Caribbean, 80km (50 miles) north of Venezuela.

GMT - 4.

290 sq km (112 sq miles).

14,169 (1996).

49 per sq km.

Kralendijk. Population: 1800 (2002).

Bonaire is the second-largest island in the Netherlands Antilles and is located 80km (50 miles) north of Venezuela and 48km (30 miles) east of Curaçao. The landscape is flat and rocky and, owing to low annual rainfall, Bonaire has a fairly barren desert climate. The island has small beautiful beaches and safe waters.

Bonaire is a constituent island of the Netherlands Antilles; the others being Curaçao, Saba, St Eustatius and St Maarten. The Netherlands Antilles, Aruba and The Netherlands each have equal status within the Kingdom of The Netherlands as regions autonomous in internal affairs. The monarch is represented locally by a Governor, while the Netherlands Antilles is represented in the Government of the Kingdom by a Minister Plenipotentiary. Foreign policy and defence matters are decided by a Council of Ministers of the Kingdom (including the Plenipotentiary) and executed under the authority of the Governor. The internal affairs of the Netherlands Antilles are administered by the central government of the Netherlands Antilles, based in Willemstad, Curaçao, which is responsible to the Staten or legislative assembly. Bonaire may elect, by non-compulsory adult suffrage based on proportional representation, 3 out of 22 members of the Staten. Routine local affairs on each island group (Bonaire, Curaçao and the Windward Islands) are managed by an elected nine-member Island Council, presided over by a Lieutenant Governor.

Part of the Netherlands Antilles; dependency of The Netherlands. Head of State: Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, represented locally by Governor Frits Goedgedrag since 2002. Head of Government: Prime Minister Etienne Ys since 2002. The Netherlands Antilles consist of Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St Eustatius and St Maarten. The capital of the island group is Willemstad, Curaçao.

Dutch is the official language. Papiamento (a mixture of Portuguese, African, Spanish, Dutch and English) is the commonly used lingua franca. English and Spanish are also widely spoken.

Predominantly Roman Catholic with a Protestant minority. There are many evangelical churches of different denominations, and a new mosque has also been erected on the island.

Dutch customs are still prevalent throughout the islands, although they are increasingly subject to US influence. Dress is casual and lightweight cottons are advised. Bathing suits should be confined to beach and poolside areas only. Nudity is prohibited on beaches except at Sorobon Beach Resort, a privately owned nudist resort.

127 volts AC, 50Hz.