World Statesmen.org HOME > return to The Netherlands >>

 
 





 

Bonaire
 
[National flag of the Netherlands]
                1635 - 15 Dec 1959
 
[Netherlands Antilles flag, 1959-86]
           15 Dec 1959 - 15 Dec 1981
[Bonaire flag (Netherlands)]
                Adopted 15 Dec 1981 
 
Map of Bonaire Hear National Anthem
"Wilhelmous van Nassouwe"
(William of Nassau) 		Hear Local Anthem
"Tera di Solo y Suave Biento"
 (Land of the Sun & Soft Breeze)
"Volkslied van Bonaire"
(Bonaire National Anthem)
Adopted 1964/1981
 		Constitution
(1815, 17 Feb 1983)
Capital: Kralendijk
(Rincon 1501-1634)
Currency: US Dollar (USD); Netherlands Antillean
Guilder (ANG) (1952-1 Jan 2011) 
National Holiday: 30 Apr (1980) 
Queen's Day
----------------------------------
Local Holiday: 6 Sep (1499)
Bonaire Day
 Population: 16,1541 (2012)
GDP: 33.81 million ANG (2008)
Exports: 16 million ANG (2008)
Imports: 173 million ANG (2008)
Ethnic groups: mixed black/Creole 86%, Dutch,
East Asian and other 14% (2003)
Total Dutch Troops: N/A
Defense is the Responsibility of The Netherlands
Merchant marine: N/A
Religions: Roman Catholic, Mormon, Seventh-Day
Adventist, Anglican, Jehovah's Witnesses, Muslim
International Organizations/Treaties: ITUC, UPU
Bonaire
Chronology

