in the Caribbean
147-530: Bonaire ( / b ɒ ˈ n ɛər / bon- AIR , Dutch: [boːˈnɛːr(ə)] ; Papiamento : Boneiru [bʊˈne̝i̯ru] ) is a Caribbean island in the Leeward Antilles , and is a special municipality (officially "public body" ) of the Netherlands . Its capital is the port of Kralendijk , on the west ( leeward ) coast of the island. Aruba , Bonaire and Curaçao form
294-480: A bini buska na Punda, i bolbe bai asina lihé. I was in Pietermaai until the time you came. I met uncle there, and Sara halfway. They were coming to Punda. My sweetheart, your father sent your brother Aronchy, and Tony and Merka went on their way to Pietermaai. That negress Antunika... they brought her behind the fort, sent to be whipped at the divi-divi tree. But I don't know for what reason. If you know, send me
441-462: A biny busca na Punta & borbe bay asina presto. Mi tabata na Pietermaai te ora ku boso a bini. Mi a topa tio aya, ku Sara meimei. Nan tabata bini na Punda. Mi dushi, bo pai a manda bo ruman Aronchy, ku Tony i Merka kohe na kaminda di Pietermaai. E negrita Antunika... nan a hib'é tras di fòrti, i nan a manda sut'é na e watapana. Pero mi no sabi pa ki rason. Si bo sabi, manda palabra, ku mi Dios ta bai pagabo. Mi Bida, manda palabra ku mi, kiko Becky
588-482: A cent to bury him, I think, for all the pearls, the gold he had … stolen from the Indians, for all the slaves he had made of them the times he hit the mainland. He willed himself to be buried (beneath) the door of the … monastery of St. Francis..." This was so that all the visitors to the monastery would walk over his grave as a penance for all the errors that he had committed during his life. His remains were moved to
735-579: A clan of the Arawak language family, arrived at the islands from South America around 500 AD. Archeological remains of the Caquetio culture have been found at certain sites northeast of Kralendijk and near Lac Bay . Caquetio rock paintings and petroglyphs have been preserved in caves at Spelonk, Onima, Ceru Pungi and Ceru Crita-Cabai. The Caquetios were apparently a very tall people, for the Spanish name for
882-424: A clothing factory known as Schunck's Kledingindustrie Bonaire , a partial solution for the large female surplus on the island. In 1964, Trans World Radio began broadcasting from Bonaire. Radio Netherlands Worldwide built two shortwave transmitters on Bonaire in 1969. The second major hotel (Bonaire Beach Hotel) was completed in 1962. Salt production resumed in 1966 when the salt pans were expanded and modernized by
1029-547: A dozen men and the pirate Talavera still surviving, he arrived in the district of Cueybá where the chief Cacicaná provided food and shelter. Ojeda was true to his word and he built a small hermitage to the Virgin in the village, which was venerated by the local people. The party was rescued by Pánfilo de Narváez and taken to Jamaica , where Talavera was imprisoned for piracy. From Jamaica Ojeda returned to Hispaniola where he learned that Fernández de Enciso had been able to relieve
1176-428: A fort, Santo Tomas (named as a rebuke to those who doubted the presence of gold), to serve as a trading post and as a base for further prospecting. Pedro Margarite, a nobleman from Aragon and a confidant of the king, was put in command of the fort when Columbus returned to Isabela. In April 1494, Columbus sent Ojeda with a force of about 350 soldiers to relieve Margarite at Santo Tomas. Columbus wanted Margarite to take
1323-474: A leader in nature conservation and ecological responsibility. Bonaire's National Park Foundation ( Stichting Nationale Parken or STINAPA), was founded in 1962 for the purpose of actively protecting nature on the island. In 1969 STINAPA succeeded in establishing both the flamingo nesting sanctuary and Washington National Park, the first such nature preserves in the Netherlands Antilles . In 1979,
1470-447: A little more than 300 men, two brigs and two smaller ships. Among those who embarked on these four vessels was Francisco Pizarro , the future conqueror of Peru . Hernán Cortés , who was later to dominate Mexico , would have been among the soldiers of fortune engaged in this adventure, had a sudden illness not prevented him from sailing. Due to the disputes regarding the extent of each of the two governorates, Juan de la Cosa decided that
1617-524: A man to stand upright in, still stand in the area around Rincon and along the salt pans. The slave population grew in the 1710s when a famine and social unrest on Curaçao caused the Dutch to relocate a large number of slaves to Bonaire. Historically, Dutch was not widely spoken on the island outside of colonial administration; its use increased in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Students on Curaçao, Aruba and Bonaire were taught predominantly in Spanish until
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#17327662778021764-1541: A message, and my God will reward you. My Life, send me a word what Becky came looking for in Punda, and then return as quickly. The next letter dates from 1783 and was recently discovered in an English archive. It was sent by Anna Charje in the name of her baby Jantje Boufet to her husband Dirk Schermer in Rotterdam. (The final sentence is standard Dutch.) Mi papa, bieda die mi Courasson, bieni prees toe seeka bo joego doesje. Mi mama ta warda boo, mie jora toer dieja pa mie papa. Coemda Mie groot mama pa mie, ie mie tante nan toer. Papa doesje, treese oen boenieta sonbreer pa boo Jantje. Adjoos mie papa, bieda die mi Courasson. Djoos naa boo saloer, pa mie i pa mie mama. Mie groot mama ta manda koemenda boo moetje moetje. Mie ta bo joego Doeje toe na mortoo. Dit heeft uw Jantje geschreeven, nogmals adjoos, vart wel. Mi papa, bida di mi kurason, bini lihé serka bo yu dushi. Mi mama ta warda bo, mi ta yora tur dia pa mi papa. Kumindá mi wela pa mi, i mi tantanan tur. Papa dushi, trese un bunita sombré pa bo Jantje. Ayó mi papa, bida di mi kurason. Dios duna bo salú, pa mi i pa mi mama. Mi wela ta manda kumindá bo muchu muchu. Mi ta bo yu dushi te na morto. Dit heeft uw Jantje geschreven, nogmaals adios, vaarwel. My father, life of my heart, come quickly close to your sweet son. My mother awaits you, I cry all day for my father. Greet my grandmother for me, and all my aunts. Dear father, bring
1911-431: A mountainous region of the island known as Cibao. Ojeda returned two weeks later bringing a few substantial gold nuggets and reporting there was much gold to be found in the area. The discovery of gold focused attention on Cibao. In March 1494 Columbus led a group of nearly 500 men to explore the region. The hunt for gold was unsuccessful but natives from the surrounding area brought in gold for trade. Columbus established
2058-439: A new referendum. In a letter to minister Plasterk, James Finies, chairman of Nos Ke Boneiru Bèk, requested a "new referendum under the right of self-determination". Plasterk responded by advising Finies that preparations for the evaluation of the public entity structure had begun for 2015, but a "possible change of the constitutional relations is not part of that evaluation". The new referendum took place on 18 December 2015. 65% of
2205-1244: A nice hat for your Jantje. Goodbye my father, life of my heart. May God give you health, from me and from my mother. Send my grandmother many many greetings. I am your sweet son until death. This is written by your Jantje, once again adios, goodbye. The third text dates from 1803. It is an affidavit (written testimony for use in a court of law as evidence) signed by 26 Aruban farm workers to support their supervisor Pieter Specht against false accusations by landowner B.G. Quant. Noos ta firma por la berdad, y para serbir na teenpoe qui lo llega die moosteer. Qui des die teempoe koe Señor B.G. Quant ta poner, na serbisje die tera... Ta maltrata noos comandeur Pieter Specht pa toer soorto die koos. Y seemper el dho Quant ta precura die entreponeel deen toer gobierno die comandeur. Por ees motibo, noos ta esprimenta koe eel ta causa die toer disunion. Nos ta firma pa e berdad y pa sirbi den e tempo aki lo yega di mester. Cu di e tempo e cu señor B.G. Quant ta pone, na servicio di e tera... Ta maltrata nos commandeur Pieter Specht pa tur sorto di cos. Y semper el señor Quandt ta percura di entremete den tur gobierno di commandeur. Pa e motibo, nos ta experencia cu el ta causa di tur desunion. We sign for
