St Eustatius Travel Guide - Key Facts

Eastern Caribbean, Windward Islands.

GMT - 4.

21 sq km (8 sq miles).

3,183 (official figure 2006).

152 per sq km.

Oranjestad.

Politically, St Eustatius is one of three Windward Islands in the Netherlands Antilles; geographically it is part of the Leeward Group of the Lesser Antilles. It lies 286km (178 miles) east of Puerto Rico, 171km (106 miles) east of St Croix, 56km (35 miles) due south of St Maarten and 14km (9 miles) northwest of St Kitts. On the south end of the island is an extinct volcano called The Quill, which has a lush rainforest in the crater. Twice a year, sea turtles clamber up onto the black volcanic sands that rim the island to lay their eggs; giant land crabs hunt on the beaches every night.

The Netherlands Antilles consist of Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St Eustatius and St Maarten. The capital of the island group is Willemstad, Curaçao.

Part of the Netherlands Antilles; dependency of The Netherlands since 1630.  

Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands, represented locally by Governor Frits Goedgedrag since 2002.

Prime Minister Emily de Jongh-Elhage since 2006.

The Netherlands Antilles will be dissolved as a political entity in December 2008; larger islands will become independent and St Eustatius will gain city status in The Netherlands.

Dutch is the official language. Papiamento (a mixture of African, Dutch, English, Portuguese and Spanish) is the commonly used lingua franca. English and Spanish are also widely spoken.

The majority are Protestant with a Roman Catholic minority.

110 volts AC, 60Hz. Plugs with two flat prongs are in use.

Dutch customs are still important throughout the Netherlands Antilles, but US influences from the Virgin Islands nearby are dominant on St Eustatius. It is conventional to shake hands on meeting someone. Dress is casual and lightweight cottons are advised. Bathing suits should be confined to the beach and poolside areas only. It is common to dress up in the evening.