 6 Sep 1499                Discovered and claimed for Spain by Amerigo
                             Vespucci and Alonso de Ojeda, named
                             Isla de Palo Brasil.
1502                       Part of New Andalucia (from 1524, New Granada).
 9 Feb 1635                Bonaire a Dutch colony (formally from Mar 1636)
                             (subordinate to Curaçao).
1636 - 1792                Under Dutch West India Company administration.
1642 - 1642                Spanish occupation. 
1647 - 1664                Part of New Netherland colony (see New York).
30 Jan 1648                Spain recognizes Dutch possession of Bonaire. 
Jan 1807 - 27 May 1815     British occupation.
1828                       Bonaire, Aruba, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, 
                             Sint Maarten and Dutch Guiana united as 
                             the Dutch West Indies; with the governor
                             of Dutch Guiana as the governor-general
                             (see Suriname).
27 Jan 1848                Islands united under the name of Curaçao and
                             Dependencies (from 20 Sep 1948, renamed
                             Netherlands Antilles see under Curaçao).
29 Dec 1954                Netherlands Antilles an autonomous part of 
                             the Netherlands.
10 Sep 2004                Referendum supports closer ties by becoming 
                             a separate part of The Netherlands by 59.5%.
12 Oct 2006                Agreement with Netherlands on becoming a 
                             municipality of The Netherlands.
10 Oct 2010                Bonaire a special municipality of Netherlands.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Commanders
1642?                      Jacob Lopper (or Loper) Mz.
1643 - 16..                Pieter Frederickszoon van
                             Maegdenborch (acting)
16.. - 1657                Hugo Claessen
1657 - 16..                Volckert Caertzen 
                             (= Johan van Galen) 
1659? - 1661?              Hans Frederickszoon Crab (1st time)
1670? - 16..               Hans Frederickszoon Crab (2nd time)
1679 - 1681                Johannes Bontemantel
168. - 1682?               Benjamin Meijten (acting)
1682?                      Schellinger
14 Jul 1686 - 23 Mar 1688  Joan Kip
14 Jun 1688 - 1690         Nicolaes van Beek de Jonge
1690 - 1693                Jan Burghgraeff (1st time)         (b. 16.. - d. 1714)
1693 - 1695                Isaac Lamont
1695 - 1705                Jan Burghgraeff (2nd time)         (s.a.)
1705 - 1711                Pieter Born
1711 - 1719                Hans Jurgen Cramer
 1 Dec 1719 - 30 Jul 1723  Pieter Scholten (provisional)      (b. 16.. - d. 1723)
1723 - 1738                Jan Hendrik Geerkens               (b. 16.. - d. 1738)
                             (provisional to 1729)
31 May 1738 - 1750         Frederik Zaunslifer
                             (provisional to 17..)
15 Aug 1750 -  2 Feb 1756  Johannes Philippus Eijlbragt       (d. 1756)
 2 Feb 1756 - 12 Nov 1768  Theunis Dirkszoon Kock             (d. 1782)
12 Nov 1768 - 1782         Andreas Daal                       (b. 1733 - d. ....)
1782 - 1795                Christiaan Gerard Dammers
                             (provisional to 1784)
Vice-commanders
11 Aug 1795 -  4 Jun 1796  Barent Dirkszoon Kock (1st time)   (b. 1753 - d. 1836)
                             (acting)
 4 Jun 1796 - 30 Sep 1797  Michiel de Groot (provisional)
30 Sep 1797 - 29 Oct 1805  Barent Dirkszoon Kock (2nd time)   (s.a.)
29 Oct 1805 - 27 May 1815  Johannes Palm Hzn. (interim)
Jan 1807 - 27 May 1815     Jean François du Briel
                             (British superintendent)
Commanders
27 May 1815 - 11 Oct 1817  Samuel Bartholomeus van den Broek  (b. 17.. - d. 1817)
                             (vice-commander to 1816)
11 Oct 1817 - 23 Mar 1827  Isaac Debrot                       (b. 1771 - d. 1850)
23 Mar 1827 - 21 Mar 1840  Claas Schotborgh                   (b. 1775 - d. 1840)
24 Mar 1840 - Jun 1848     Jan Schotborgh Claaszoon           (b. 1800? - d. 1876)
Lieutenant governors (gezaghebbers)
Jun 1848 -  1 Apr 1854     Jan Schotborgh Claaszoon           (s.a.)
Aug 1853 -  5 Jan 1859     Cornelis Boyé                      (b. 1805 - d. 1876)
                             (acting for Schotborgh to 1 Apr 1854)
21 Jan 1859 - 14 Dec 1865  Herman François Gerardus Wagner    (b. 1822 - d. 1904)
                             (acting to 1860)
14 Mar 1866 -  1 Jun 1871  Edouard Dénis Ernest van den       (b. 1831 - d. 1908)
                             Bossche                  
 1 Jun 1871 - 20 Feb 1873  Jan Helenus Ferguson (acting)      (b. 1826 - d. 1908)
20 Feb 1873 - 20 Oct 1881  John George Louis Illidge van
                             Romondt                          (b. 1833 - d. 1896)
20 Oct 1881 - 10 Jul 1885  Johan Hendrik Waters Gravenhorst
10 Jul 1885 - 15 Mar 1890  Vincent Rogers van Romondt         (b. 1843 - d. 1899)
10 Aug 1890 - 13 Jun 1910  Arend Evert Johannes van den
                             Brandhof                         (b. 1861 - d. 1910)
20 Apr 1905 -  1 Jun 1907  Herman Statius Muller
                             (acting for Brandhof)
28 Jun 1910 - 16 Apr 1920  Jacob Achilles Petrus Thielen      (b. 1871 - d. 1942)
                             (acting to 1 May 1911)
 1 Dec 1918 -  1 Mar 1919  P.L. Gorsira (acting for Thielen)
11 Apr 1919 - 16 Apr 1919  Carel Pieter de Haseth             (b. 1882 - d. 1928)
                             (acting for Thielen)
27 Oct 1919 - 21 Nov 1919  Jan Louis Carel Monsanto
                             (acting for Thielen)
 7 Mar 1920 - 13 Mar 1920  Julio Herrera (acting for Thielen)
25 Apr 1920 - 20 Jul 1921  Carel Pieter de Haseth             (s.a.)
20 Jul 1921 -  6 Sep 1923  Richard Johannes Beaujon, Jr.      (b. 1883 - d. 19..)
 1 Oct 1923 - 20 Aug 1927  Johan Hendrik Perret Gentil Lz.    (b. 1889 - d. 1950)
 6 Apr 1925 - 29 Apr 1925  William Rufus Plantz (1st time)    (b. 1895 - d. 1984)
                             (acting for Perret Gentil)
22 Nov 1925 - 17 Jan 1926  William Rufus Plantz (2nd time)    (s.a.)
                             (acting for Perret Gentil)
 7 Aug 1927 - 12 Aug 1927  William Rufus Plantz (3rd time)    (s.a.)
                             (acting for Perret Gentil)
20 Aug 1927 -  7 Feb 1928  William Rufus Plantz               (s.a.)
11 Feb 1928 - 31 Dec 1934  Herman Bernard Cornelis Schotborgh (b. 1898 - d. ....)
 1 Jan 1935 - 26 Oct 1939  Johan Marin Statius van Eps        (b. 1894 - d. ....)
26 Oct 1939 -  7 Oct 1943  Pieter Hendrik van Leeuwen         (b. 1893 - d. ....)
31 Dec 1943 -  9 Feb 1952  Xavier Henri Charles Marie Krugers (b. 1896 - d. 1986)
 9 Feb 1952 -  5 Nov 1956  Willem George Shon Weis de Haseth  (b. 1915)
                             (1st time)
Nov 1956 - Dec 1956        Hendrik Anthonius Hessling (acting)
12 Dec 1956 - 1957         Antonius Johannes van Hesteren     (b. 1922) 
                             (1st time)
1957 - 1958                Willem George Shon Weis de Haseth  (s.a.)
                             (2nd time)
1958 - 1963                Antonius Johannes van Hesteren     (s.a.) 
                             (2nd time)
 6 Jan 1963 -  6 Jan 1969  Elias José Morkos                  (b. 1919 - d. 1982)
23 Jun 1969 - 24 May 1973  Raymundo Pedro Saleh
24 Mat 1973 - 18 Dec 1985  Alfred Richard Wenseslau Sint Jago
Dec 1985 - Feb 1986        A.J. Cecilia (acting?)
12 Feb 1986 -  1 Feb 1992  George Albert Soliana              (b. 1950)
  1 Feb 1992 - 31 Jan 1998  Frits Martinus de los Santos       (b. 1951)
                             Goedgedrag
31 Jan 1998 -  2 Dec 2003  Richard Nelson Hart                (b. 1943)
 2 Dec 2003 - 24 Oct 2008  Herbert Filomeno Domacassé         (b. 1947?) 
24 Oct 2008 - 31 Dec 2011  Glenn Albert Edward Thodé          (b. 1965)
 1 Jan 2012 -  1 Mar 2012  Peter Silberie (acting)
 1 Mar 2012 -              Lydia Emerencia (f)                (b. 1954)


