Spaanse Water
Spaanse Water
Spaanse Water
Spaanse Water is located in Curaçao
Spaanse Water
Spaanse Water
Location in Curaçao
Coordinates: 12°04′02″N 68°51′00″W / 12.0673°N 68.8501°W / 12.0673; -68.8501
StateKingdom of the Netherlands
CountryCuraçao
DistrictBandariba[1]
Area
[2]
 • Total20.98 km2 (8.10 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[3]
 • Total3,119
 • Density150/km2 (390/sq mi)

Spaanse Water is a town on the island of Curaçao. It contains the tourist resort Nieuwpoort,[4] the village of Santa Barbara,[1] and the Tafelberg.[5] Spaanse Water is a natural harbour and lagoon located to the east of Willemstad. The lagoon contains several bays and little islands.[6]

History

Fort Beekenburg (2010)

Spaanse Water was a strategically important location. In 1703, Fort Beekenburg was constructed on the Caracas Bay to protect the natural harbour and the back route to Willemstad.[7] The fort was built by Nicolaas van Beek who at the time served as Director of Curaçao.[8] It has been attacked several times by the French, English, and pirates, but has never been conquered.[9] The fort used to be owned by Royal Dutch Shell, but since 2005, it is publicly accessible.[7]

Oil terminal in Spaanse Water with Tafelberg in the background

Santa Barbara is a plantation founded in 1662, and was one of the oldest and largest plantations on the island. It was not very profitable,[10] and sold in January 1875. The plantation was subsequently resold to John Godden in May 1875 who started a large scale phosphate mine on the terrain.[11] In 1915, a calcium mine was added to the site.[5] The mines are still active, and the mining company has estimated that the reserves will last until 2045.[12] In 1927, Royal Dutch Shell built an oil terminal in Spaanse Water. The oil terminal closed in 2005.[9]

In the late 20th century, Spaanse Water developed into a tourist location. The resorts Nieuwpoort,[4] Jan Thiel, and Santa Barbara Beach & Golf were established for the tourists.[13]

References

  1. 1 2 Buurtprofiel Spaanse Water 2011, p. 6.
  2. ↑ Buurtprofiel Spaanse Water 2011, p. 10.
  3. ↑ "Census 2011". Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Nieuwpoort". TUI (in Dutch). Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  5. 1 2 Buurtprofiel Spaanse Water 2011, p. 9.
  6. ↑ "Spaanse Water" (in Dutch). Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  7. 1 2 "Fort Beekenburg". Columbus Magazine (in Dutch). Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  8. ↑ "Kiekje uit de West". Haagsche courant (in Dutch). 27 July 1933. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  9. 1 2 "Fort Beekenburg" (in Dutch). Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  10. ↑ Buurtprofiel Spaanse Water 2011, p. 7.
  11. ↑ Benjamins, Herman Daniël; Snelleman, Johannes (1917). Encyclopaedie van Nederlandsch West-Indië (in Dutch). Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. p. 560. Retrieved 24 April 2021. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  12. ↑ "Fuik Beach". Beautiful Curacao (in Dutch). Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  13. ↑ "Spaanse Water Jan Thiel" (in Dutch). Retrieved 24 April 2021.

Bibliography

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