2352-434: A resting area for bird species. Lac Bay is an important resting and nesting area for many marine birds and invertebrates, including the queen conch or Karkó . This mollusk used to be found in large numbers here, but overfishing has largely eradicated the population. The area serves as a nursery for reef fish and is the feeding ground for the green sea turtle . Pekel Lake and the flamingo reserve (800 hectares) are part of
2499-512: A result, reef limestone covers a large part of the Bonarie today, as well as the natural fringing reef system, in which the coral formations start at the shoreline. Tidal variations are only about 55–60 centimetres (1.8–2.0 ft), so the corals start at the low tide line and continue on, following the underwater topography of the island's base. Bonaire's tides are more affected by a combination of wind and low/high- pressure systems than by
2646-482: A series of what have become known as the "minor journeys" or "Andalusian journeys" that were made to the New World. On leaving Spain the flotilla sailed along the west coast of Africa to Cape Verde before taking the same route that Columbus had used a year before on his third voyage. After making landfall Vespucci decided to separate from the flotilla and he sailed south towards Brazil . The main flotilla arrived at
2793-460: A single syllable that form one sound. Papiamento diphthongs are based on Ibero-Romance and Dutch diphthongs. It has the following diphthongs: Stress is very important in Papiamento. Many words have a very different meaning when a different stress is used: There are general rules for the stress and accent but also a great many exceptions. When a word deviates from the rules, the stressed vowel
2940-399: A swordsman and his bravery. Alonso was slight of stature, clever, and handsome. It was reputed that he was always the first to draw blood in any fight. According to Bartolomé de las Casas , he combined "in his person all the bodily perfections that man could have, despite his small size." Following Columbus's successful first voyage of discovery, a second voyage with a much larger fleet
3087-565: A total land area of 6 km (2.3 sq mi). Klein Bonaire has low-growing vegetation including cactus ( Papiamentu : kadushi ), with sparse palm trees near the water and is bordered by white sandy beaches and a fringing reef. The reefs, beaches and on-island reserves located on both Bonaire and Klein Bonaire are under the protection of the Bonaire National Marine Park , and managed by STINAPA Bonaire . Bonaire
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#17327662778023234-442: Is 27.5 °C (81.5 °F) with a 1.4 °C (2.5 °F) seasonal variation and 5.6 °C (10 °F) daily variation. The highest recorded temperature is 35.8 °C (96.4 °F) and the lowest, 19.8 °C (67.6 °F). The ocean temperature around the island fluctuates between 26 and 30 °C (78 and 86 °F). Nearly constant winds blow from the east with an average speed of 22 km/h (14 mph). The humidity
3381-642: Is a Portuguese-based creole language spoken in the Dutch Caribbean . It is the most widely spoken language on the ABC islands ( Aruba , Bonaire , and Curaçao ). The language, spelled Papiamento in Aruba and Papiamentu in Bonaire and Curaçao, is largely based on Portuguese (as spoken in the 15th and 16th centuries), and has been influenced considerably by Dutch and Venezuelan Spanish . Due to lexical similarities between Portuguese and Spanish , it
3528-476: Is a shallow lagoon in the southeast of Bonaire. The 700 hectare area is surrounded by mangroves. The bay is part of the protected underwater park and has been designated an aquatic area of international importance under the Ramsar Convention . The bay is unique for the presence of seagrasses and mangroves. Part of the mangroves is virtually undisturbed due to limited accessibility, making it important as
3675-487: Is completely flat and covered with bushes, cacti, and small trees. There are at least 76 species of plants and about 55 species of animals on the island. The island is an important location for bats , sea turtles , and flamingos . Leptonycteris curasoae rely on Klein Bonaire for sources of nectar . Sea turtles rely on Klein Bonaire's beaches for nesting, especially those on the northeast side. Flamingos rely on Klein Bonaire's salt pans, where they feed. (Bonaire has one of
3822-605: Is difficult to pinpoint the exact origin of some words. Though there are different theories about its origins, most linguists now believe that Papiamento emerged from the Portuguese-based creole languages of the West African coasts, as it has many similarities with Cape Verdean Creole and Guinea-Bissau Creole . There are various theories about the origin and development of the Papiamento language, and precise history has not been established. Its parent language
3969-547: Is disputed: it is usually stated that Ojeda returned in June 1500 but the historian Demetrio Ramos has suggested the earlier date of November 1499. Ojeda decided to make another journey and he received a new commission from the Catholic Monarchs on 8 June 1501. He was appointed Governor of Coquivacoa behind the back of Christopher Columbus. This appointment gave him the right to found a colony in this area, although he
4116-558: Is estimated at 20,000 individuals. The flamingo places special demands on its environment (water quality, tranquillity) and is very sensitive to disturbance. The Pekelmeer and the flamingo reserve have been designated as a water area of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. Bonaire will continue to actively protect the flamingo, the symbol of the island. Bonaire also is known for its salt pans (also called salt lakes, salt flats, or saliñas ), which cover 10% of
4263-641: Is found in the archive of the Main Public Registry of the city of Caracas (Venezuela). A document dated December 9, 1595, specifies that Don Francisco Montesinos, Curate and Vicar of "las Yslas de Curasao, Aruba y Bonaire" conferred a power of attorney to Pedro Gutiérrez de Lugo, resident in Caracas, to collect from the Royal Treasury of His Catholic Majesty Don Felipe II, the salary that corresponded to him for his office as priest and vicar of
4410-451: Is fringed by a coral reef which is accessible to divers from the shore along the lee side of the island (facing west-southwest). The entire coastline of the island was designated a marine sanctuary in 1979, an effort to preserve and protect the delicate coral reef and the marine life that depends on it. There are more than 350 species of fish and sixty species of coral living in Bonaire's reef. Boulder Star Coral ( Montastraea annularis )
4557-415: Is indicated by an acute accent ( ´ ), but it is often omitted in casual writing. The main rules are: Most of the vocabulary is derived from Portuguese and derived Portuguese-based creoles and (Early Modern) Spanish. The real origin is usually difficult to tell because the two Iberian languages are very similar, and adaptations were made in Papiamento. A list of 200 basic Papiamento words can be found in
Bonaire - Misplaced Pages Continue
4704-481: Is named, asked Queen Wilhelmina to exchange his son for the German internees on Bonaire. The government did not grant the request. After the war, the empty barracks became Bonaire's first hotel: Zeebad. After the war, the economy of Bonaire continued to develop. The airport was converted to civilian use and the former internment camp was converted to become the first hotel on Bonaire. The Dutchman Pierre Schunck started
4851-433: Is relatively mountainous, although its highest peak, Mount Brandaris , is only 240 metres (790 feet). The southern part of the island is nearly flat and barely rises above sea level. A significant portion of this southern region is covered with sea water in process of evaporation for salt production. This area also contains Lac Bay with its large mangrove forest. The shoreline of Bonaire is dotted with lagoons and inlets ,
4998-599: Is rich in birds and other animals, especially lizards, including iguanas. Within the park there are two areas recognised internationally as important wetlands under the Ramsar Convention: the Slagbaai salt marsh and Lake Gotom. The park is also of great cultural-historical importance, not least because of the plantations and the history of Slagbaai. At the entrance to the park is the Bonaire Museum. From