Leaders of the government (unofficial post)
1954 - ....                ....
.... - 2009                Ramonsito Booi                                           UPB 
2009 - 2011                Jopie Abraham                                            PDB
Chairman of the Central Committee
2011 -                     Robbie Beukenboom                                        PDB


Caribbean Netherlands
[National flag of the Netherlands]
Representatives of the National Government
(for the public bodies of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba)
 1 Jan 2009 - 10 Oct 2010  Henk Kamp (commissioner)           (b. 1952)             VVD
10 Oct 2010 -  1 May 2011  Hans Gerritsen (acting)            (b. 1958?)
 1 May 2011 -              Wilbert J. Stolte                  (b. 1950)             CDA
 
  
Party abbreviations: CDA = Christen Democratisch Appèl (Christian-Democratic Appeal, christian-democratic, center-right, est.11 Oct 1980 by merger of KVP, ARP, & CHU); PDB = Partido Demokratiko Boneiriano/Partido Democratico Bonairano (Democratic Party of Bonaire, progressive social-democratic, est.1954); UPB = Union Patritiko Boneiriano/Union Patriotico Bonairano (Patriotic Union of Bonaire, Bonaire regionalist, est.1969); VVD = Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie (People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, conservative 'liberal', center-right, est.24 Jan 1948)




© Ben Cahoon