Sint Eustatius

Sint Eustatius, English Saint Eustatius, also called Statia, island and special municipality within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is in the Lesser Antilles, in the northeastern Caribbean Sea, about 16 miles (26 km) southeast of Saba and 5 miles (8 km) northwest of the island of Saint Kitts. Its capital is Oranjestad.

Netherlands Antilles

Sint Eustatius measures 6 miles (10 km) long and up to 3 miles (5 km) wide and, with Saba, forms the northwestern termination of the inner volcanic arc of the Lesser Antilles. The island is dominated by two extinct volcanoes, with a flat central plain separating the two. Sint Eustatius is situated in the trade wind belt and receives an average of 44 inches (1,125 mm) of rainfall annually, mainly between May and November, but climatic conditions vary considerably over the island. On the east (Atlantic) side the wind is strong and the vegetation low. On the calm west (Caribbean) side grow tall palms and breadfruit trees and thick banana groves. At White Wall, on the southern slope of one of the volcanoes, The Quill, arid conditions prevail and xerophytic plants (adapted to growth with limited water) predominate. The remainder of the island is covered with tough, thorny bushes and trees, many of which lose their leaves during the dry season.

The island, first colonized by the French and English in 1625, was taken by the Dutch in 1632 and initially named Nieuw Zeeland before being renamed Sint Eustatius. Dutch control was not absolute, the island changing hands 10 times in 1664–74, yet Sint Eustatius began to grow as a commercial centre. Despite the absence of a good natural harbour and a severe shortage of fresh water, it became the main focus of the slave trade and of mercantile exchange in the eastern Caribbean by 1780.

The island was probably the major source of supplies for the rebellious North American colonies, arousing British antagonism during the American Revolution. On November 16, 1776, Sint Eustatius became the first foreign government to officially recognize the fledgling United States of America: the cannon at Fort Oranje fired a salute to the brig Andrew Doria, which was flying the new Stars and Stripes flag. Great Britain took umbrage at the incident and lodged a complaint with The Hague in early 1777; Sint Eustatius was considered to be speaking for the Netherlands in the matter. The incident continued to rankle Britain, which eventually seized the opportunity for retribution presented during the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War by an impending American-Dutch commercial treaty. Adm. George Rodney was ordered to capture the island and did so in February 1781. After sacking storehouses and homes, the British continued to fly the Dutch flag, luring many American and other enemy ships to their capture. This marked the end of Sint Eustatius’s most prosperous period.

In 1828 Sint Eustatius, together with Saba, formed a colony of the Dutch West Indies. This and the other Dutch dependencies in the region came under collective administration in 1845. In 1954 these dependencies were organized into the Netherlands Antilles, with each of them gaining autonomy in local affairs. In 2006 the people of Sint Eustatius, along with those of the other islands and the government of the Netherlands, agreed to dissolve the Netherlands Antilles; the dissolution occurred on October 10, 2010. Sint Eustatius, like Bonaire and Saba, became a special municipality with close relations with the central government similar to those of municipalities within the Netherlands. In February 2018 Dutch authorities dissolved Sint Eustatius’s local governing body and imposed direct rule, citing official corruption and “a gross neglect of duties” by the island council.

The spoken language is English. Much of the population is concentrated in Oranjestad. Sint Eustatius is a poor island, and many of its young people leave to find jobs elsewhere. Although rainfall is meagre, every home has its own cistern to catch runoff, and there is some cultivation of onions, yams, and sweet potatoes. Lobsters are caught for export. Tourism is increasingly important, and the waters off the island are popular with divers. Along the rim and within the crater of The Quill is a dark forest filled with orchids and other tropical vegetation. Area 8 square miles (21 square km). Pop. (2016 est.) 3,193.