Last modified: 2022-05-14 by rob raeside
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image by António Martins, 22 April 1999
Bonaire is one of the Leeward Antilles, and part of The Netherlands. As such
it's one of the three islands described together as The Caribbean Netherlands,
though formally, it simply belongs to The Netherlands. Before their dissolution
on 10 October 2010, Bonaire was one of The Netherlands Antilles. According to
law, Bonaire is a public body (openbaar lichaam), consisting of the islands of
Bonaire and Little Bonaire (Klein Bonaire). Of the ABC islands, the three
Leeward Antilles that at one time were part of The Netherlands Antilles, Bonaire
is the Easternmost.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 11 May 2011
(2:3)
image by Mark Sensen, 14 December 2003
Adopted on 11 December 1981, valid from 15 December 1981
From www.infobonaire.com/html/history.html:
"Our flag contains the colors red, white and blue, representing our
respect for the Dutch Kingdom's tricolor.
At the upper end of our flag we have a yellow triangle, which is the
bright light of our sun and also the beauty of our nature. Most Bonairean
flowers are yellow like Kibrahacha, Kelki gel, Brasilia, Hobada, Cucu,
Sente-bibu, Angelo Watapana and many others.
Below we have a blue triangle, and that is the color of our beautiful
sea. You can see the triangle as a gigantic wave or a high mountain
to remind us of the great heights we have climbed.
In the middle of our flag is the white area symbolizing peace, liberty
and tranquility.
In this white area we have a black ring with four points of the navigation-compass.
That compass is what our indisputable navigators have used to travel all
over the world.
In that ring there is a six-pointed red star. The color symbolizes
blood, as the fighting and surviving spirit of the six traditional regions,
which form together the people of Bonaire."
Erki Kurrikoff, 5 February 2002
According to Album 2000 [pay00] - Bonaire
- Proportions 2:3, divided diagonally from lower hoist to upper fly, the
lower part blue, the upper part divided diagonally yellow and white, parallel
to the former, starting at a point 1/2.4th of the flag height under the
upper hoist. At the white stripe a red six pointed star in a black compass
rose. The centre of these located horizontally at the line 1/2.4th of the
flag height right of the upper hoist, vertically half way the points of
contact of this line and the two diagonal lines. The height of the star
is equal to one quarter of the flag height. The radius of the outer circle
of the compass rose is equal to the length of a side of one of the two
triangles forming the star. The radius of the inner circle of the compass
rose is equal to the height of one of the two triangles forming the star.
The diameter of the imaginary circle trough the outer points of the compass
rose is half the flag height. The little triangles at the points are formed
by tangent lines to the imaginary circle circumscribing the star. Adopted
by Island-Order of 11 December 1981.
Mark Sensen, 14 Dec 2003
As far as I can see there are no officially recommended or defined colours
for the flag of Bonaire. If it of any use however, the Album des
Pavillons [pay00] gives red 186C, blue
286C and yellow 129C, while the Flag Institute of Great Britain gives red
032C, blue 286C and yellow 109C.
Christopher Southworth, 1 Sep 2004
Bonaire still uses the flag it had as island territory
(eilandgebied) within The Netherlands Antilles. I have not seen any formal
re-adoption, but I may well have missed it.
The six points of the star in the flag symbolise the six original
villages of the island: Antriol, Nikiboko, North Salinja, Playa, Tera
Kora and Rincon. The first five have merged to form the capital
Kralendijk, only the eldest and northernmost, Rincon, has remained a
separate village. Kralendijk apparently has no identity separate of that
of the island itself and no flag, Rincon has both.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 11 May 2011
While the origin of the flag is from 11 December 1981, valid from 15 December
1981, this document confirms that it was retracted 10 October 2010, while at the
same time by island decree Bonaire it has been re-adopted for the public body of
Bonaire, as applicable for the public body of Bonaire.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 14 March 2021
The text of "EILANDSVERORDENING van de 11e december 1981, no. 1 tot het vaststellen van de vlag van het eilandgebied Bonaire", the official law creating the flag on 11 December 1981 is available at http://decentrale.regelgeving.overheid.nl/cvdr/xhtmloutput/historie/Bonaire/812/812_1.html. It is captured below for the record.