5145-426: Is surely West Iberian Romance , but scholars dispute whether Papiamento was derived from Portuguese and its derived Portuguese-based creole languages or from Spanish . Historical constraints, core vocabulary, and grammatical features that Papiamento shares with Cape Verdean Creole and Guinea-Bissau Creole are far less than those shared with Spanish, even though the Spanish and Dutch influences occurred later, from
5292-577: Is that Papiamento first evolved from the use in the region since 1499 of 'lenguas' and the first repopulation of the ABC Islands by the Spanish by the Cédula real decreed in November 1525 in which Juan Martinez de Ampués, factor of Española, had been granted the right to repopulate the depopulated Islas inútiles of Oroba, Islas de los Gigantes, and Buon Aire. The evolution of Papiamento continued under
5439-666: Is the local, democratically elected parliament. It is the highest governing body in the public body and is responsible for local legislation. Executive power is held by the Crown-appointed governor and the island deputies appointed by the island council. The Three main political parties are the Bonaire People's Movement led by Elvis Tjin Asjoe , the Bonaire Patriotic Union led by Esther Bernabela and
5586-445: Is the most common coral, according to a 2011 survey. In 2011, biologists discovered a new species of jellyfish in Bonaire, the highly venomous Bonaire banded box jellyfish ( Tamoya ohboya ). Bonaire is also famed for its flamingo populations and its donkey sanctuary. Flamingos are drawn to the brackish water of the island's lagoons, which harbor the shrimp upon which they feed. Bonaire is home to one of only four nesting grounds for
5733-585: Is very constant, averaging 76% and fluctuating between 85% and 66% on a daily basis. This semi-arid climate is conducive to a variety of cacti and other desert plants. Average annual rainfall is 520 mm (20.5 in), most of which occurs in October through January. Bonaire lies outside the Main Development Region for Atlantic tropical cyclone activity, though the island is occasionally affected by hurricanes and tropical storms. Bonaire
5880-408: The -dor to -dó due to a linguistic process called apocopation . The name of the language itself originates from papia , from Portuguese and Cape Verdean Creole papear ("to chat, say, speak, talk"), added by the noun-forming suffix -mento . Spain claimed dominion over the islands in the 15th century but made little use of them. Portuguese merchants had been trading extensively in
6027-459: The ABC islands was ' las Islas de los Gigantes ' or 'the islands of the giants'. In 1499, Alonso de Ojeda arrived in Curaçao and a neighbouring island that was almost certainly Bonaire. Ojeda was accompanied by Amerigo Vespucci and Juan de la Cosa . De La Cosa's Mappa Mundi of 1500 shows Bonaire and calls it Isla do Palo Brasil or "Island of Brazilwood ". The Spanish decided that
Bonaire - Misplaced Pages Continue
6174-438: The ABC islands , 80 km (50 miles) off the coast of Venezuela . The islands have an arid climate that attracts visitors seeking warm, sunny weather all year round, and they lie outside the Main Development Region for tropical cyclones . Bonaire is a popular snorkeling and scuba diving destination because of its multiple shore diving sites, shipwrecks and easy access to the island's fringing reefs . As of 1 January 2023,
6321-594: The Bonaire Democratic Party led by Clark Abraham . Smaller parties include Movement 21 and Bonaire Social Party Prior to the 2010 referendum, the Netherlands Antilles (comprising the islands of Curaçao, Bonaire, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten and Saba) were governed as a parliamentary democracy based on the Dutch system of government with free elections held every four years. Dissension about their political future resulted in four of
6468-810: The Catecismo Corticu pa uso di catolicanan di Curaçao was printed, the first printed book in Papiamento. In 2009 the Catecismo Corticu was added to the UNESCO Memory of the World register. The first Papiamento newspaper was published in 1871 and was called Civilisadó (The Civilizer). One local development theory proposes that Papiamento developed in the Caribbean from an original Portuguese-African pidgin , with later Dutch and Spanish (and even some Arawak) influences. Another theory
6615-526: The Paraguaná Peninsula of Venezuela . Venezuelan Spanish and American English are constant influences today. Code-switching and lexical borrowing from Spanish, Dutch and English among native speakers is common. This is considered as a threat to the development of the language because of the loss of the authentic and Creole "feel" of Papiamento. Many immigrants from Latin America and
6762-403: The Ramsar Convention . Due to a public-private sector partnership, programs are being developed to advance the local awareness and attitudes toward conservation and habitat preservation in order to proactively protect Bonaire's ecosystem. A new sewage treatment plant will contribute to protecting the reefs and the seawater quality. In 2013 Selibon, the national garbage-processing plant, opened an
6909-632: The River Atrato would form the boundary between the two regions. Ojeda promised to make the wealthy lawyer Martín Fernández de Enciso mayor of the new colony that Ojeda planned to establish in New Andalusia. Encisco was ordered to follow on after the main flotilla with a chartered boat and more provisions. The main flotilla finally set sail from Santo Domingo on 10 November 1509, a few days ahead of Nicuesa. The flotilla arrived at Bahia de Calamar in present-day Cartagena ( Colombia ). This
7056-478: The capes of Cabo Gracias a Dios (on the border between present-day Honduras and Nicaragua ) and Cabo de la Vela in present-day Colombia. Juan de la Cosa went to Spain to represent Ojeda at court. One of Ojeda's rivals was Diego de Nicuesa . Both candidates had good reputations and sympathizers at court, so the King decided to divide the region into two governorates: Veragua to the west and New Andalusia to
7203-516: The 150th anniversary of the ending of slavery in the Dutch Caribbean. The Papiamento language originates from about 1650. The oldest Papiamento texts that have been preserved are written letters. In the following three letters it can be seen that the words changed and the spelling became closer to the Dutch spelling. Although some words are no longer in use, the basis of Papiamento did not change much. The oldest letter dates from 1775. It
7350-461: The 17th century onwards. In 1978, Jacoba Bouscholte conducted a study on the various Dutch influences in Papiamento. An example of a hybrid word is verfdó , which is a combination of a Dutch root verf (meaning 'paint') and the Portuguese and Spanish suffix -dor (used for a person who performs an action, like 'painter'). The transformation from verver to verfdó involved changing
7497-408: The 18th century students on Curaçao, Aruba, and Bonaire were taught predominantly in Spanish, and Spanish began to influence the creole language. Since there was a continuous Latinisation process (Hoetink, 1987), even the elite Dutch-Protestant settlers eventually communicated better in Spanish than in Dutch, as a wealth of local Spanish-language publications in the 19th century testify. According to
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#17327662778027644-745: The 1970s, two different orthographies have been developed and adopted. In 1976, Curaçao and Bonaire officially adopted the Römer-Maduro-Jonis version, a phonetic spelling. In 1977, Aruba approved a more etymology -based spelling, presented by the Comision di Ortografia (Orthography Commission), presided by Jossy Mansur. Papiamento has two main dialects, one in Aruba and one in Curaçao and Bonaire (Papiamentu), with lexical and intonational differences. There are also minor differences between Curaçao and Bonaire. The most apparent difference between
7791-400: The 70 colonists. A little later Fernández de Enciso, along with Vasco Núñez de Balboa , arrived to assist the survivors. The indigenous people who lived in the area later burnt down the fort. Ojeda eventually returned to Santo Domingo in the brig of a Spanish pirate called Bernardino de Talavera who was fleeing from Hispaniola and passed by the port. When Ojeda returned to Santo Domingo he
