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Bonaire

• Special Municipality of the Netherlands
• possession of the Netherlands
• until 2010 part of the Netherlands Antilles

Contents

• Flag

• Historical Flags

• Meaning/Origin of the Flag

• Coat of Arms

• Meaning/Origin of the Coat of Arms

• Map

• Numbers and Facts

• History

• Origin of the Country's Name

Flag

Flagge of Bonaire,
ratio = 2:3,
Source, by: Corel Draw 4

Historical Flags

1635–1807, 1815–1959,
Flag of the Netherlands,
Source, by: World Statesmen





1959–1986,
Flag of the Netherlands Antilles,
Source, by: Wikipedia (D)





1986–2010,
Flag of the Netherlands Antilles,
Source, by: Wikipedia (D)

Meaning/Origin of the Flag

The flag of Bonaire was introduced on the 15th of December in 1981. It is diagonally divided. The lower part is blue, the upper part is diagonally divided again between white and yellow. In the in this way arising broad white diagonal mean stripe is placed the schematic representation of a compass with a six-pointed red star in it. To declare meaning and origin of the Flag there are some ways:
• The red star stands for the inhabitants of the island and the six points symbolize the six administrative districts of the island.
• Blue stands for the real world and yellow for the spiritual world. The compass exemplifys that the inhabitants of Bonaire are able to orientate very well among both worlds.
• Red stands for blood, power and will to fight, yellow for sun and the flora of the island, white stands for peace and freedom and blue symbolizes the ocean.

Source: Flaggen Enzyklopädie

Coat of Arms

Coat of arms of Bonaire,
Source, by: Wikipedia (D)

Meaning/Origin of the Coat of Arms

The coat of arms shows a blue shield on it a golden steering wheel and a white heart shield, on the heart shield appears the symbol of the flag, the stylized compass with the red star in the middle. Above the shield is placed a golden crown. The red star stands for the islanders and the six corners symbolize the six counties of the island.

Source: Wikipedia (D)

Map

Click/tap to enlarge
Source: Free Maps www.mapcruzin.com

Numbers and Facts

Area: 111 sq.mi.

Inhabitants: 18.413 (2014)

Density of Population: 166 inh./sq.mi.

Capital: Kralendijk, 2.065 inh. (2011)

official Languages: Dutch, Papiamento

other Languages: Spanish, English

Currency (to 31.12.2010): 1 Netherlands Antilles Florin (NAFl.) = 100 Cent

Currency (from 01.01.2011): 1 US-Dollar (USD, $) = 100 Cent

Time Zone: GMT – 4 h

Source: Wikipedia (D)

History

to 2010 => look Netherlands Antilles

10th of October 2010 · Netherlands Antilles become dissolved administratively. Bonaire becomes a special municipality of the Netherlands, but belongs not to any province

Source: Wikipedia (D)

Origin of the Country's Name

The word "Bonaire" goes back to the name "Bonay", which gave the former natives from the tribe of the Arawak of their island. It means "flat land" or "deep down country".
Source: www.atlantis-magazin.de

According to other sources name "Bonaire" has its roots in the French word "bon aire", which means "good air".
Source: Handbuch der geographischen Namen