A special municipality/public body of
The Netherlands, Saba is a island in
The Caribbean consisting mostly of the Mount Scenery volcano, the highest point of the entire Netherlands. The capital and largest city is The Bottom, with there being only around 2,000 people in the entire territory, most of them being of African, Dutch, English and Scottish descent and many of them sharing the same surnames, particularly Hassell and Johnson. They also use the US Dollar as their currency.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, Saba's major industries were sugar, indigo, rum and fishing, the former three produced on plantations owned by Dutchmen living on St Eustatius. The territory also became a private sanctuary for pirates and smugglers due to it's steep and forbidding geography, making it a natural fortress. Legitimate sailing and trade also became important later, and many of the island's men took to the sea, during which time pulled thread work by women, locally known as Saba lace, became an important product. It made up the primary source of revenue for the island in the late 19th and the early 20th centuries, with the island being nicknamed "The Island of Women" due to most of the men being out at sea. Tourism now makes up the largest section of Saba's economy, with about 25,000 visitors each year.
The Saban flag
This flag was designed by an 18-year-old Saban named Edmond Daniel Johnson out of 130 different designs presented to the commission. The top is divided into two equal red triangles with the bottom divided into two equal blue triangles. In the flag's center is a white diamond with a golden/yellow five-pointed star in the middle representing Saba. The gold/yellow color signifies that Saba is a precious possession and dear to the hearts of all Sabans, and also symbolizes the wealth of natural beauty to be found on Saba and optimism for its future. The colors red, white and blue represent the historical and political ties between the Netherlands and other Dutch Islands. The white symbolizes peace, friendship, purity and rest, the red symbolizes unity, courage and decisiveness, and the blue stands for the sea, which plays an important part for the people of Saba, and also symbolizes Heaven.
Miscellaneous
- Capital and largest city: The Bottom
- Population: 1,933
- Area: 13 km² (5 sq mi)
- Currency: United States dollar ($) (USD)
- ISO-3166-1 Code: BQ
