearly 800 black slaves
on Bonaire. In the meantime people in the Netherlands were trying to find out how to give the slaves their freedom, without doing too much economic harm to the plantation owners.
On 30.September 1862 the moment had come: on that day the so-called Emancipation Regulation was proclaimed on Curacao. On Bonaire 607 government's slaves and 151 private
slaves were released. At the time the population of Bonaire consisted of former slaves, small farmers and cattle breeders.
Important was also the construction of an airport. On 30.May 1936 for the first time a plane coming from the sister island Curacao landed on the island.
While the First World War did not influence daily life on Bonaire, the Second World War clearly left its traces. On 10.May 1940, 461 persons were transported to Bonaire and confined in a so-called internment
camp consisting of wooden shacks. They were Germans and proGerman Dutchmen, considered to be dangerous to the state on the other islands. As a result, things were livening up, and Bonaire was frequented
by soldiers and officers. Unconsciously a first step towards a new source of income - tourism - had been made.
For the purpose-built wooden internment camp was later converted into a hotel, 1952 the Flamingo Beach Club and Hotel opened. This first hotel on Bonaire was an important step forward for the island.
On 15.December 1954 Queen Juliana signed a treaty, which granted practically complete self-rule to the Netherlands Antilles.
The Netherlands Antilles form an autonomous part within the Kingdom of the Netherlands and have their own government. This implies that basically it is an independent country looking after its own
state affairs, with the exception of Defence and Foreign Affairs. For these two matters the Kingdom of the Netherlands is responsible.
When the Spaniards came, the Indians were still living in the Stone Age. They lived in small groups, spread over the island, in simple mud huts with only one
opening serving as entrance. At various places all over the islands (including Onima, Ceru Pungi, Ceru Crita-Cabai and in the caves of Spelonk),
Indian cave drawings have been found.
The meaning of these drawings is not clear, there are no writings, so one supposes they had a deeper, religiouse meaning for the Indians.
In the eyes of the Spaniards the island was of no value at all, and in the 1513 they decided that Bonaire, Aruba and Curacao were "Islas Inùtiles",
in other words: usless islands.
It was the intention to develop Aruba and Bonaire for the benefit of Curacao. On Bonaire the winning of salt and dyewood, cattle breeding and the cultivation of maize were
developed. Also as far as supplying food for the Dutch garrisons on Curacao was concernde, Bonaire played an important part.
On Bonaire the salt production flourished, and more and more black slaves were employed on the islands in order to extract the salt from the salt flats.
On bare feet and with their bare hands they gathered and piled up the salt, which was then taken away by boat.
New salt flats were laid out and in 1837 four colored obelisks were erected near the Salt Lake to guide the ships coming to fetch the salt.
The obelisks were painted red, white, blue and orange the colors of the Dutch flag and the Royal House.
Close to the most southern salt flat - called Red Pan - there was a tall flagpole, on which a red, white, blue or orange flag was hoisted to point out the ships where they had to be:
at Red Pan, White Pan, Blue Pan or Orange Pan. From sea the colored obelisks were clearly to be seen and the ships could come to anchor close to each obelisk.
The First World War did not affect Bonaire and while on both sister islands the black gold - the oil industry -
brought the economy to unprecedented heights, the economic situation and standard of living on Bonaire did not
come up to expectations. The rise of the oil industry on Aruba and Curacao had a positive effect on Bonaire as well. The economy
of the Netherlands Antilles advanced by leaps and bounds due to the oil and the employment it entailed, and money was made available to allow Bonaire
also to benefit from the profits made. Roads were improved and blacktopped, the landing stage in the harbour was renewed, electricity and telephone connections
were installed, lighthouse built and medical provisions improved.
Phone:
United Kingdom: 0845-0048767
Germany: 01801-6600996475
Bonaire: +599-717-2278
