The Bottom

Last updated
The Bottom
Capital city
Saba School of Medicine.jpg
The Bottom, with the campus of the School of Medicine at the bottom right
Saba.JPG
Map of Saba showing The Bottom
Saba location map.svg
Red pog.svg
The Bottom
Lesser Antilles location map.svg
Red pog.svg
The Bottom
Caribbean location map.svg
Red pog.svg
The Bottom
Coordinates: 17°37′34″N63°14′57″W / 17.62611°N 63.24917°W / 17.62611; -63.24917
CountryFlag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
Public body Flag of Saba.svg  Saba
Population
 (2001) [1]
 • Total
462
Time zone UTC-4 (AST)
Climate Aw

The Bottom (formerly Botte) is the capital and largest town of the island of Saba, [2] the Caribbean Netherlands. It is the first stop on the way from Saba's Port in Fort Bay towards the rest of the island. In 2001, it had 462 inhabitants of the total 1,349 islanders. [1] It is the administrative center of Saba. [3]

Contents

History

The first European settlements occurred around 1640, by colonists from Zeeland. [4] [5] [6] After a landslide destroyed their original settlement, these settlers established a village in The Bottom. [6] The original name of the village was De Botte, old Dutch for "The Bowl", referring to its geographical position in a valley surrounded by the various mountains. [5] "The Bottom" is an English corruption of this name. [7] After the Dutch settlers, Irish, English, and Scottish settlers followed, along with enslaved Africans, and the main language of the island's villages became English. [5]

Sacred Heart Catholic Church Sacred Heart Church, 1935 Vertical (6549989089).jpg
Sacred Heart Catholic Church

By the 1860s, The Bottom was one of 7 main districts, with St. John's, Windwardside, Booby Hill, Mary's Point (Palmetto Point), Hell's Gate, and Middle Island. [8] The Bottom district had its own elected head, as did the other districts. [5] In 1865, the population of The Bottom was 616 inhabitants. [8] In 1877, construction of Sacred Heart Catholic Church began in The Bottom; [8] the church is still operational today, although the building was replaced in 1909 and again in 1934. [5]

Throughout the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, most men in The Bottom engaged in farming or fishing. They also engaged in shipbuilding, which was one of Saba's industries in the 19th century. [5] Most women engaged in domestic work in the home, as well as hatmaking and local drawn thread work known as Saba Lace. [6]

Image of The Bottom circa 1911 Collectie Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen TM-60060975 Gezicht over The Bottom Bottom fotograaf niet bekend.jpg
Image of The Bottom circa 1911

By 1900, The Bottom was one of four main villages on Saba, along with St. John's, Windwardside, and Hell's Gate. [9] In 1909, a navigation school opened in The Bottom; it operated until 1922. [6] In 1919, construction began on the Weselyan Holiness Church in The Bottom; [5] the church is still operational today. In 1923, Queen Wilhemina Library opened in The Bottom; [5] the library is still operational today. Saba's first movie theater opened in 1953, and its second in 1964.

Wesleyan Holiness Church Saba's First Church (6549997211).jpg
Wesleyan Holiness Church

In the early- to mid- 20th century, there was extensive emigration from Saba, and The Bottom's population was cut almost in half. [6] [5] By 1972, the population of The Bottom had decreased to 341 inhabitants. [5]

In the mid- to late- 20th century, there was economic development on Saba, and especially in The Bottom and Windwardside. The first supermarket opened in The Bottom in 1964. [10] In 1992, the Saba University School of Medicine opened in The Bottom. In 2001, the population of Windwardside was 462 inhabitants. [11]

Infrastructure

The Bottom is home to the government offices, a hospital, a nursing home, Juliana Sports Field, three churches, a library, the Queen's Hotel resort, and various shops, restaurants, and bars. The Bottom is also the location of the Saba University School of Medicine. [2]

The city also has the largest Cruyff Court in the world, Cruyff Court Saba. [12]

Events

As capital of the island, The Bottom hosts a number of events throughout the year.

