Bonaire - Tourism and Travel

The island of Bonaire is a public body of the Netherlands located in the Caribbean Sea, 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Venezuela.

It has an area of 112 square miles (290 square kilometers).

The capital of Bonaire is Kralendijk

15,800 people live in Bonaire.

Dutch is the official language.

Papiamento, Spanish and English are also spoken.

Tourism is the mainstay of the economy of Bonaire.

Snorkeling and scuba diving among the coral reefs that surround the coast are popular tourist activities.

More 170 bird species live on Bonaire. The flamingo is the national symbol of Bonaire.

Washington-Slagbaai National Park, which makes up 20% of the island, is popular with bird watchers.

The beaches of this national park are an important sea turtle nesting ground.

Iguanas and wild donkeys can also be found here

Bonaire used to be a part of the Netherlands Antilles,which was dissolved in September 2010.

During World War II, Bonaire was used as an internment camp for captured Dutch Nazis and captured Germans.