Bonaire

Aruba is part of the Lucayan

Bonaire Republic
Constituent Republic of Vekllei
Part of the Antilles Commonwealth
Capital	Coral
Population	40,493
Area	288 km²
Languages	English, Papiamento, Spanish
Vekllei Accession	2022, as part of the Curacao Treaty

The Republic of Bonaire is a constituent republic in the western Caribbean Sea north of Venezuela, and part of the country of Vekllei. It is found at the eastern end of an island chain including Aruba and Curacao, which together comprise the ABC islands. The capital is Coral, a derivative of the dutch name for its original settlement.

The northern part of the island is hilly, while the south is flat and dry and marked by an expansive solar salt works. The island is slightly banana-shaped, and curves around an island known as ‘Little Bonaire.’ Dry breezes score the island for much of the year, provoked by the strong trade winds to the north-east.

The history of the islands, originally uninhabited, is particularly grim even for the Caribbean – Bonaire was used by Dutch colonisers as a slave market, providing slaves to other Dutch islands to be exploited in plantations there. This legacy is clear in the majority African population that lives there today, in addition to Caribbean Indians and some Southern Europeans.

The island is famous for its colourful birds, beaches, and large salt flats in its south. The American Flamingo breeds there, and can be seen standing in the solar salt pools throughout the year. Life there is easy and quiet, and many young Bonaireans leave for Curacao or Aruba to seek out opportunity and excitement before returning later in life. They have a strong republican identity, and are proud of the comparative hardships and smallness of their island.

Agriculture in Bonaire is limited by its shortage of fresh water, and sustains only the local population. Its main exports – aloes and salt – require no water. Aloes are grown mostly in plantations in the hills above the capital, whereas salt is harvested by a municipal company from the large salt flats that dominate the south of the island. This salt, like many Vekllei exports, is mostly for domestic consumption and aids national self-sufficiency. There is very little heavy industry in the republic, though there is a large oil terminal for crude derivatives on the northwest coast. The terminal is a part of the broader ABC islands oil industry, and has close links with the super-refineries in Aruba and Curacao

A railway runs from the town of Rincon to the capital of Coral, and then south towards the salt walks. There is a local tram network and airport in Coral, as well as ferry service to Curacao.

Public Holidays:

• New Year’s Day 1 Jan
• Good Friday 30 Apr
• Commonwealth Day 1 May
• Ascension Day
• Whit Monday
• Assumption Day 15 Aug
• Republic Day 6 Sep
• All Saints Day 1 Nov
• Christmas Day 25 Dec
• Boxing Day 26 Dec