During the summer, the island's Carnival celebration (called Saba Carnival or Saba Summer Festival) takes place. Usually in late July, Saba Carnival is a weeklong festival that includes live music, food, dancing, games, and parades. [13] [14] Carnival Village, where the majority of the events take place, is located in The Bottom. [15] Each night during the week, there is live music at Carnival Village. [16] The jourvert parade (very early Saturday morning) [17] begins in Windwardside and ends in The Bottom. The Grand Parade and the Second Parade take place in The Bottom on Saturday and Sunday. [18] Locals and tourists congregate in The Bottom for the parades, [13] which include energetic music, colorful floats, and troupes wearing colorful costumes. [19] [20]

Another event held in The Bottom is Saba Day. This is the celebratory national day of the island, when all offices, schools and businesses are closed. The islanders honour their diversity and culture through various activities, performances and parades. [21] [22] The Bottom hosts a concert at the sports field, where local (and neighbouring) Caribbean artists come to perform. [23] [21] There are fishing competitions at sea, drawing competitions for children, dance performances, cookouts, and more. [21]

Hiking

The Bottom is the location of many trailheads.

Climate

Climate data for The Bottom, Saba (1971–2000)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °C (°F)30.4
(86.7)		30.8
(87.4)		30.7
(87.3)		31.7
(89.1)		31.9
(89.4)		32.5
(90.5)		32.8
(91.0)		33.2
(91.8)		33.2
(91.8)		32.1
(89.8)		32.0
(89.6)		31.1
(88.0)		33.2
(91.8)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)28.1
(82.6)		27.7
(81.9)		28.3
(82.9)		29.2
(84.6)		30.0
(86.0)		30.4
(86.7)		30.5
(86.9)		30.9
(87.6)		30.8
(87.4)		30.4
(86.7)		29.8
(85.6)		28.6
(83.5)		29.6
(85.3)
Daily mean °C (°F)25.7
(78.3)		25.3
(77.5)		25.7
(78.3)		26.6
(79.9)		27.4
(81.3)		28.1
(82.6)		28.1
(82.6)		28.5
(83.3)		28.5
(83.3)		28.2
(82.8)		27.4
(81.3)		26.3
(79.3)		27.2
(81.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)24.1
(75.4)		23.6
(74.5)		23.9
(75.0)		24.7
(76.5)		25.6
(78.1)		26.2
(79.2)		26.0
(78.8)		26.4
(79.5)		26.5
(79.7)		26.3
(79.3)		25.4
(77.7)		24.7
(76.5)		25.3
(77.5)
Record low °C (°F)20.8
(69.4)		20.0
(68.0)		21.4
(70.5)		22.1
(71.8)		22.6
(72.7)		23.1
(73.6)		21.8
(71.2)		22.0
(71.6)		22.4
(72.3)		22.4
(72.3)		22.6
(72.7)		21.3
(70.3)		20.0
(68.0)
Average rainfall mm (inches)36.8
(1.45)		75.3
(2.96)		35.4
(1.39)		28.1
(1.11)		95.9
(3.78)		44.4
(1.75)		60.8
(2.39)		77.0
(3.03)		60.5
(2.38)		35.5
(1.40)		134.5
(5.30)		76.5
(3.01)		760.5
(29.94)
Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm)10.310.36.34.06.75.85.86.37.33.510.09.786.0
Average relative humidity (%)82.082.378.278.878.081.984.588.887.481.271.174.580.7
Source: Meteorological Department Curaçao [28]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Netherlands Antilles</span> 1954–2010 Caribbean constituent country of the Netherlands

The Netherlands Antilles, also known as the Dutch Antilles, was a constituent Caribbean country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands consisting of the islands of Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten in the Lesser Antilles, and Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire in the Leeward Antilles. The country came into being in 1954 as the autonomous successor of the Dutch colony of Curaçao and Dependencies, and it was dissolved in 2010, when like Aruba in 1986, Sint Maarten and Curaçao gained status of constituent countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Bonaire gained status of special municipality of Netherlands as the Caribbean Netherlands. The neighboring Dutch colony of Surinam in continental South America, did not become part of the Netherlands Antilles but became a separate autonomous country in 1954. All the territories that belonged to the Netherlands Antilles remain part of the kingdom today, although the legal status of each differs. As a group they are still commonly called the Dutch Caribbean, regardless of their legal status. People from this former territory continue to be called Antilleans in the Netherlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saba (island)</span> Dutch Caribbean island

Saba is a Caribbean island and the smallest special municipality of the Netherlands. It consists largely of the dormant volcano Mount Scenery, which at 870 metres (2,854.3 ft) is the highest point of the entire Kingdom of the Netherlands. The island lies in the northern Leeward Islands portion of the West Indies, southeast of the Virgin Islands. Together with Bonaire and Sint Eustatius it forms the BES islands, also known as the Caribbean Netherlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windwardside</span> Village in Saba, Dutch Caribbean