7938-646: The Antilles International Salt Company, a subsidiary of the International Salt Company. Part of the facilities extend into the Caribbean Sea and form the popular dive site known as Salt Pier. The Bonaire Petroleum Corporation (BOPEC) oil terminal was opened in 1975 for trans-shipping oil. Politically Bonaire formed part of the Netherlands Antilles from 1954 to 2010; it is now a special municipality within
8085-537: The Caribbean choose to learn Papiamento because it is more practical in daily life on the islands. For Spanish-speakers, it is easier to learn than Dutch, because Papiamento uses many Spanish and Portuguese words. The first opera in Papiamento, adapted by Carel De Haseth [ nl ] from his novel Katibu di Shon , was performed at the Stadsschouwburg in Amsterdam on 1 July 2013, commemorating
8232-512: The Caribbean flamingo. Located in the Pekelmeer in the southern part of the island, no human entry is permitted in this sanctuary. In the 16th century, Europeans introduced sheep , goats , pigs, horses and donkeys on Bonaire, and the descendants of the donkeys, goats, and pigs roam the island today. Bonaire is also home to the ecologically vulnerable yellow-shouldered amazon parrot, Amazona barbadensis . The island of Bonaire has long been
8379-513: The Caribbean in November. One of their first stops was the island of Guadalupe where a landing party went missing. Fearing for their safety (the islanders were suspected of being cannibals), Columbus sent Ojeda ashore with an armed contingent to search for the lost group. The missing party eventually showed up on their own but Ojeda's search turned up additional evidence that the Caribs on the island did practice cannibalism. They reached Hispaniola at
8526-817: The Dutch colonisation under the influence of 16th-century Dutch, Portuguese (Brazilian) and Native American languages (Arawak and Taíno), with the second repopulation of the ABC islands with immigrants who arrived from the ex-Dutch Brazilian colonies. The Judaeo-Portuguese population of the ABC islands increased substantially after 1654, when the Portuguese recovered the Dutch-held territories in Northeast Brazil , causing most Portuguese-speaking Jews and their Portuguese-speaking Dutch allies and Dutch-speaking Portuguese Brazilian allies in those lands to flee from religious persecution. The precise role of Sephardic Jews in
8673-859: The Dutch ;– having lost the island of St. Maarten to the Spanish ;– retaliated by attacking Curaçao, Bonaire and Aruba. Bonaire was conquered in March 1636. The Dutch built Fort Oranje in 1639. While Curaçao emerged as a centre of the slave trade , Bonaire became a plantation of the Dutch West India Company. Salt became a major export product of the island; a small number of African slaves were put to work alongside Indians and convicts, cultivating dyewood and maize and harvesting solar salt around Blue Pan. Slave quarters, built entirely of stone and too short for
8820-865: The European and African origin theory the origins of Papiamento lie in the Afro-Portuguese creoles that arose in the 16th century in the west coast of Africa and in the Portuguese Cape Verde islands. From the 16th to the late 17th centuries, most of the slaves taken to the Caribbean came from Portuguese trading posts ( feitorias , transl. factories ) in those regions. Around those ports, several Portuguese-African pidgin and creole languages developed, such as Cape Verdean Creole , Guinea-Bissau Creole , Angolar , and Forro (from São Tomé). The sister languages bear strong resemblance with Papiamento. According to this theory, Papiamento
8967-645: The Gulf of Paria and made landfall on Margarita Island where, according to some sources, he tried to obtain gold and pearls from the indigenous people using several different methods. He sailed along the coast of Venezuela from Curiana to the Paraguaná Peninsula. On 3 May 1502, he founded a colony on the Guajira Peninsula, at Bahia Honda . The colony was called Santa Cruz and it was the first Spanish settlement on Colombian territory and therefore
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#17327662778029114-467: The Klein Bonaire salt pans are aquatic areas of international importance in the context of the Ramsar Convention. Economically, the salt flats provide for the production and exportation of salt . Bonaire has many dozens of caves . There are estimated to be over 200 caves on the island, though not all are easily accessible. As a geological manifestation they give a picture of the oldest history of
9261-573: The Netherlands itself, a form of "public body" ( openbaar lichaam ) as outlined in article 134 of the Dutch Constitution. Special municipalities do not constitute part of a province. As a special municipality, Bonaire is very much like ordinary Dutch municipalities in that it has a mayor, aldermen and a municipal council , and is governed according to most Dutch laws. Antillean legislation remained in force after 10 October 2010, with
9408-408: The Netherlands on May 10, 1940, authorities declared martial law , and many German and Austrian citizens, as well as Dutch thought to be German sympathizers, were interned in a camp on Bonaire. Some of these remained in this camp for the war's duration, and others were transferred to new camps built on the mainland in the first year of the war. In 1944, Princess Juliana and Eleanor Roosevelt visited
9555-508: The Netherlands under the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814 . During the period of British rule, a large number of white traders settled on Bonaire, and built the settlement of Playa ( Kralendijk ) in 1810. From 1816 until 1868, Bonaire remained a government plantation. In 1825, there were about 300 government-owned slaves on the island. Gradually many of the slaves were freed and became freemen with an obligation to render some services to
9702-561: The Netherlands. In 2011 the island officially adopted the US dollar as its currency. On 10 October 2010, the Netherlands Antilles was dissolved . As a result, the government of the Netherlands assumed the task of public administration of the Caribbean Netherlands or BES Islands comprising Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba. The three islands acquired new status as "special municipalities" ( bijzondere gemeenten ), making them part of
9849-447: The Netherlands. Residents also have access to new or improved facilities and government benefits including, but not limited to, universal health care ; improved health care facilities; better educational facilities with additional training for teachers, new teaching methods and new school buildings; social housing for low-income individuals and families; a centrally dispatched single police force, fire department and ambulance service. While
9996-596: The Plaza Medio Ambiente recycling center, where the general public can bring glass, cans, paper, scrap metal, cardboard, batteries, motor oil, cooking oil, electronics, mobile phones and textiles. The island is environmentally aware and protective of its coral reefs, the diversity of its aquatic ecosystems, and the conservation of its many species and natural environments above and below the water. The island's government, businesses and residents are committed to recycling waste products, and making others aware of
10143-647: The Santa Cruz colony was abandoned and the Governorship of Coquivacoa was abolished. On regaining his freedom Ojeda remained in Hispaniola for four years with little to do. (Some authors think that, on his release from prison, Ojeda returned to Spain. ) Then in 1508 he learned that King Ferdinand the Catholic was interviewing people interested in colonizing and governing the section of mainland between
10290-528: The Slagbaai plantation was added to the park, now known as Washington Slagbaai National Park (WSNP). The Bonaire National Marine Park (BNMP) was also established in 1979. The Marine Park consists of the whole coastline of Bonaire from the high-water mark down to a depth of 200 feet (61 m) and includes a large mangrove forest in Lac Bay. Lac Bay , Klein Bonaire , Pelkermeer , Slagbaai and Gotomeer are recognized as wetlands of international significance under
