Oranjestad (Dutch pronunciation: [oːˈrɑɲəstɑt]; English: Orange[4] Town) is a small town of 1,038 inhabitants;[1] it is the capital of the island of Sint Eustatius in the Caribbean Netherlands.

Oranjestad
Town
Beach of Lower Town.
Location on the island of Sint Eustatius
Coordinates: 17°29′N 62°59′W
Country	Netherlands
Public body	Sint Eustatius
Population  (2001)[1]
• Total	1,038
Time zone	UTC-4 (AST)
Climate	Aw
Oranjestad Lighthouse
Constructed	1893 (first)
Foundation	concrete base
Construction	metal skeletal tower
Height	20 metres (66 ft)
Shape	square pyramidal skeletal tower with balcony and light[2][3]
Power source	solar power
Focal height	40 metres (130 ft)
Range	17 nautical miles (31 km; 20 mi)
Characteristic	Fl (3) W 15s.

Geography

Oranjestad is a historic harbour town which is divided into two main sections. Lower Town is a strip of buildings just above sea level along the waterfront, which borders on the island's safest beach. Lower Town includes dive shops, numerous colonial-era ruins, and the harbour. Upper Town has a restored historic core, and is also the island's main commercial and residential centre.

History

Historical sites

The first colonist arrived between 1625 and 1629.[5] Sint Eustatius produced sugar and cotton, but most importantly developed into a centre of the North American slave trade.[6] In 1780, the island had an estimated population of 20,000 people including slaves. In 1781, during the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War, the island was captured and plundered by George Rodney.[5] During the capture, all archives were destroyed.[7] In 1786, it was home to 7,600 people (3,000 white, 600 coloureds and 4,000 slaves). In 1829, the population had decreased to 2,273.[5]

The main historical site in Oranjestad is Fort Oranje, a well-maintained, 17th-century fort in the direct centre of the town, overlooking the waterfront. This cliff-side fort has cannons, intact bastions and a courtyard. Nearby is a museum, the ruins of one of the oldest synagogues in the Western Hemisphere, and a Jewish cemetery.[8]

The town's historical features also include a Dutch Reformed church built in 1755,[8] which is partly in ruins but still accessible (its tower can be climbed for long-distance views), various restored 18th-century merchants’ residences – including the oldest one, the Gezaghebber House (former Lieutenant Governor's residence) on Kerkstraat – and restored wooden Caribbean-style houses. Snorkeling in Oranje Bay is also interesting because of the parts of 18th century buildings on the bay side that were swept into the sea.[9]

Facilities

Oranjestad itself contains grocery stores, restaurants, bars, a library, schools, a clinic and the administrative offices of the government. ^{[citation needed]}

Climate

See also

• List of lighthouses in Sint Eustatius
• F. D. Roosevelt Airport
• St. Eustatius Church

References

Bibliography

• Benjamins, Herman Daniël; Snelleman, Johannes (1917). Encyclopaedie van Nederlandsch West-Indië. Digital Library for Dutch Literature (in Dutch). Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Oranjestad, Sint Eustatius.

• St. Eustatius Historical Foundation Museum

На других языках

[ru] Ораньестад (Синт-Эстатиус)