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Thursday, December 9. 1999, The Dally News pg. 23
Hurricane Lenny provided me with a real surprise a new friend
Okms Dar. an ealogis. s a
DwidyNexwur xteih gcoluui.st
You know. life is inIresting.
Following Hurricane Lmny's
assault on the Virgin Iasluds I pined
a fiend.
Through this new fiendship, I've
leased a lot about St Martin fian
Alahlia Roger, a Maananer and a
sociology student on the Univesity of
the Virgi islands S Thomas can-
ps This findship cane about when
she called my office for information
pertaing to a classroom project on
Beal Aerospace Techndmologies Inc.
Rogrs was svey concerned about
herprents in St. Martin, knowing thai
Hurricane Lmy was headed theme I.
like Atablia. was once in that station
when Hugo Hurricane hit the Virgin
Islads in 1969 while I was attending
grade school in Texas.Believe me.
it is ot a good feeling when you are
luidreds of miles away from your
I'll share some background on die
Netherlands Antilles. where Rogers is
from, consists of live islands -
Curacao. Bonaire Saba. Sint
Eussatius. Sin Maanen (St. Marni).
Curacaois 278 square miles with
rich cutltunal history.
Bonaire is 180 square miles with a
desertike environment and has one
ofthe mos ulspoted efecosystens
in die world.
Sint Eustaius. 13 square miles, is
rocky with a central flat plain and an
o cdaner called T QuillU.
side ofhe i isam l iolling m cou
ty.
In 1954 he Netherands Andilles.
Ob whichwsmanintcgalpa tortekin
1 dom of dithe Ncthctands. achieved
Dii govemental autonomy. Th'nie cnal
govmenalofrihseislandsconsistof
a connil of ministers responsible to
p-arlirnmem. which is 22-mnmber
Clds assemiy.
ihassan 8sque umileolcaiM Lie other Canhean islds. die
island. Saba is o described as a him of te NeIheri Antiles
fait land because of its ic staged with th Amerindi o
poraidseem4onmtuL migrated from South Ameica hun-
St Mluon is a hilly 54.sqme- rieds ofy ago. We all bow fiom
milesi d11 adisdiidedio hiry he opens imaed the
two isbaik Dutch Si Maaten. 21 isands an tried the nave people
slui mile. is the southern p of hei natural eourcs
tihmeand ich his lar edosl Byhe end of dthe 17th cauy, the
lagoon in the southwest. ie French hands were aku over by the Dutch.
In 1648. St. Martin was divided
between the Netherands and Frace.
The Dutch was invested mostly in
Curacao, Si Maatn and Bonaire
since these islands have an undme
ofrah deposits.
Curacao proved to be die most
vahluble, with a population now of
150,000. It not only has salhbutalsoa
deep natu hal w ich enables he
island lo be an impo trade center.
Historically, Cuinao was used as a
major slavetrade center. slaves were
sent to many puts of the Caibban
and the United Staes
Virg Islanders should do what
they can to help our neihbor-isand
Afteral, we are our bothers' and sis-
teis keeps.
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