The Bottom

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The Bottom
Town
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
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The Bottom
Lesser Antilles location map.svg
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The Bottom
Caribbean location map.svg
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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]
 • Total462
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] It is the hometown of ESC Oxyo.

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 Chuch 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. Men in The Bottom 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 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, a 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]

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. [12] [13] Carnival Village, where the majority of the events take place, is located in The Bottom. [14] Each night during the week, there is live music at Carnival Village. [15] The jourvert parade (very early Saturday morning) [16] begins in Windwardside and ends in The Bottom. The Grand Parade and the Second Parade take place in The Bottom on Saturday and Sunday. [17] Locals and tourists congregate in The Bottom for the parades, [12] which include energetic music, colorful floats, and troupes wearing colorful costumes. [18] [19]

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. [20] [21] The Bottom hosts a concert at the sports field, where local (and neighbouring) Caribbean artists come to perform. [22] [20] There are fishing competitions at sea, drawing competitions for children, dance performances, cookouts, and more. [20]

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 [27]

See also

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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. 1 2 "Saba's carnival week 2023 was fun and safe". Saba News. 2023-08-03. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  13. ↑ "Saba Carnival 'forty years long, still jamming strong'". Saba-News.com. July 24, 2015. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023.
  14. ↑ Department, Graphics (2018-08-03). "Public Entity Saba thankful for 'safe and enjoyable' Carnival". The Daily Herald. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  15. ↑ "Saba Carnival - Saba". ArrivalGuides.com. 2023-03-22. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  16. ↑ "2023 Carnival Poster presented". Saba News. 2023-07-20. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  17. ↑ 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.
  18. ↑ Windt, Daniella De (2022-07-28). "Saba's Nostalgic and Modern 2022 Carnival". The Daily Herald. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  19. ↑ "Events - Saba Tourism". 2018-07-20. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  20. 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.
  21. ↑ Department, Graphics (2020-12-07). "Saba celebrates 45 years of Saba Day with vigour". The Daily Herald. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  22. ↑ Dept, Editorial (2022-12-04). "Saba gathers for 47th edition of Saba Day". The Daily Herald. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Hiking | Saba Tourism". 2022-03-10. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 "Plan your Hike". Saba Conservation Foundation. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  25. 1 2 3 "Plan your Hike". Saba Conservation Foundation. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  26. ↑ The villages of Saba (Saba Tourist Bureau)
  27. ↑ "The Bottom, Saba: Summary of Climatological Data, Period 1971-2000" (PDF). Meteorological Department Curaçao. Retrieved 22 September 2016.

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