Sint Eustatius

Sint Eustatius, also known affectionately to the locals as Statia (/ˈsteɪʃə/) or Statius, is a Caribbean island and a special municipality (officially public body) of the Netherlands.

It lies in the northern Leeward Islands portion of the West Indies, southeast of the Virgin Islands and immediately to the northwest of Saint Kitts and Nevis and to the southeast of Saba. The island is named after the legendary Christian martyr Saint Eustace. The regional capital is Oranjestad.

The island has an area of 21 km² (8.1 sq. miles). In the 2001 census, the population was recorded as 3,543 inhabitants, equating to a population density of 169 inhabitants per square kilometre. The official languages are Dutch and English. A local English-based creole is also spoken informally. Travel to the island by air is through F.D. Roosevelt Airport.

Formerly part of the Netherlands Antilles, Sint Eustatius became a special municipality within the country of the Netherlands on 10 October 2010.

The name of the island "Sint Eustatius" is a reference to Saint Eustace (also spelled Eustachius or Eustathius), a legendary Christian martyr known in Spanish as San Eustaquio and in Portuguese as Santo Eustáquio or Santo Eustácio.

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