Bonaire Country & Tourist Information

Location
Caribbean, 80km (50 miles) north of Venezuela.

Area
290 sq km (112 sq miles).

Population
14,006 (2006).

Population Density
48 per sq km.

Capital
Kralendijk.
Population: 3,061 (2006).

Government
Part of the Netherlands Antilles. Bonaire is therefore a dependency of The Netherlands.

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

Religion
Predominantly Roman Catholic with a Protestant minority. There are many evangelical churches of different denominations, and a new mosque has also been erected on the island.

Time
GMT - 4.

Electricity
127 volts AC, 50Hz.

Head of Government
Prime Minister Emily de Jongh-Elhage since 2006.

Head of State
Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, represented locally by Governor Frits Goedgedrag since 2002.

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

The islands are self-governing although foreign affairs and defense are handled by the Dutch government. Prime Minister Emily de Jongh-Elhage is also leader of the Party for the Restructured Antilles.

Telephone
Country code: 599.

Mobile Telephone
Roaming agreements exist with some international mobile phone companies. Coverage is average.

Internet
There are Internet cafes in Kralendijk and varius Internet Access Centers around the island. WiFi is also available between Flamingo Airport, at the southern-most point of Bonaire, to Playa Lechi.

Media
The country enjoys freedom of the press and speech as guaranteed under Dutch law.

Post
Airmail to and from Europe takes four to six days. Surface mail takes up to six weeks.

Press
• The weekly English-language Bonaire Reporter is an independent publication focusing on news as it relates to the island's residents and visitors. It is distributed free on the island and publishes online (website: http://bonairereporter.com).

Radio
• Voz di Bonaire is popular.
• There are several other radio stations broadcast from the rest of the Netherlands Antilles.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2009-December 2010 period.

2009
1 Jan New Year's Day.
23 Feb Carnival Monday.
10-13 Apr Easter.
30 Apr Queen's Birthday Celebrations and Rincón's Day.
1 May Labor Day.
21 May Ascension Day.
31 May Pentecost.
6 Sep Bonaire Flag Day.
21 Oct Antilles Day.
15 Dec Kingdom Day.
25-26 Dec Christmas.

2010
1 Jan New Year's Day.
15 Feb Carnival Monday.
2-5 Apr Easter.
30 Apr Queen's Birthday Celebrations and Rincón's Day.
1 May Labor Day.
13 May Ascension Day.
23 May Pentecost.
6 Sep Bonaire Flag Day.
21 Oct Antilles Day.
15 Dec Kingdom Day.
25-26 Dec Christmas.

Contact Information:

Diplomatic Representation
Bonaire is part of the Netherlands Antilles represented abroad by Royal Netherlands Embassies – see The Netherlands section.

Office of the Minister Plenipotentiary of the Netherlands Antilles
Antillenhuis, Badhuisweg 173-175, PO Box 90706, 2509 LS The Hague, The Netherlands
Tel: (70) 306 6111.
Website: www.antillenhuis.nl


Tourism Corporation Bonaire in Europe
Basis Communicatie BV, Wagenweg 252, PO Box 472, NL 2000, Al-Haarlem, The Netherlands
Tel: (23) 543 0705.
Website: www.infobonaire.com or www.tourismbonaire.com

Caribbean Tourism Organization in the UK
22 The Quadrant, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 1BP, UK
Tel: (020) 8948 0057.
Website: www.doitcaribbean.com

Tourism Corporation Bonaire in the USA
Adams Unlimited Public Relations & Marketing, 80 Broadstreet, 32nd Floor, Suite 3202, New York, NY 10004.
Tel: (212) 956 5912 or 1 800 266 2473.
Website: www.infobonaire.com or www.tourismbonaire.com


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