Bonaire Genealogy

Netherlands Caribbean  Netherlands Antilles  Bonaire

Guide to  ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and military records.

See also Netherlands Antilles (dissolved in 2010).



Bonaire's first inhabitants were the Caquetios Indians, a branch of the Arawakwho, around 1000 AD, sailed from what is now Venezuela.

Country Status
Bonaire is a special municipality of the Netherlands, and is a part of the Caribbean Netherlands, together with Sint Eustatius, and Saba (BES Islands). The United Nations recognizes these three islands as one governmental unit. Before 1910 they were part of the Netherlands Antilles.

Jurisdictions
Spain 1526, Netherlands 1636, Great Britain 1800, Netherlands 1803, Great Britain 1807, Netherlands 1816.

Bonaire's Capital City is (Kralendijk)

You can find other areas and towns on Bonaire Map, which include:


 * Antriol
 * Belnem
 * Hato
 * Lima
 * Noord Salina
 * Nikiboko
 * Republiek
 * Sabadeco
 * Sabana
 * Santa Barbara
 * Tera Cora

Other smaller settlements include


 * Fontein
 * Lagoen
 * Sorobon
 * Spelonk
 * Wanapa

Several smaller towns had existed in the national park, but are now abandoned. They were: Labra, Ishiri, Kokorobi, Jan Doran, Vlijt, Rigot, Porto Spano, and Kunchi.

Did you know?


Both the windward (Christopher Columbus, 1493) and leeward (Alonso de Ojeda, 1499) island groups were discovered and initially settled by Spain. In the 17th century, the islands were conquered by the Dutch West Indies Company and were used as military outposts and trade bases, most prominent the slave trade. Slavery was abolished in 1863.

The oldest citizen of Bonaire Catalina Elisabeth Francisca Paula-Frans, better known as ‘Chabe,’ celebrated her 104th birthday March 16 to March 23, 2007, according to the Bonaire Reporter.

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