De iskundig exacte aanwijzingen voor het ontwerp van de Boneriaanse Vlag.There was a question as well regarding the flag colors. While I did not see anything amended in the 1981 law to stipulate the colors needed for the flag, http://bonairegov.nl/nl/downloads has style sheets for both the flag and arms of Bonaire. In this style sheet ( http://bonairegov.nl), published on 23 September 2019, it gives the following Pantone codes for all colors used (with the exception of white):
Vlakverdeling
1.1. De verhouding van de totale rechthoekige oppervlak van de vlag is: lengte staat tot breedte als drie staat tot twee.
1.2. Bij de eerste stap wordt: de rechthoek diagonaalsgewijs verdeeld met vlakverdeling wit boven, blauw beneden, zodat wit tegen de vlaggestok zit.
1.3. Bij de tweede stap wordt: de vlaggebreedte gedeeld door 2,4 waardoor een lengte “x” wordt verkregen.
1.4. Bij de derde stap wordt punt I bepaald door lengte x vanaf de bovenhoek A naar beneden toe af te passen langs de vlaggebreedte.
1.5.Bij de vierde stap wordt vanuit punt I een lijn schuin naar boven getrokken die parallel loopt met de diagonaal en de bovenste driehoek (A-I-B) die nu ontstaat is geel.
De ster
2.1. Bij de vijfde stap wordt lengte x langs de vlaggelengte afgepast waardoor punt II bepaald wordt.
2.2. Bij de zesde stap wordt een denkbeeldige loodlijn vanuit punt II neergelaten zodat punt III en punt IV bepaald worden.
2.3. Bij de zevende stap wordt met lengte x als straal en punten III en IV als achtereenvolgende middelpunten een soort oogfiguur geconstrueerd, en de ooghoeken bepalen punt V en punt VI.
2.4. Bij de achtste stap wordt een denkbeeldige verbindingslijn getrokken tussen punt V en punt VI waardoor punt M ontstaat als middelpunt van dezespuntige ster.
2.5. Bij de negende stap wordt met punt M als middelpunt een cirkel geconstrueerd waarvan de cirkellijn precies samen valt met de boven en beneden lijnen van het oogfiguur , zodoende hebben we de omgeschreven cirkel van de ster.
2.6. Bij de tiende stap wordt de zespuntige ster binnen haar omgeschreven cirkel geconstrueerd, zodat haar boven en beneden punten precies op de loodlijn vanuit punt II vallen.
Deze ster is rood.
Het kompas
3.1. Bij de elfde stap wordt met punt M als middelpunt de omgeschreven cirkel beschreven van de kompas door als straal te gebruiken de diameter van de omgeschreven cirkel van de zespuntige ster.
3.2. Bij de twaalfde stap worden de kompaspunten geconstrueerd door vanuit deze punten raaklijnen te trekken tegen de omgeschreven cirkel vande ster.
3.3. Bij de dertiende stap wordt de buitenste cirkel van de kompasring geconstrueerd door als straal te gebruiken een van de zijdes van de grootste gelijkzijdige driehoeken die de zespuntige ster vormen.
3.4. Bij de veertiende stap wordt de binnenste cirkel van de kompasring geconstrueerd door als straal te gebruiken de loodlijn van één van de grootste gelijkzijdige driehoeken die de zespuntige ster vormen.
Minister Nicolai of Kingdomrelations reached a historic agreement with
Curaçao and Sint Maarten. The islands will become separate countries,
like Aruba. That means that the co-operation between the Netherlands
and the Netherlands Antilles, as agreed by the "Koninkrijksstatuut" of
1954, will end. It is agreed that there will be a common court of justice
of the Netherlands, Curaçao and Sint Maarten. There are also agreements
on policing and prosecution. The Netherlands will take care of the debts
of the Netherlands Antilles, totalling 2,5 billion Euros. The Netherlands
Antilles will cease to exist on 1 July 2007. Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius
will become Dutch municipalities. Aruba is a separate entity since 1986.
No info about change of flags. The currency is also unclear, although
it seems that Aruba might be forced to enter the Euro-zone(!)
Source: www.nos.nl
reported by Stefan Lambrechts.
Jarig Bakker, 3 Nov 2007
The Netherlands Antilles will cease to exist on October 10 next year
(2010). The Netherlands Antilles have decided this last Wednesday, September
30.