10437-464: The South American continental shelf ; while others place the island's location on or above the Caribbean plate. The island is essentially coral that has been geologically pushed up and out of the sea. As the seabed rose upwards a vast coral reef grew on what is now dry land. These corals were eventually exposed to air and perished, becoming surface limestone deposits over the millennia. As
10584-487: The Spanish phrase "buen aire", which does mean 'good air', as the Spanish were the first Europeans to colonise the island. The most accurate human remains on the islands, dating from 4500 BP (2550 BC), were found in Curaçao. On different islands the most accurate are 4000 BP (2050 BC) in Aruba and 3300 BP (1350 BC) in Bonaire. These individuals are currently called by the term Archaic Indians. The Caquetío (Arawak) Indians,
10731-402: The Spanish were also raiding villages to capture Indians for slaves. An eyewitness account recorded by historian Bartolomé de las Casas notes, "The Spaniards worked an incredible slaughter on that village, they spared no one, women, children, babies or not. Then they robbed." These actions so provoked the indigenous people that they started to fight against the Spanish settlers. Ojeda defeated
10878-473: The Venezuela Orinoco basin and Trinidad), and turned them into the hub of the Dutch slave trade between Africa and the Caribbean. The first evidence of widespread use of Papiamento in Aruba and Curaçao can be seen in official documents in the early 18th century. In the 19th century, most materials in the islands were written in Papiamento including Roman Catholic school books and hymnals. In 1837,
11025-734: The West Indies and with the Iberian Union between Portugal and Spain during 1580–1640 period, their trade extended to the Spanish West Indies . In 1634, the Dutch West India Company (WIC) took possession of the islands, deporting most of the small remaining Arawak and Spanish population to the continent (mostly to the Venezuelan west coast and the Venezuelan plains, as well as all the way east to
11172-485: The area now known as Venezuela, as well as being possibly the first journey that Vespucci made to the New World. However, when the expedition arrived in Hispaniola on 5 September the followers of Christopher Columbus were angry because they considered that Ojeda was infringing upon Columbus's exploring privileges. This resulted in brawls and fights between both groups, which left many dead and wounded. Ojeda took many captives back to Spain whom he sold as slaves . Even so,
11319-483: The battle of Jáquimo), in which, under his command, the Spanish were victorious. An account of the battle written by Las Casas states that the native army comprised ten thousand warriors, while there were only some four hundred Spanish soldiers. Of course, these figures may have been exaggerated. Ojeda returned to Spain in 1496. On returning to Spain, Ojeda was commissioned by the Catholic Monarchs , without
11466-420: The bulk of the soldiers and search the island for gold, seize food from the natives, and capture Caonabo. At an important river crossing controlled by a friendly tribe, Ojeda arrested the local cacique and other officials with the allegation that some clothes had been stolen during a previous expedition. Ojeda cut the ears off one captive and sent the rest back to Isabela in chains. Ojeda's brutal punishment shocked
11613-472: The city of Venice , ( Italian : Venezia ), and so the area was given the name Venezuela meaning Little Venice . (However, according to Martín Fernández de Enciso , who supported Ojeda's 1509 expedition, they found a local population calling themselves the Veneciuela , so "Venezuela" may derive from the local term. ) The flotilla arrived at the entrance to Lake Maracaibo on 24 August 1499. The lake
11760-409: The coast where they were rescued by the ships anchored in the bay. Nicuesa arrived with his flotilla soon after and, worried by Ojeda's losses, he gave him arms and men. The two men then forgot their differences and joined forces to seek revenge on the people of Turbaco, who were massacred to a man. Nicuesa then left for Veragua while Ojeda continued traveling along the coast of Nueva Andalucía toward
11907-590: The colonists who had stayed in San Sebastián. After the failure of his journey to Nueva Andalucía, Ojeda did not mount any further expeditions and he renounced his position as governor. He lived out the last five years of his life in Santo Domingo. He later withdrew to the Monasterio de San Francisco where he died in 1515. Las Casas records of his death, that "He died sick and poor, he didn't have
12054-405: The community. The Jewish community became the prime merchants and traders in the area and so business and everyday trading was conducted in Papiamento. While various nations owned the island, and official languages changed with ownership, Papiamento became the constant language of the residents. When the Netherlands opened economic ties with Spanish colonies in what are now Venezuela and Colombia in
12201-513: The early development is unclear, but Jews certainly played a prominent role in the later development of Papiamento. Many early residents of Curaçao were Sephardic Jews from Portugal, Spain, Cape Verde or Portuguese Brazil. Also, after the Eighty Years' War , a group of Sephardic Jews immigrated from Amsterdam . Therefore, it can be assumed that Judaeo-Portuguese was brought to the island of Curaçao, where it gradually spread to other parts of
12348-516: The east as far as the Gulf of Urabá . The former was awarded to Nicuesa and the latter to Ojeda in a commission signed in 1508. The new governors repaired to Santo Domingo to prepare the expeditionary flotillas. There was a great disparity between the two flotillas. As Nicuesa was wealthier and had better credit with the colonial authorities he was able to attract 800 men, many horses, five caravels and two brigs . While Ojeda's flotilla only consisted of
12495-459: The end of November and discovered the fort, Navidad, constructed during the first voyage was in ruins and all the Spaniards left behind were dead. The local natives blamed the trouble on a cacique from the interior named Caonabo. They began to explore the island and build a permanent settlement named Isabela . In January 1494, Columbus sent a small armed party led by Ojeda to search for gold in
12642-433: The entrance there are several signposted walks. The park is easily accessible by car and mountain bikers are also welcome. The highest point of Bonaire, Mount Brandaris , is 240 m (790 ft) tall and is located within this preserve. It has a complete view of the island. The Bonaire National Marine Park (BNMP) is a legally protected underwater park surrounding the entire islands of Bonaire and Klein Bonaire. The park
12789-441: The exception of those cases where Antillean law was replaced by Bonaire's municipal law. It was believed best for the island to not introduce the entire body of Dutch legislation at one time as it would cause confusion. Therefore, Dutch legislation is being introduced in stages. Bonaire retained its own unique culture while residents enjoy the same rights as Dutch citizens, including the right to vote in Dutch parliamentary elections in
12936-400: The first Indian rebellion took place at this spot; the fort was destroyed and ten Spaniards killed by the local tribes. Columbus retaliated with a force of 500 led by Ojeda. The rebels were badly beaten and some 1500 were taken as slaves—600 were shipped to Spain and the remaining were parceled out to those on the island. Alonso de Ojeda also took part in the battle of Vega Real (also called
13083-495: The first on the American mainland. However, the colony did not last for more than three months, as the new arrivals started attacking the indigenous villages in the area, causing constant conflict with them. In addition to this, there were personal difficulties between Ojeda and his men. At this point, Vergara and Campos took Ojeda prisoner and abandoned the settlement with the small amount of plunder that had been captured. Ojeda
13230-400: The five islands advocating for separation from the Netherlands Antilles. Some of the island residents wanted autonomy while others wanted more integration. Papiamento language Papiamento ( English: / ˌ p ɑː p i ə ˈ m ɛ n t oʊ / ) or Papiamentu ( English: / ˌ p ɑː p i ə ˈ m ɛ n t uː / ; Dutch : Papiaments [ˌpaːpijaːˈmɛnts] )
