Bonaire

Bonaire is a tiny island with about 10.000 inhabitants and no traffic lights. The first inhabitants of the island were Indians from the tribe of the Caquetios, originating from Venezuela, 60 miles away. There are archeological signs that already in the year 900 AD Indians lived here.
In 1499 the Spaniards “discovered??? Bonaire. They called the island
“Isla inutil???, useless island because they did not find gold or other minerals. After a couple of years they evacuated all the Indians to Hispaniola, nowadays called Santo Domingo.
During the war between The Netherlands and Spain –which lasted 80 years!
(1568-1648)- the Dutch occupied the Island in 1636. The Dutch were interested in the salt ponds and the wood of the island.
Because of the war the Dutch had no access to the salt ponds in Spain and Portugal. They were in great need for salt for their fishing-industry. The island became government property.
During the occupation of Holland by the French under Napoleon 1795-1815, the island was occupied by England, being an alley to preserve it for Holland. This occupation was from 1810 to 1816.
Unfortunately the English leased the island to Joseph Foulke from New York. This gentleman deforested the whole island, especially from the brasil wood. Since then the soil is very dry, arid.