Bonaire — Country and Tourist Information
Country Facts
- Location
- Caribbean, 80km (50 miles) north of Venezuela.
- 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.
- Area
- 290 sq km (112 sq miles).
- Time Zone
- GMT - 4.
- Electricity
- 127 volts AC, 50Hz.
- Population
- 14,006 (2006).
- Population Density
- 48 per sq km.
- Capital City
- Kralendijk. Population: 3,061 (2006).
- Government
- Part of the Netherlands Antilles. Bonaire is therefore a dependency of The Netherlands.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
Communications
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. 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 (www.bonairereporter.com). There is a government-run TV station broadcast from Curaçao.
Post
Airmail to and from Europe takes four to six days. Surface mail takes up to six weeks.
Public Holidays
Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2011-December 2012 period.
2010
15 Dec Kingdom Day
25 Dec - 26 Dec Christmas
2011
1 Jan New Year’s Day
7 Mar Carnival Monday
22 Apr - 25 Apr Easter
30 Apr Queen’s Birthday Celebrations and Rincón’s Day
1 May Labor Day
2 Jun Ascension Day
12 Jun Pentecost
6 Sep Bonaire Flag Day
21 Oct Antilles Day
15 Dec Kingdom Day
25 Dec - 26 Dec Christmas
2012
1 Jan New Year’s Day
15 Feb *Carnival Monday
6 Apr - 9 Apr Easter
30 Apr Queen’s Birthday Celebrations and Rincón’s Day
1 May Labor Day
17 May Ascension Day
27 May Pentecost
6 Sep Bonaire Flag Day
21 Oct Antilles Day
15 Dec Kingdom Day
25 Dec Christmas Day
* To be confirmed.
Contact Information
Diplomatic Representation
Bonaire is part of the Netherlands Antilles represented abroad by Royal Netherlands Embassies – see The Netherlands section.
British Embassy in Caracas (nearest British Embassy to Bonaire)
Torre La Castellana, Ist Floor, Avenida La Principal de la Castellana, La Castellana, Caracas 1061, Venezuela
Tel: (0) 212 267 1275.
Website: www.ukinvenezuela.fco.gov.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 0800-1630, Fri 0800-1315.
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
