Oranjestad, Sint Eustatius

Oranjestad (Dutch pronunciation: [oːˈrɑɲəstɑt]; English: Orange[3] Town) is a small town of approximately 1,000 inhabitants; it is the capital of the island of Sint Eustatius in the Caribbean Netherlands.

This article is about the capital of Sint Eustatius. For the capital town of Aruba, see Oranjestad, Aruba.
Oranjestad
Town
Beach of Lower Town.
Location on the island of Sint Eustatius
Coordinates: 17°29′N 62°59′W
CountryNetherlands
Public bodySint Eustatius
Time zoneUTC-4 (AST)
ClimateAw
Oranjestad Lighthouse
LocationOranjestad
Sint Eustatius
Coordinates17°29′01.7″N 62°59′13.1″W
Year first constructed1893 (first)
Foundationconcrete base
Constructionmetal skeletal tower
Tower shapesquare pyramidal skeletal tower with balcony and light
Tower height20 metres (66 ft)
Focal height40 metres (130 ft)
Light sourcesolar power
Range17 nautical miles (31 km; 20 mi)
CharacteristicFl (3) W 15s.
Admiralty numberJ5668.5
NGA number14742[1][2]

Geography

Oranjestad is a historic harbour town which is divided into two main sections. Lower Town is a strip of buildings just above sea level along the waterfront, which borders on the island's safest beach. Lower Town includes dive shops, numerous colonial-era ruins, and the harbour. Upper Town has a restored historic core, and is also the island's main commercial and residential centre.

Climate
Climate data for Oranjestad, Sint Eustatius (1971-2000)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 28.3
(82.9)		 28.4
(83.1)		 28.8
(83.8)		 29.4
(84.9)		 30.1
(86.2)		 30.8
(87.4)		 31.1
(88.0)		 31.2
(88.2)		 31.0
(87.8)		 30.6
(87.1)		 29.8
(85.6)		 28.7
(83.7)		 29.9
(85.7)
Daily mean °C (°F) 25.3
(77.5)		 25.2
(77.4)		 25.5
(77.9)		 26.2
(79.2)		 27.1
(80.8)		 27.9
(82.2)		 28.0
(82.4)		 28.1
(82.6)		 27.9
(82.2)		 27.4
(81.3)		 26.6
(79.9)		 25.5
(77.9)		 26.7
(80.1)
Average low °C (°F) 22.5
(72.5)		 22.3
(72.1)		 22.7
(72.9)		 23.3
(73.9)		 24.1
(75.4)		 25.0
(77.0)		 24.9
(76.8)		 25.0
(77.0)		 24.7
(76.5)		 24.4
(75.9)		 23.7
(74.7)		 23.1
(73.6)		 23.8
(74.9)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 52.0
(2.05)		 50.5
(1.99)		 48.8
(1.92)		 55.7
(2.19)		 87.1
(3.43)		 60.6
(2.39)		 74.1
(2.92)		 106.9
(4.21)		 123.2
(4.85)		 106.5
(4.19)		 128.6
(5.06)		 74.6
(2.94)		 985.8
(38.81)
Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm) 11.1 8.9 7.6 7.4 9.5 7.4 11.2 12.1 12.2 11.2 13.3 12.6 125.4
Source: Meteo Curacao[4]

History

Historical sites
Fort Oranje
The restored 'Gezaghebber House' on Kerkstraat

The main historical site in Oranjestad is Fort Oranje, a well-maintained, 17th-century fort in the direct centre of the town, overlooking the waterfront. This cliffside fort has cannons, intact bastions and a courtyard. Nearby is a museum, the ruins of one of the oldest synagogues in the Western Hemisphere, and a Jewish cemetery.

The town's historical features also include a Dutch Reformed church built in 1755, which is partly in ruins but still accessible (its tower can be climbed for long-distance views), various restored 18th-century merchants’ residences – including the oldest one, the Gezaghebber House (former Lieutenant Governor's residence) on Kerkstraat – and restored wooden Caribbean-style houses. Snorkeling in Oranje Bay is also interesting because of the parts of 18th century buildings on the bay side that were swept into the sea.

Facilities

Oranjestad itself contains grocery stores, restaurants, bars, a library, schools, a clinic and the administrative offices of the government.

See also

References
  1. Sint Eustatius The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 27 January 2017
  2. List of Lights, Pub. 110: Greenland, The East Coasts of North and South America (Excluding Continental U.S.A. Except the East Coast of Florida) and the West Indies (PDF). List of Lights. United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. 2016.
  3. The House of Orange-Nassau — Dutch: Het Huis Oranje-Nassau — read Prince of Orange (Dutch: Prins van Oranje) and related articles for more.
  4. "SUMMARY OF CLIMATOLOGICAL DATA, PERIOD 1971 - 2000" (PDF). Meteo Curacao. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
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