Windwardside is the second largest town on the Dutch Caribbean island of Saba, aptly named for being on the windward side of the island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ladder Bay (Saba)</span> Bay in Saba National Marine Park, Saba

Ladder Bay is an anchorage on the leeward side of the Caribbean island of Saba. The bay sits on the west side of the island, directly under a set of 800 steps hand carved into the rocks locally known as "The Ladder". Until the construction of Saba's first pier in the 1970s, Ladder Bay was a primary point of entry for supplies to the island. An abandoned customs house sits on the lip of a cliff overlooking the bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Johns, Saba</span> Village in Saba, Dutch Caribbean

St. Johns is a settlement on the island of Saba, in the Caribbean Netherlands. It is located between the island's two largest settlements of The Bottom and Windwardside. St. John's is the smallest of Saba's four villages, with a population of 186. The village was the birthplace of Cornelia Jones, the first woman to hold public office in the Windward Islands. It is the current location of Saba's primary and secondary schools, making it the center of the Island's education. It is also one of the island's seismic monitoring sites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Scenery</span> Volcano in the Caribbean Netherlands

Mount Scenery is a dormant volcano in the Caribbean Netherlands. Its lava dome forms the summit of the Saba island stratovolcano. At an elevation of 870 m (2,854 ft), it is the highest point in both the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and, since the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles on 10 October 2010, the highest point in the Netherlands proper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zion's Hill</span> Village in Saba, Dutch Caribbean

Zion's Hill, also known by its former name Hell's Gate, is a town on the Dutch Caribbean island of Saba. Locally, it is divided into Upper Hell's Gate and Lower Hell's Gate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of Saba (island)</span>

Saba's culture bears the influence of its early settlers, among them the English, Scottish, Africans, and Dutch. Because Saba measures only five square miles and has a treacherous coastline, its population has always been small. Today its population numbers about 1,500 people, with approximately 250 being expatriates. Many of the non-Sabans teach at or attend the Saba University School of Medicine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catholic Church in the Dutch Caribbean</span> Catholic Church in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

The Catholic Church in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome.

An island council was the governing body of an island territory, an administrative level of the Netherlands Antilles until its dissolution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dutch Caribbean Police Force</span> Law enforcement agency

The Dutch Caribbean Police Force is the law enforcement agency of the Caribbean Netherlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sacred Heart Church, Saba</span> Church in Saba, Netherlands

The Sacred Heart Church is a religious building belonging to the Catholic Church and is located in the town of The Bottom, capital of the Caribbean island of Saba a dependent territory that has the status of special municipality of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean Sea or sea of the Antilles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cornelia Jones</span>

Cornelia Rosina Jones was a Dutch woman from the island of Saba, in the Caribbean Netherlands, who ran the Government Guesthouse on the island and was the first woman to serve on the Island Council of Saba, making her the first female to hold office in the Windward Islands. She was honored by Queen Juliana of the Netherlands for her years of service to Saba.

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba since 10 October 2012, the effective date of legislation passed by the States General of the Netherlands enabling same-sex couples to marry. The Caribbean Netherlands was the first jurisdiction in the Caribbean to legalise same-sex marriage, and was followed a few months later by French territories, including Guadeloupe and Martinique, in May 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Road (Saba)</span> Primary road on Saba, Dutch Caribbean

The Road is the unofficial name for the cement road that connects the villages of Saba, Netherlands, a Caribbean island. It is nicknamed as "The Road That Couldn't Be Built." It is the primary road on the island, spanning 8.7 miles. It was constructed by local Sabans between 1938 and 1963, without the use of machines.

Island council elections were held in the Netherlands Antilles on 29 April and 6 May 1983 to elect the members of the island councils of its six island territories. The election was won by the People's Electoral Movement in Aruba, the Bonaire Democratic Party in Bonaire, the New Antilles Movement in Curaçao, the Windward Islands People's Movement in Saba, the Democratic Party Statia in Sint Eustatius, and the Democratic Party in Sint Maarten.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flat Point Tide Pools</span> Natural tidal pools on Saba, Dutch Caribbean

