Saba

In 1493 Christopher Columbus spotted the island but due to it treacherous terrain did not set foot. In 1632 a group of shipwrecked Englishmen were the first European settlers.  The Englishmen reported the island was already inhibited and ancient artifacts revealed Amerindian settlers. In 1640, the Dutch West Indian Company (already settled in St. Eustatius) brought people over to colonize the island. For almost 200 years the island switched power between The Dutch, French, Spanish, and English. The Dutch took power in 1816 and kept power for almost two centuries. Slavery did not last long in Saba because life on the island was hard and needed everyone to work together to survive. The men of the island were mostly sailors and fisherman, which sent them away for long periods of time, giving Saba the nickname “The Island of Women!” Women made many types of clothing that acquired the name “Saba Lace” and is still sold in many places across the island. Until 1943, transportation was almost impossible on the island. “The Road” is the only road on Saba and took 15 years to be completed. An airport linked to St. Marteen was opened in 1963. A pier opened in 1972 allowed not only fishing boats, but dive boats and sailboats. The construction of the pier is what opened the island of Saba to tourism. The Saba Conversation Foundation (SCF) was created in 1987. Their mission is to preserve Saba’s Natural and cultural heritage leaving it to be one of the only islands in the Caribbean not touched by big industries and corporations. Saba was ruled by the Dutch for almost 200 years and in 2010 became a part of a Special municipality of the Kingdom of the Netherlands together with the islands of St. Eustatius and Bonaire in 2010.

Saba's Flag