History of Saba

Christopher Columbus spotted Saba around 1493 during his second voyage to the America. However, first official landing on the island was only in 1632, when a group of Englishmen were shipwrecked on Saba's shores. They believed it to be uninhabited, but recent archaeological excavations suggest the discovery of the remains from either Arawak or Carib Indians. This is an indicator that they may have inhabited the island thousands of years ago.

Saba never became a major sugar-dynasty of the Caribbean. Therefore, its history followed a course that was very different from many of its sister islands in the region. Early European explorers avoided landing on Saba because of its dangerously bouldered and beach less coastline. In 1640, Dutch settlers arrived at Saba from St. Eustatius (Statia). Both the French and Spanish laid claim to the little island and ownership changed hands several times. Ultimately in 1816, the Dutch flag was raised after Saba had changed hands 12 times whilst French, Dutch, English and Spanish had vied for its control. 

Since Saba was not a major sugar producer as its plantations were very small, the island became a refuge for pirates from Jamaica and other places of the Caribbean. The pirates' bequest influenced the economic structure of the people of Saba. The men on the island later turned to legitimate shipping and became well-known sailors. They were requested by many overseas merchants. The women on the island also made great contributions to the economy by making exquisite hand-stitched lace and selling it to people in America.

The island has remained a small, quiet and undisturbed ecological sanctuary. It has a population of only about 1,200 people. The present inhabitants are from both European and African ancestries as most are from Caribbean, Dutch, English or Irish background. The population is almost half black and half white, which is very different from the populations on most other Caribbean islands.

There is a small expatriate population as well on the island who is mainly into tourism business such as hotel or water sports or has set up second homes.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands comprises three entities, i.e., Holland, the Netherlands Antilles (Saba, St. Maarten, St. Eustatius, Bonaire, and Curaçao) and Aruba. Saba's government is run by the Dutch. Its local administration supervises internal affairs and has recently voted to have a direct representative in Holland. In 1980's, the Saba Marine and Conservation Foundations are established by renowned environmentalist Tom van't Hof. With this, tourism gradually crept onto the island.

Today, Saba is renowned throughout the world for its unique wildlife and pristine dive sites. The tourism industry is relatively new to Saba. However, the island has been rapidly growing in popularity especially among eco-tourists, water sports enthusiasts and wildlife lovers. The island's economy has been greatly improved by tourism, but it also receives income from the agricultural industry. 

By: Shuchita Bist
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