The Flat Point Tide Pools are located on the coast of Saba, in the Dutch Caribbean. They are located on the Flat Point peninsula Lower Hell's Gate. These tide pools feature large lava rock formations filled with colorful saltwater pools. The site was formed during volcanic activity about 5,000 years ago. A large lava flow went down the northeast side of the island into the ocean, forming the Flat Point peninsula as it cooled. Today the Flat Point Tide Pools are home to diverse marine life, and are a popular hiking location. The site is accessible via the Flat Point Trail below Saba's airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flat Point</span> Peninsula on Saba, Dutch Caribbean

Flat Point is an area on the northeastern coast of Saba, an island in the Dutch Caribbean. It is located in the lower part of the Hell's Gate village, known as Lower Hell's Gate. Flat Point is the location of Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport, the Tide Pools, ruins of a 17th-18th century sugar and indigo plantation, and Cove Bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Well's Bay</span> Coastal bay in Saba, Caribbean Netherlands

Well's Bay is a coastal bay on the island of Saba in the Dutch Caribbean. It is located on the northwestern coast of the island. The bay is one of a few places for swimming on Saba. Sometimes Well's Bay has a small beach, known locally as the “wandering beach” due to the black sand that appears and disappears seasonally and sporadically.

References

  1. 1 2 "Geodata 2001, Saba & Sint.Eustatius, Census 2001". Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek, Netherlands Antilles. 2001. p. 17. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  2. 1 2 The villages of Saba (Saba Tourist Bureau)
  3. ↑ "About Saba: History and Culture". Saba Tourism. 2018-06-21. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  4. ↑ "The Chronological History of Saba". The Saba Islander. 2021-02-06. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Hartog, Johannes (1975). History of Saba. Netherlands Antilles: Saba Artisan Foundation.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Crane, Julia G. (1971). Educated to Emigrate: The Social Organization of Saba. Round the World Publishing. ISBN   978-90-232-0702-3.
  7. ↑ "The Bottom". Beautiful Saba. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  8. 1 2 3 Hartog, Johannes (1975). History of Saba. Netherlands Antilles: Saba Artisan Foundation.
  9. ↑ Crane, Julia G. (1971). Educated to Emigrate: The Social Organization of Saba. Round the World Publishing. ISBN   978-90-232-0702-3.
  10. ↑ "The Chronological History of Saba". The Saba Islander. 2021-02-06. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  11. ↑ "Geodata 2001, Saba & Sint.Eustatius, Census 2001". Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek, Netherlands Antilles. 2001. p. 17. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  12. ↑ "Staatssecretaris Raymond Knops op Kennismakingsbezoek Saba (in Dutch)". bonaire.nu. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  13. 1 2 "Saba's carnival week 2023 was fun and safe". Saba News. 2023-08-03. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  14. ↑ "Saba Carnival 'forty years long, still jamming strong'". Saba-News.com. July 24, 2015. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023.
  15. ↑ Department, Graphics (2018-08-03). "Public Entity Saba thankful for 'safe and enjoyable' Carnival". The Daily Herald. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  16. ↑ "Saba Carnival - Saba". ArrivalGuides.com. 2023-03-22. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  17. ↑ "2023 Carnival Poster presented". Saba News. 2023-07-20. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  18. ↑ Byron, Anglina (2023-06-29). "EXCLUSIVE: Saba Carnival 2023 schedule announced, Makana Ferry sells tickets". Associates Times a Caribbean News website. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  19. ↑ Windt, Daniella De (2022-07-28). "Saba's Nostalgic and Modern 2022 Carnival". The Daily Herald. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  20. ↑ "Events - Saba Tourism". 2018-07-20. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  21. 1 2 3 Department, Graphics (2023-12-04). "Official ceremony of 48th Saba Day reflected on resilience and identity". The Daily Herald. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  22. ↑ Department, Graphics (2020-12-07). "Saba celebrates 45 years of Saba Day with vigour". The Daily Herald. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  23. ↑ Dept, Editorial (2022-12-04). "Saba gathers for 47th edition of Saba Day". The Daily Herald. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Hiking | Saba Tourism". 2022-03-10. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  25. 1 2 3 4 5 "Plan your Hike". Saba Conservation Foundation. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  26. 1 2 3 "Plan your Hike". Saba Conservation Foundation. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  27. ↑ The villages of Saba (Saba Tourist Bureau)
  28. ↑ "The Bottom, Saba: Summary of Climatological Data, Period 1971-2000" (PDF). Meteorological Department Curaçao. Retrieved 22 September 2016.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to The Bottom at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.