Sint Eustatius
Sint Eustatius | |
|---|---|
Special municipality of the Netherlands | |
Satellite image of Sint Eustatius | |
| Motto: | |
| Anthem: "Golden Rock" | |
Location of Sint Eustatius (circled in red) in the Caribbean | |
Map showing the location of St. Eustatius relative to Saba and St. Martin | |
| Coordinates: 17°29′N 62°59′W / 17.483°N 62.983°W | |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Overseas region | Caribbean Netherlands |
| Incorporated into the Netherlands | 10 October 2010 (dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles) |
| Capital (and largest city) | Oranjestad |
| Government | |
| • Lt. Governor | Alida Francis (Government commissioner) |
| Area | |
• Total | 21 km2 (8.1 sq mi) |
| Population (1 January 2025) | |
• Total | 3,270 |
| • Density | 154/km2 (400/sq mi) |
| Demonyms |
|
| Languages | |
| • Official | English • Dutch |
| Time zone | UTC−4 (AST) |
| Calling code | +599 |
| ISO 3166 code | BQ-SE, NL-BQ3 |
| Currency | United States dollar ($) (USD) |
| Internet TLD | |
Sint Eustatius, known locally as Statia, is an island in the Caribbean. It is a special municipality (officially "public body") of the Netherlands.
The island is in the northern Leeward Islands, southeast of the Virgin Islands. Sint Eustatius is immediately to the northwest of Saint Kitts and southeast of Saba. The regional capital is Oranjestad. The island has an area of 21 square kilometres (8.1 sq mi). Travelers to the island by air arrive through F. D. Roosevelt Airport.
Formerly part of the Netherlands Antilles, Sint Eustatius became a public body of the Netherlands in 2010. It is part of the Dutch Caribbean, which consists of Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten. Together with Bonaire and Saba, it forms the BES Islands, also referred to as the Caribbean Netherlands.
Sint Eustatius played a major role in the American War for Independence, supplying American insurgents with war material, especially gunpowder. The British captured St. Eustatius, which was a major blow to the U.S. and its European allies. The French navy later in the war recaptured the island.