13377-409: The flotilla left Santo Domingo the assistance promised by Fernández de Enciso still had not arrived. Francisco Pizarro was placed in charge of the fort and ordered to stay there for the fifty days that it would take for Ojeda to travel to and return from Santo Domingo. However, Ojeda never returned to San Sebastian and after the fifty days, Pizarro decided to leave the colony in the two brigs along with
13524-433: The former Netherlands Antilles , Papiamento was made an official language on 7 March 2007. After the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles on 10 October 2010, Papiamento's official status was confirmed in the newly formed Caribbean Netherlands . Also, 150,000 Antillians (mostly from Curaçao) live in the Netherlands and speak their mother language, Papiamento, fluently. Some Papiamento is also spoken on Sint Maarten and
13671-479: The former Netherlands Antilles and Aruba. The name 'Bonaire' is thought to be derived from the Caquetio word ' Bonay ' , meaning 'low country'. The early Spanish and Dutch modified its spelling to Bojnaj and also Bonaire . French influence, while present at various times, was never strong enough to make the assumption that the name means 'good air'. According to another theory, the name might be derived from
13818-401: The goal of becoming 100% reliant on renewables. Washington Slagbaai National Park is an ecological preserve on the northern tip of the island. The 6,000-hectare park was established in 1969 as the first nature park in the Netherlands Antilles. It is home to a wide variety of habitats, such as the bocas (inlets), dunes on the north coast, salt pans, pos (springs) and mountain areas. The park
13965-666: The government. The remaining slaves were freed on 30 September 1862 under the Emancipation Regulation. A total of 607 government slaves and 151 private slaves were freed at that time. During the German occupation of the Netherlands during World War II, Bonaire was a protectorate of Britain and the United States. The American army built the Flamingo Airport as an air force base. After Germany invaded
14112-600: The grammar, but particularly in the lexicon, due to contact with Spanish and, to a lesser extent, Dutch. Despite the changes, the morphosyntactic framework of Papiamento is still remarkably close to that of the Upper Guinea Creoles of Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau. Parallels have also been identified between the development of Papiamento and Catholicism . Papiamento is spoken in all aspects of society throughout Aruba , Curaçao and Bonaire . Papiamento has been an official language of Aruba since May 2003. In
14259-495: The hypothesis that Papiamento is a relexified offshoot of an early Upper Guinea Portuguese Creole variety that was transferred from Senegambia to Curaçao in the second half of the 17th century, when the Dutch controlled the island of Gorée , a slave trading stronghold off the coast of Senegal . The Creole was used for communication among slaves and between slaves and slave holders. On Curaçao, this variety underwent internal changes as well as contact-induced changes at all levels of
14406-466: The importance and benefits. Divers and dive shops take part in collecting debris washed ashore and preparing it for recycling. Bonaire gets a significant amount of its electricity from an array of twelve wind generators along its northeastern coastline which began operating in 2010. This renewable source now fills 40–45% of the island's electricity needs. Work continues in developing additional renewable sources of energy, including bio-diesel and solar, with
14553-409: The importance of the voyage comes from the fact that it was the first detailed reconnaissance of the coast of Venezuela and that Spanish explorers carried it out. Following Columbus's third voyage Ojeda is credited with leading the second European expedition to have visited Venezuela, and the first to have visited Colombia. The expedition also gave Juan de la Cosa the chance to draw the first known map of
14700-628: The island was bought and safeguarded by the Island Territory of Bonaire with the help of the Netherlands, the World Wide Fund for Nature and other conservationists. Klein Bonaire has been a legally protected nature reserve since 2001, when it was incorporated as part of the Bonaire National Marine Park. The island is also protected as a wetland of international importance by the Ramsar Convention . Lac Bay
14847-467: The island's land. Salt pans are salt lakes or inlets that are closed to the sea by a dead coral dyke . They have an important function because they ensure the collection and filtration of rainwater. This prevents nutrients and soil particles from reaching the reef and causing damage to the corals. This function is especially crucial during heavy rainfall. The salt pans are also an important feeding ground for many waterbirds. Slagbaai, Gotomeer, Pekelmeer and
14994-428: The island's population totaled 24,090 permanent residents, an increase of over 7,500 (or 45.6%) since 2012. The island's total land area is 288 square kilometres (111 sq mi); it is 38.6 kilometres (24.0 mi) long from north to south, and ranges from 5–8 km (3–5 mi) wide from east to west. A short 800 metres (0.50 mi) west of Bonaire across the sea is the uninhabited islet of Klein Bonaire with
15141-419: The island. In several there are cave drawings made by the original inhabitants of Bonaire. Some caves are home to bats or the blind shrimp Typhlatya . Bats play a useful role in the ecosystem: they trap a large number of insects (including mosquitoes) or provide pollination of flowers, including cactus flowers. The greatest threat to bats is the destruction or disturbance of their roosts. The island council
15288-511: The islands. Remnants of Bonaire's indigenous population can be seen in some of the island's current inhabitants. In fact, the majority of the population is of mixed black and white descent, with minorities of Europeans (descendants of the Dutch) and Africans (descendants of slaves) In 1526, Juan Martínez de Ampiés was appointed Spanish commander of the ABC Islands . He brought back some of
15435-471: The large aquatic area in the south-west of the island. Salt is still extracted from this area. It is also the most important feeding and living area for the flamingo. Depending on the season, between 2,000 and 7,000 flamingos can be found in this area. The flamingo reserve is the most important breeding site in the Southern Caribbean. The total population migrating between Bonaire and South America
15582-482: The largest flamingo populations in the world). The island is surrounded by fringing coral reefs. The reefs are home to more than 340 fish species, and almost every species of hard and soft coral found in the Caribbean. Its reefs and underwater wildlife make it a popular destination for divers, and it is surrounded by dive sites. In the late 20th century, with the growth of diving tourism on Bonaire, project developers wanted to build hotels on Klein Bonaire. In 1999
15729-432: The largest of which is Goto Lake in the north. These lagoons and wetlands provide an excellent habitat for a wide variety of shorebirds. While Bonaire has some hills and variations in altitude, Klein Bonaire's surface is quite level and just about two meters above sea level. Because Klein Bonaire is as yet undeveloped, the fringing reef system surrounding Klein Bonaire is pristine. Geologists believe that Bonaire and
15876-531: The late 18th century when the British took Curaçao, Aruba and Bonaire; the teaching of Spanish was restored when Dutch rule resumed in 1815. During the Napoleonic Wars , the Netherlands lost control of Bonaire twice, once from 1800 to 1803, and again from 1807 to 1816. During these intervals, the British had control of the neighbouring island of Curaçao and of Bonaire. The ABC islands were returned to
16023-607: The late 1990s, research has been done that shines light on the ties between Papiamento and Upper Guinea Portuguese Creole. focus specifically on the linguistic and historical relationships with the Upper Guinea Portuguese Creole, as spoken on the Santiago island of Cape Verde and in Guinea-Bissau and Casamance. In Bart Jacob's study The Upper Guinea Origins of Papiamento he defends