The Netherlands Antilles arose in 1954 as an autonomous entity within
the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Until the achievement of the Status Aparte
(separate status) for Aruba on January 1, 1986 the Dutch Antilles consisted
of the Caribbean islands of Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St Eustatius
and St Maarten (St. Martin). They were represented by the six stars in
the 1959 flag of the Netherlands Antilles.
With the separation of Aruba in 1986 one star was dropped, to represent
the five islands left in the Netherlands Antilles.
The remaining five islands in the Netherlands Antilles will on 10 October
2010 go their own political way. Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius will become
special overseas municipalities of the Netherlands.
Curaçao and St. Maarten will get the same status as Aruba already has
achieved.
The current flag of the Netherlands Antilles will cease to exist. The flags of Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius will become Dutch municipality flags.
The flags of St. Maarten and Curaçao will get the same status as the
flag of Aruba now.
From October 10, 2010 the Kingdom of the Netherlands will consist of:
The Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten/St. Martin (where the Kingdom
of the Netherlands will still border on la République Française).
Jos Poels, 1 Oct 2009
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 21 April 2022
The Bario of Antriol on Bonaire has adopted a new flag.
https://infobonaire.com/bonaires-bario-of-antriol-proudly-launches-flag-and-hymn/
The official flag-raising ceremony took place with the pomp and respect that
such an event demands. The flag was carried in a custom-made glass case, by four
flag bearers, to the flagpole, where it would join the flags of the Netherlands
and Bonaire. While those who worked hard to see this day looked on, the flag was
slowly raised while Antriol’s new hymn was sung by Reginald “Jonchi” Dortalina.
As soon as it touched its highest point, a rousing, celebratory car caravan of
Antriol residents and businesses, all honking their horns and flying the flag
from their vehicles, drove by to mark this important time in the annals of the
town's history.
The search for the perfect flag to properly represent
Bonaire’s neighborhood of Antriol began as long ago as October 2021, when 18
participants submitted 22 designs for consideration. Somehow, on an island where
everyone knows what is going on, the flag commission was able to keep the chosen
design a secret until the official unveiling on Sunday. Rolando Marin, who many
visitors know from his 30 years of working with the Tourism Office, designed the
chosen flag. He tells us about his inspiration:
“The compass in the
center comes from the Bonaire flag, to illustrate that Antriol is an important
part of the whole of Bonaire and to emphasize the many families in Antriol who
make their livings from the sea. The six stars represent the six original barios
of Bonaire – Antriol, Rincon, Nikiboko, Nord’Saliña, Tera Korá, and Playa (Kralendijk).
Since Antriol Is physically located in the center of Bonaire, the Antriol star
is placed in the center of the compass, with the five other bario stars in a
constellation around it, much as it is in the barios’ physical layout. The
Antriol star is enlarged to signify it as the largest of all the original barios,
as well as to encompass all of the many people of Antriol who have greatly
contributed to its past or current culture – the town’s musicians, athletes, and
other historically prominent citizens.
Dave Fowler, 20 April 2022
It is difficult to tell if the stars' arrangement looks asymmetrical due to
the flag's fluttering in the wind, or if it was intentionally made such, so
until that can be definitely decided, they are arranged symmetrically.
Tomislav Todorovic, 21 April 2022
Yes, there is a place. According to the description found: "Bonaire's most
luxurious resort. Features a highly rated spa, as well as one of the only two
marinas." Website: www.harbourvillage.com.
The flag is white white the logo of that place.
Pascal Vagnat, 4 Jan 2003
image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 20 October 2010
Source:
http://web.me.com/cadushy/Rincon.nl/Bonbini_files/Vlag2.jpg
Rincon is one of only two towns on the island of Bonaire and it has a flag.
Here is image of it :http://www.rinconjudoclub.110mb.com/img/index.8.jpg.
And here you can see it on a photo flying on the official website :http://www.rincon.nl/.
I assume that after recent changes Rincon has a status of village inside the
Municipality of Bonaire.
Valentin Poposki, 20 October 2010
Horizontal tricolor of dark blue, white, and dark green, with five white
triangles pointing up, on the blue stripe, barely touching the stripe edges and
each other, and a stylized red "R" on the white stripe.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 20 October 2010
