Oranjestad, Sint Eustatius
Template:Infobox settlement Oranjestad (Template:IPA; Template:Langx) is a small town of 1,038 inhabitants;<ref name="pop"/> it is the capital and largest town of the island of Sint Eustatius in the Caribbean Netherlands.
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. It is nestled between Quill & Boven National Park
Neighborhoods of Oranjestad:
• Golden Rock
• Bay Brow
History
Historical sites
The first colonist arrived between 1625 and 1629.Template:Sfn Sint Eustatius produced sugar and cotton, but most importantly developed into a centre of the North American slave trade.Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn During the capture, all archives were destroyed.Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn
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.<ref name="groen"/>
The town's historical features also include a Dutch Reformed church built in 1755,<ref name="groen">Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Facilities
Oranjestad itself contains grocery stores, restaurants, bars, a library, schools, a clinic and the administrative offices of the government. Template:Citation needed
Climate
See also
References
Bibliography
External links
Template:Portal bar Template:Dutch capital cities Template:List of North American capitals Template:Authority control