16170-409: The local people and turned them against the Spaniards. When Ojeda arrived at the fort, Margarite refused to follow Columbus's orders and remained at the fort with his men. Not long after he returned to Spain, disapproving of the chaotic situation and mistreatment of the Indians. After Margarite's refusal to capture Caonabo, Columbus ordered Ojeda to find the cacique allegedly responsible for destroying
16317-421: The moon. Due to its history, the geology of Bonaire is dominated by gently dipping carbonate rocks ranging in age from Cretaceous (≈90-100 million years ago (Ma)) to Miocene (≈5 Ma), which lie unconformably on a pre-Cretaceous igneous basement . Where the unconformity corresponds with sea-level erosion , caves are common. Bonaire has a warm, dry (though humid) and windy climate. The average temperature
16464-455: The mouths of the rivers Essequibo and Orinoco in the Gulf of Paria . It also visited the peninsulas of Paria and Araya, the islands of Trinidad and Margarita and traveled along the continental coast, always in search of a passage towards India. The flotilla then sailed along the Paraguaná Peninsula and sighted the island of Curacao , which was named Giants Island as the indigenous people that were seen were thought to be giants. During
16611-404: The natives in the coastal area and on pursuing some of the survivors who had escaped into the jungle he came upon the village of Turbaco . The Spanish were then taken by surprise by a counterattack. Nearly the entire party were wiped out in the battle and Juan de la Cosa sacrificed his life so that Ojeda could escape. Only one other Spanish soldier survived the battle and he and Ojeda fled back to
16758-524: The organization is of the opinion that such an arrangement was never the choice of the people. The Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations, Ronald Plasterk , replied to the organization confirming that only the "Island Councils in the Caribbean Netherlands have the authority to decide on holding a constitutional referendum, not the Dutch government." In response, the organization gathered more than 3,500 signatures in 2013 favouring
16905-453: The original Caquetio Indian inhabitants to Bonaire and Curaçao. Ampies also imported domesticated animals from Spain , including cows, donkeys, goats, horses, pigs and sheep. The Spaniards thought that Bonaire could be used as a cattle plantation worked by natives. The cattle were raised for hides rather than meat. The Spanish inhabitants lived mostly in the inland town of Rincon which was safe from pirate attack. The Dutch West India Company
17052-418: The original Spanish settlement at Navidad. According to Bartolomé de las Casas , Ojeda presented Caonabo with a fine set of polished brass manacles and shackles and convinced him to wear them as a symbol of royalty. The ruse was successful and Ojeda brought the chief back to Columbus. Following Ojeda's mistreatment of the Indians at the river, a fort had to be built to protect the vital crossing. Late in 1494,
17199-680: The other ABC islands were formed about 90 million years ago. As the Caribbean plate collided with the South American plate , it forced a large mass of rock to the ocean surface and created the Leeward Antilles Ridge . The islands of Bonaire, Aruba, and Curaçao were formed along this ridge. As such, Bonaire lies within the Caribbean–South America plate boundary zone . Some geologists place Bonaire's location on
17346-598: The other islands of the then Dutch West Indies). During hostilities, the site where the Divi Flamingo Beach Resort & Casino now stands served as an internment camp for Germans and Austrians living in the Antilles, mainly because they were distrusted. There were fears they could have sabotaged the giant oil refineries on Aruba and Curaçao that were supplying paraffin to the Allied air fleet. The camp
17493-501: The party faced several difficulties en route and half of the men died of hunger, illness or other hardships that they met along the way. The sole possession remaining to Ojeda was an image of the Virgin Mary , which he had carried with him since he left Spain. He made a promise on this image that he would build a church dedicated to her in the first village that he reached where he was given hospitality. A little later, and with only
17640-586: The past, certain rural areas of Aruba and Curaçao featured the guttural R (a feature common in French) or omitted the letter S at the end of words (a feature common in Caribbean Spanish ). However it is likely many of these rural features have either disappeared over time or are used by few speakers today. Papiamento vowels are based on Ibero-Romance and Dutch vowels. Papiamento has the following nine vowels: Papiamento has diphthongs , two vowels in
17787-465: The permission of Columbus, to sail for America again, which he did on 18 May 1499 with three caravels . He travelled with the pilot and cartographer Juan de la Cosa and the Italian navigator Amerigo Vespucci . While Columbus had touched a small portion of Venezuelan coast in 1498, it was only after this voyage that sustained contact with indigenous people was established. This was the first of
17934-520: The same journey, he constructed a ship and visited the islands of Aruba and the Las Aves archipelago . During the voyage along the Paraguaná Peninsula, the flotilla entered into a gulf ( Gulf of Venezuela ) where there were villages of the Wayuu people with palafito houses built over the water and supported on stilts made from tree trunks. These villages are said to have reminded Amerigo Vespucci of
18081-476: The same. In creole, it is also written as a ⟨b⟩ . Just as in Portuguese, an unaccented final ⟨o⟩ is pronounced as /u/ . Guene (the name comes from "Guinea") was a secret language that was used by slaves on the plantations of the landhouses of West Curaçao. There were about a hundred Guene songs that were sung to make the work lighter. However, because of the secret character of Guene, it never had much influence on Papiamento. Since
18228-417: The southwest. On 20 January 1510 he founded the settlement of San Sebastián de Urabá , which in reality was little more than a fort. However, the fort soon grew short of food, which exacerbated the problems caused by the unhealthy climate and the constant threat of attack by the local tribes who attacked the Spaniards with poisoned arrows. Ojeda was wounded in the leg by one such attack. Eight months after
18375-643: The standard Swadesh list , with etymological reference to the language of origin. There is a remarkable similarity between words in Papiamento, Cape Verdean Creole, and Guinea-Bissau Creole, which all belong to the same language family of the Upper Guinea Creoles . Most of the words can be connected with their Portuguese origin. Linguistic studies have shown that roughly 80% of the words in Papiamento's present vocabulary are of Iberian origin, 20% are of Dutch origin, and some of Native American or African origin. A study by Van Buurt and Joubert inventoried
18522-456: The three ABC Islands were useless because they did not have known metal deposits, and in 1515 the Caquetío were enslaved to work in the copper mines of Santo Domingo on the island of Hispaniola ; the total number may have been between 500 and 2,000. Spain colonized Bonaire since 1499 for a period of approximately one century. Likewise, one of the oldest references to the name of the island
18669-487: The three islands are considered to be land of the Netherlands, they are not a part of the European Union , therefore not subject to European Union Law. They are considered to be an overseas country and territory . Bonaire's non-governmental organization, Nos Ke Boneiru Bèk ("We Want Bonaire Back"), is against the current constitutional relationship with the Netherlands. With reference to Bonaire's 2004 referendum,
18816-466: The troops on Bonaire. Bonairean sailors made an above-average contribution during World War II. German U-boats tried to eliminate shipping around the Aruba and Curaçao refineries and thus eliminate the island's considerable fuel production for the Allies. Bonairean-crewed ships also took part in these battles. Among the many missing after the war, were the 34 Bonaireans who died on these ships (more than on
