A tax free zone from the earliest times with a thriving economy that ignored the
damaging trade embargoes imposed by the major colonial powers in the Caribbean.
Sint Eustatius was selling arms and ammunition to anyone willing to pay and the
island was providing war supplies for the thirteen American colonies during the
American Revolution.
This strategic support was so important that in 1778 Lord Stormont before the
British Parliament said: "if Sint Eustatius had sunk three years ago, the United
Kingdom would have already defeated George Washington." In fact the trade
between the island and the American rebels was one of the major causes for the
outbreak of the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War, disastrous for Holland's commerce. The
British occupied Sint Eustatius on February 3, 1781. Commander de Graaff, aware
of the military superiority of the enemy, decided to surrender to the English
Admiral Rodney. Ten months later Sint Eustatius was conquered by France,
Holland's ally during the conflict, therefore the Dutch returned in possession
of the island in 1784.
Sint Eustatius was one of the first Jewish settlements in the New World.
Even today you can admire the ruins of the synagogue Honen Dalim, built in 1739
TERRITORY
Sint Eustatius,
known as well as "Statia" is a pure an intact corner of
the Antilles, is 40 miles away from Sint Maarten,10
miles from Saba, an area of 21 kmq with a lenght of 8.
A
series of low hills and "the quill" : the
crater of an extinct volcano, a well cultivated
internal plateau descend to caribbean sea and to
atlantic ocean in small and soft black vulcanic
or golden sandy beaches.
The capital is
Oranjestad. Residents are 2.900.
CLIMATE
Sint Eustatius
takes advantage of a tropical climate, generally dry and
sunny,
mitigated with aliseo, with a rainy season running from
june to september. Isle lies along the hurrycane's route, that could hit in
august,september or october. The dryer season is from december to march, the average
maximum temperature
fluctuates from 31°c of july to 29°c of jenuary, while
the average minimum
are around 22°c
