Spaanse Water | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 12°04′02″N 68°51′00″W / 12.0673°N 68.8501°W | |
State | Kingdom of the Netherlands |
Country | Curaçao |
District | Bandariba [1] |
Area | |
• Total | 20.98 km2 (8.10 sq mi) |
Population (2011)
[3] | |
• Total | 3,119 |
• Density | 150/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]
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]
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]
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