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ABOUT BONAIRE

BONAIRE

The history of Bonaire

Bonaire’s recorded history began with the arrival of the Spanish in 1499, led by Spanish explorer Alonso de Ojeda and his Italian counterpart, Amerigo Vespucci. But the island’s history began well before that year.

Early history

The first human presence on Bonaire dates back to 2,500 BC with the presence of the Arkaiko Indians. Later, the Caquetios Indians, a branch of the Arawak Indians who settled across much of the southern Caribbean, arrived in Bonaire between 800 AD and 1,000 AD, traveling by canoe from the coast of what is now Venezuela. They left their mark in the form of petroglyphs and cave paintings at many sites around the island. When the Spanish conquered the three islands of Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire, they captured and enslaved the local indigenous population, and sent them to work the plantations and mines of Hispaniola.

Originally deemed useless by the Spaniards, Bonaire eventually became a cattle plantation, with the arrival of repatriated Caquetio Indians and domesticated animals. The few Spanish who remained on the island lived in the interior, in the village of Rincón. The island was eventually ceded to the Dutch in 1636 and was later resettled with African slaves.

Bonaire changed ownership multiple times due to the shifting European politics of the 18th century. In 1816, the island returned to Dutch control once and for all, and quickly developed into a major production center for salt. The economic growth did not last long, however, since the end of the slave trade just a few decades later shut the industry down for nearly a century.

Recent history

Bonaire’s economy began to find its legs after the island’s government built its first ship’s pier in the harbor at the turn of the century. The new pier allowed cruise liners to discharge passengers directly to shore and it ushered in a new commercial era for the island, along with making it easier to bring in supplies to the island’s permanent residents. Construction of hotels and a modern airport helped establish Bonaire as a tourist destination in the years following the Second World War.

Salt production resumed in the 1960s and the tourism industry has gradually increased, particularly since the rise in popularity of recreational SCUBA diving and snorkeling.

Until recently, Bonaire has been part of the constituent country of the Netherlands Antilles. As of 2010, however, and after a referendum and a great many constitutional discussions, the Netherlands Antilles was dissolved. Bonaire, along with St. Eustabius and Saba, is now a municipality

Middle terrace I

Higher terrace

Washikemba formation

Modern sea level

Lower

terrace

Diagram of the geology of Bonaire

Middle terrace II

Historic

sea level

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