18963-456: The truth and to serve the coming time if necessary. About our time with B.G. Quant we declare, we were employed in land cultivation... He always mistreated our commander Pieter Specht for all sort of things. And always mister Quant interfered with all instructions of the commander. For that reason, we declare that he caused all the discord. Papiamento is written using the Latin script . Since
19110-404: The turnout voted that they were not happy with the current relationship between Bonaire and the Netherlands. Bonaire lies about 80 kilometres (50 mi) off the coast of Venezuela. The island has a land area of 288 km (111 sq mi), with an additional 6 km (2.3 sq mi) added by Klein Bonaire , a small uninhabited island off its west coast. The northern end of Bonaire
19257-519: The two dialects is given away in the name difference. Whereas Bonaire and Curaçao opted for a phonology-based spelling, Aruba uses an etymology-based spelling. Many words in Aruba end with "o" while the same word ends with "u" in Bonaire and Curaçao. And even in Curaçao, the use of the u-ending is still more pronounced among the Sephardic Jewish population. Similarly, the use of "k" in Bonaire and Curaçao replaces "c" in Aruba. For example: In
19404-466: The voyage was not financially successful, netting some fifteen thousand maravedis in profit to be divided among the fifty-five crew members surviving from the original three hundred. Note, that since forty maravedis per day was an average wage for skilled labor at this time, they could have made more money staying at home. Returning on the heels of Pedro Alonso Nino 's smaller but far more lucrative voyage magnified this disappointment. The date of return
19551-407: The words of Taíno and Caquetío Arawak origin, mostly words for plants and animals. Arawak is an extinct language that was spoken by Indigenous people throughout the Caribbean. The Arawak words were re-introduced in Papiamento by borrowing from the Spanish dialect of Venezuela Alonso de Ojeda Alonso de Ojeda ( Spanish pronunciation: [aˈlonso ðe oˈxeða] ; c. 1466 – c. 1515)
19698-474: Was a Spanish explorer, governor and conquistador. He travelled through modern-day Guyana , Venezuela , Trinidad , Tobago , Curaçao , Aruba and Colombia , at times with Amerigo Vespucci and Juan de la Cosa . He is famous for having named Venezuela, which he explored during his first two expeditions, for having been the first European to visit Guyana, Curaçao, Colombia, and Lake Maracaibo , and later for founding Santa Cruz (La Guairita). Alonso de Ojeda
19845-479: Was accompanied by seventy men and he was seeking help. However, the pirate took Ojeda prisoner and would not set him free. At this point, a powerful hurricane struck the boat and Talavera had to seek help from Ojeda. Despite their efforts, the ship was shipwrecked at Jagua, Sancti Spíritus , in the south of Cuba . Ojeda decided to travel along the coast on foot with Talavera and his men to reach Maisí Point from where they would be able to get to Hispaniola. However,
19992-718: Was advised not to visit Paria. On this occasion he formed a partnership with the Andalusian merchants Juan de Vergara and García de Campos , who were able to charter four caravels : the Santa María de la Antigua , the Santa María de la Grenada , the Magdalena , and the Santa Ana . Ojeda set sail from Spain in January 1502 and he followed the same route as his first voyage. On this occasion, he kept his distance from
20139-401: Was against the wishes of De la Cosa who did not want to land in the area. After disembarking with about 70 men Ojeda encountered some indigenous tribes. He then sent out missionaries and interpreters to read out the proclamation that had been drafted by Palacios Rubios. The indigenous people were upset by this proclamation and so Ojeda tried to placate them by offering them trinkets. At this time
20286-698: Was born in Torrejoncillo del Rey , New Castile around 1466. His father, Rodrigo de Huete, was a minor noble who fought for Isabel in 1474 during the War of the Castilian Succession . Isabel was grateful for his support and put his son, Alonso, under her protection. In his youth, Alonso served the Duke of Medinaceli , Luis de la Cerda. In service to the duke, he distinguished himself in the conquest of Granada with his military abilities, his skill as
20433-591: Was derived from one or more of these older creoles or their predecessors, which were brought to the ABC islands by slaves and traders from Cape Verde and West Africa. The similarity between Papiamento and the other Afro-Portuguese creoles can be seen in the same pronouns used, mi , bo , el , nos , bos(o) , being Portuguese-based. Afro-Portuguese creoles often have a shift from "v" to "b" and from "o" to "u": bientu ( transl. wind ), instead of viento . In creole and also in Spanish, ⟨v⟩ and ⟨v⟩ are pronounced
20580-512: Was established in 1979 with the support of the World Wide Fund for Nature and others, and is managed by STINAPA. There are more than 80 dive sites in the marine park. Klein Bonaire (Dutch for "Little Bonaire") is an islet located off the western coast Bonaire, about a 0.5 mile from Kralendijk. The small island is 700 hectares (2.7 sq miles) in size. The island is accessible by boat for divers, snorkelers, and day-trippers . The island
20727-550: Was founded in 1602. Starting in 1623, ships of the West India Company called at Bonaire to obtain meat, water and wood. The Dutch also abandoned some Spanish and Portuguese prisoners there, and these people founded the town of Antriol , which is a contraction of Spanish al interior (English: inside ). The Dutch and the Spanish fought from 1568 to 1648 in what is now known as the Eighty Years War . In 1633,
20874-450: Was in operation from 1940 to 1947. In total, 461 people were interned during this period without trial, most of them completely innocent. Among them were Medardo de Marchena and also the photographer Fred Fischer, then still an Austrian citizen. Many German internees had just fled Nazi violence. But there were also German prisoners of war, some of whom remained after the war. In September 1943, the father of George Maduro , after whom Madurodam
21021-470: Was organized for Columbus by Juan Rodríguez de Fonseca . Medinaceli had been a patron of both Columbus and Ojeda, so perhaps it is not surprising that Ojeda was selected at a relatively young age to captain one of the ships on this new voyage. Fonseca was also impressed with Ojeda and would later become his most important patron. The fleet sailed for the island of Hispaniola in September 1493 and reached
21168-472: Was originally named after Saint Bartholomew as this was his saints day. Ojeda also reached Cabo de la Vela , on the Guajira Peninsula, which he named Coquivacoa . A few days later the expedition left Cabo de la Vela for Hispaniola with some pearls obtained in Paria, a little gold and several slaves. The scarcity of goods and slaves resulted in a poor economic return for investors in the expedition. However,
21315-411: Was part of the Netherlands Antilles until the country's dissolution in 2010, when the island became a special municipality (officially, a " Caribbean public body ") within the country of the Netherlands . It is one of three special municipalities in the Caribbean; the others are Sint Eustatius and Saba . 80% of Bonaire's inhabitants are Dutch nationals, and nearly 60% of its residents were born in
21462-458: Was put in prison in Hispaniola in May 1502, where he was held until 1504. He was released following an appeal made by Archbishop Rodríguez de Fonseca, although he had to pay a costly indemnity, which left him with little money. The second voyage was, therefore, a failure as he had not discovered any new areas and he had not received much of a share of the plunder obtained by Vergara and Campos. Besides,
21609-592: Was sent by the Sephardic Jew Abraham Andrade to his mistress Sarah Vaz Parro, about a family meeting in the centre of Curaçao. Piter May the ora ky boso a biny. My a topa tio la, ku Sara meme. Nan taba biny Punta. My Dusie, bo pay a manda bo ruman Aronchy, ku Tony & Merca koge na kamina dy Piter May. Es nigrita Antunyca & nan a ybel tras dy forty, & nan a manda sutel guatapana. Mas my no saby pa ky razon. Sy bo saby, manda gabla, ku my Dios pagabo. Bida, manda gabla ku my, kico Bechy
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