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San Nicolaas

Coordinates: 12°26′N 69°55′W / 12.433°N 69.917°W / 12.433; -69.917
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San Nicolaas
Sint Nicolaas
Town
Nicolaas Store in 2018
Nicolaas Store in 2018
Motto: 
The sunrise side
San Nicolaas is located in Aruba
San Nicolaas
San Nicolaas
Location in Aruba
Coordinates: 12°26′N 69°55′W / 12.433°N 69.917°W / 12.433; -69.917
Country Aruba
RegionSan Nicolas Noord
San Nicolas Zuid
Population
 (2010)[1]
 • Total15,283
Time zoneUTC-4 (AST)
ClimateBSh

San Nicolaas (Dutch: Sint Nicolaas) is 19 kilometres (12 mi) southeast of Oranjestad, and is Aruba's second largest city. As of 2010 it has a population of 15,283,[1] most of whom originate from the British Caribbean and rest of the Caribbean.

History

According to oral tradition, San Nicolaas was named after a Mr. Nicolaas van der Biest (1808–1873), who owned a big piece of the land there.[2] Landowners were then addressed by their subordinates by their first names preceded by 'Shon' meaning 'master'. So he was called 'Shon Nicolas', as was the area. It is thought that the change from Shon Nicolas to San Nicolaas was due to the influence of Spanish. [3]

Many Afro-Arubans settled in San Nicolaas during the 1920s, attracted by the many jobs associated with the oil refinery.[4]

Oil Refinery

Known as the island's Sunrise Side, San Nicolaas was once a bustling company town, when Lago Oil and Transport Company opened its oil refinery in 1924 until 1985 when Exxon Corporation closed it and began to dismantle the facility as well as the Colony. [3] In 1991 Coastal Corporation reopened the oil refinery until 1995. It was then sold to Valero in 2004, and it was open for a number of years, and closed in 2009. In December 2010, Valero announced plans to reopen the refinery.[5] The refinery later was purchased by Citgo Petroleum Corporation, which transferred the property to the Government of Aruba in 2020.[6] As of July 2021, plans to build a modern facility on the site had not gone forward.[7]

Landmarks

The Nicolaas Store is a former book store in the centre of the city which has been converted into the Community Museum.[8]

Watertower San Nicolas
Water Tower San Nicolas at night

Water Tower San Nicolas was built in 1939 by the LMV (Landswatervoorziening) to help supply potable water to the community. The structure was restored in 2013, and became the site of the Museum of Industry. [9] [10]

The Model Trains Museum is located at Koolbaaibergstraat 12.

A section of San Nicolaas' main street has been converted to a picturesque promenade with shops containing souvenirs, crafts and local snacks. There are over 50 hand-painted murals in San Nicolaas. [4]

In nearby Seroe Colorado, there is a small natural bridge, not to be confused with the bridge at Andicuri.[11] To view the bridge follow the road to its terminus, then hike approximately 200 feet (61 m) down old lava and coral formations.

Baby Beach, Aruba
Baby Beach, Aruba

Baby Beach, known for its calm water and good snorkeling, is located south of San Nicolaas. [12]

The San Nicolas Bay Reef Islands Important Bird Area lies just off the coast from the town, and is an important site for nesting terns.[13]

Close to San Nicolaas, a Dutch marine camp is off Commanders Bay near the fishing village of Savaneta.

Sports

Notable people

References

  1. ^ a b Aruba Central Bureau of Statistics (29 September 2010). Fifth Population and Housing Census, 2010: Selected Tables (PDF) (Report). p. 75. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  2. ^ Johannes Hartog. Aruba Past and Present: From the Time of the Indians Until Today. D. J. DeWit; 1961. p. 152.
  3. ^ a b webmaster@visitaruba.com. "Aruba History - VisitAruba.com". www.visitaruba.com. Retrieved 2021-11-28.
  4. ^ a b Taylor, DeAnna (2021-06-21). "San Nicolas: Aruba's Black Neighborhood AKA 'Chocolate City'". Travel Noire. Retrieved 2021-11-28.
  5. ^ "www.fairplay.co.uk – Valero primes Aruba refinery for a restart". 2010-12-15. Retrieved 2010-12-15.
  6. ^ admin (2020-07-06). "Aruba renews initiative to restart San Nicolas refinery". inspectlab.com. Retrieved 2021-11-28.
  7. ^ "Caribbean aspires to reinvent downstream relics | Argus Media". www.argusmedia.com. 2021-07-08. Retrieved 2021-11-28.
  8. ^ "Museum in San Nicolas | Wonders of Aruba". Retrieved 2021-11-28.
  9. ^ "San Nicolas Water Tower Landmark restorations completed | VisitAruba News". 2013-03-23. Retrieved 2021-11-28.
  10. ^ "Go back in time; the Museum of Industry". www.aruba.com. Retrieved 2021-11-28.
  11. ^ "Seroe Colorado: A Place of History and Unique Beauty". Wonders of Aruba. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  12. ^ "Baby Beach, Aruba - Best Kids Beach in the Caribbean". www.aruba.com. Retrieved 2021-11-28.
  13. ^ "San Nicolas Bay Reef Islands". BirdLife Data Zone. BirdLife International. 2007. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  14. ^ "Aruba wins the 50th Senior League World Series title, 8-1". Bangor Info. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  15. ^ "Xander Bogaerts". Baseball America. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  16. ^ "Muzikaal afscheid van Bobby Farrell". nu.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 11 October 2020.

Media related to San Nicolaas at Wikimedia Commons

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