Oranjestad, Sint Eustatius

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search

<templatestyles src="Module:Hatnote/styles.css"></templatestyles>


Oranjestad
Town
Beach of Lower Town.
Beach of Lower Town.
Location on the island of Sint Eustatius
Location on the island of Sint Eustatius
Coordinates: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Country Netherlands
Public body Sint Eustatius
Time zone AST (UTC-4)

Oranjestad (Dutch pronunciation: [oːˈrɑɲəˌstɑt]; English: Orange[1] Town) is a small town of approximately 1,000 inhabitants; it is the capital of the island of Sint Eustatius in the Caribbean Netherlands. 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.

Historical sites

The restored 'Gezaghebber House' on Kerkstraat

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 cliffside fort has cannons, intact fortifications and a courtyard. Nearby is a museum, the ruins of one of the oldest synagogues in the Western Hemisphere, and a Jewish cemetery.

The town's historical features also include a Dutch Reformed church built in 1755, 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. The ruined buildings now submerged at the seafront can be explored by snorkelling.

Facilities

Oranjestad itself contains grocery stores, restaurants, bars, a library, schools, a clinic and the administrative offices of the government. Oranjestad is a major shopping destination for people from neighbouring Saint Kitts, as many goods, especially imported foodstuffs, are cheaper.

References

  1. The House of Orange-NassauDutch: Het Huis Oranje-Nassau — read Prince of Orange (Dutch: Prins van Oranje) and related articles for more.

External links


<templatestyles src="Asbox/styles.css"></templatestyles>