Bandabou
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Bandabou | |
|---|---|
 View of Bandabou from Christoffelberg | |
 Interactive map of Bandabou | |
| Coordinates: 12°17′N 069°04′W / 12.283°N 69.067°W | |
| State | Kingdom of the Netherlands |
| Country | Curaçao |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
• Total | 13,125 |
| Climate | BSh |
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Bandabou (also: Band'abou) is a district of the island of Curaçao, a constituent of the Netherlands. It is one of the three districts in the island, and encompasses the north-western parts of the island. The district stretches from Grote Berg to Sabana Westpunt. Bandabou is a Papiamentu word, which translates to "lower side".
In 1634, Curaçao was conquered by the Dutch West Indies Company and the city of Punda was founded. Agricultural plantations were established during Dutch colonization to supply Willemstad along with livestock.[2] The plantations were small scale due to the infertile ground, and produced yams, mangos, oranges.[3] In 1795, the population of Bandabou was estimated at 4,000 to 5,000 people most which were slaves.[3] After the emancipation of slavery in 1863, small hamlets were founded in Bandabou. The Roman Catholic church started to build churches in order to educate and convert the slave population, which resulted in several small villages.[2][4] The current division of the island dates from 1930 when Willemstad was extended to include most of the suburbs.[5]
