World Country Guide

General Information

Area
290 sq km (112 sq miles).

Population
14,169 (1996).

Population Density
49 per sq km.

Capital
Kralendijk. Population: 1800 (2002).

Geography
Bonaire is the second-largest island in the Netherlands Antilles and is located 80km (50 miles) north of Venezuela and 48km (30 miles) east of Curaao. The landscape is flat and rocky and, owing to low annual rainfall, Bonaire has a fairly barren desert climate. The island has small beautiful beaches and safe waters.

Government
Part of the Netherlands Antilles; dependency of The Netherlands. Head of State: Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, represented locally by Governor Frits Goedgedrag since 2002. Head of Government: Prime Minister Etienne Ys since 2002. The Netherlands Antilles consist of Bonaire, Curaao, Saba, St Eustatius and St Maarten. The capital of the island group is Willemstad, Curaao.

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.

Communications

Telephone
IDD is available. Country code: 599. Outgoing international code: 00. It is cheaper to make international calls from phone booths in the Telbo building than from resorts.

Mobile telephone
Communications Systems Curaao NV operates GSM 1900 coverage, and Curaao Telecom NV (website: www.curacaotelecom.com) and Seltel NV operate GSM 900 and GSM 900/1800, respectively, across the whole of the Netherlands Antilles. Mobile telephones can be hired on the island from Cell Rent or Cellularone. The local network provider is Obersi Electronics.

Internet
ISPs include Bonairelive (website: www.bonairelive.net) which operates an Internet Access Center. There are three Internet cafes in Kralendijk and a coin-operated Internet kiosk at the Harborside Mall and also in Kralendijk.

Telegram
Facilities are available in the post office in Kralendijk and main hotels.

Post
Airmail to and from Europe takes 4 to 6 days. Surface mail takes up to 6 weeks.

Press
The main Dutch-language newspapers are Algemeen Dagblad, Amigoe, Bala, Extra, La Prensa, Nabo, Telegraaf and Vigilante are published in Papiamento.

Radio
BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.