The Bottom (formerly ''Botte'') is the capital and largest town of the island of
Saba
Saba may refer to:
Places
* Saba (island), an island of the Netherlands located in the Caribbean Sea
* Sabá, a municipality in the department of Colón, Honduras
* Șaba or Șaba-Târg, the Romanian name for Shabo, a village in Ukraine
* Saba, ...
,
[The villages of Saba (Saba Tourist Bureau)]
/ref> the Caribbean Netherlands
The Caribbean Netherlands (, ) is a geographic region of the Netherlands located outside of Europe, in the Caribbean, consisting of three special municipalities. These are the islands of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba (island), Saba,"Bonair ...
. It is the first stop on the way from Saba's Port in Fort Bay towards the rest of the island. In 2001, it had 462 inhabitants of the total 1,349 islanders. It is the administrative center of Saba.
History
The first European settlements occurred around 1640, by colonists from Zeeland
Zeeland (; ), historically known in English by the Endonym and exonym, exonym Zealand, is the westernmost and least populous province of the Netherlands. The province, located in the southwest of the country, borders North Brabant to the east ...
. After a landslide destroyed their original settlement, these settlers established a village in The Bottom. The original name of the village was ''De Botte'', old Dutch for "The Bowl", referring to its geographical position in a valley surrounded by the various mountains. "The Bottom" is an English corruption of this name. After the Dutch settlers, Irish, English, and Scottish settlers followed, along with enslaved Africans, and the main language of the island's villages became English.
By the 1860s, The Bottom was one of 7 main districts, with St. John's, Windwardside, Booby Hill, Mary's Point (Palmetto Point), Hell's Gate Hells Gate, Hell's Gate, Hell Gate or Hells Gates may refer to:
Places
Africa
* Hell's Gate National Park, Kenya
Antarctica
* Hells Gate (Antarctica), Victoria Land
* Hells Gate Moraine, Victoria Land
Asia
* Nyalam Town, Tibet
* A location in N ...
, and Middle Island. The Bottom district had its own elected head, as did the other districts. In 1865, the population of The Bottom was 616 inhabitants. In 1877, construction of Sacred Heart Catholic Church began in The Bottom; the church is still operational today, although the building was replaced in 1909 and again in 1934.
Throughout the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, most men in The Bottom engaged in farming or fishing. They also engaged in shipbuilding, which was one of Saba's industries in the 19th century. Most women engaged in domestic work in the home, as well as hatmaking
Hat-making or millinery is the design, manufacture and sale of hats and other headwear. A person engaged in this trade is called a milliner or hatter.
Historically, milliners made and sold a range of accessories for clothing and hairstyles. ...
and local drawn thread work known as Saba Lace.
By 1900, The Bottom was one of four main villages on Saba, along with St. John's, Windwardside, and Hell's Gate. In 1909, a navigation school opened in The Bottom; it operated until 1922. In 1919, construction began on the Weselyan Holiness Church in The Bottom; the church is still operational today. In 1923, Queen Wilhemina Library opened in The Bottom; the library is still operational today. Saba's first movie theater opened in 1953, and its second in 1964.
In the early-to-mid-20th century, there was extensive emigration from Saba, and The Bottom's population was cut almost in half. By 1972, the population of The Bottom had decreased to 341 inhabitants.
In the mid-to-late-20th century, there was economic development on Saba, and especially in The Bottom and Windwardside. The first supermarket opened in The Bottom in 1964. In 1992, the Saba University School of Medicine
Saba University School of Medicine (SUSOM) is a private medical school located on the island of Saba, a special municipality of the Netherlands in the Caribbean. SUSOM offers an internationally accredited 4-year Doctor of Medicine (MD) program ...
opened in The Bottom. In 2001, the population of Windwardside was 462 inhabitants.
Infrastructure
The Bottom is home to the government offices, a hospital
A hospital is a healthcare institution providing patient treatment with specialized Medical Science, health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically ...
, a nursing home
A nursing home is a facility for the residential care of older people, senior citizens, or disabled people. Nursing homes may also be referred to as care homes, skilled nursing facilities (SNF), or long-term care facilities. Often, these terms ...
, Juliana Sports Field, three churches, a library, the Queen's Hotel resort, and various shops, restaurants, and bars. The Bottom is also the location of the Saba University School of Medicine
Saba University School of Medicine (SUSOM) is a private medical school located on the island of Saba, a special municipality of the Netherlands in the Caribbean. SUSOM offers an internationally accredited 4-year Doctor of Medicine (MD) program ...
.
The city also has the largest Cruyff Court in the world, Cruyff Court Saba.
Events
As capital of the island, The Bottom hosts a number of events throughout the year.
During the summer, the island's Carnival
Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras.
Carnival typi ...
celebration (called Saba Carnival or Saba Summer Festival) takes place. Usually in late July, Saba Carnival is a weeklong festival that includes live music, food, dancing, games, and parades. Carnival Village, where the majority of the events take place, is located in The Bottom. Each night during the week, there is live music at Carnival Village. The jourvert parade (very early Saturday morning) begins in Windwardside and ends in The Bottom. The Grand Parade and the Second Parade take place in The Bottom on Saturday and Sunday. Locals and tourists congregate in The Bottom for the parades, which include energetic music, colorful floats, and troupes wearing colorful costumes.
Another event held in The Bottom is Saba Day. This is the celebratory national day of the island, when all offices, schools and businesses are closed. The islanders honour their diversity and culture through various activities, performances and parades. The Bottom hosts a concert at the sports field, where local (and neighbouring) Caribbean artists come to perform. There are fishing competitions at sea, drawing competitions for children, dance performances, cookouts, and more.
Hiking
The Bottom is the location of many trailheads.
* The Ladder consists of 800 steps leading down to the sea. The trail starts in The Bottom between the hospital and Wells Bay. These stairs were used to bring cargo ashore and up to The Bottom. The trail takes approximately 1 hour round trip.
* The Sandy Cruz Trail: It can begin in The Bottom near the Queen's Hotel, and end in Hell's Gate. The trail has views of Diamond Rock and the northern coastline.[The villages of Saba (Saba Tourist Bureau)](_blank)
/ref> It takes roughly 2.5 hours to complete if begun in The Bottom, and 2 if begun in Hell's Gate.
* The Crispeen Track (or Crispeen Trail): It can begin on the Mt. Scenery trail and leads down into The Bottom. The trail goes through secondary rainforest, and has overhead views of The Bottom. The trail takes approximately 1-1.5 hours one-way.
* The Bottom Mountain Trail: It can begin in The Bottom near the Queen's Hotel, or the junction at Rendezvous on the Mt. Scenery trail. The trail goes through mostly dry forest
The tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest is a habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature and is located at tropical and subtropical latitudes. Though these forests occur in climates that are warm year-round, and may receive ...
and some rainforest, and has overhead views of The Bottom.
* Tara Ground Trail: It can begin on the Bottom Mountain Trail or Crispeen Track. The Trail goes through secondary forest
A secondary forest (or second-growth forest) is a forest or woodland area which has regenerated through largely natural processes after human-caused Disturbance (ecology), disturbances, such as Logging, timber harvest or agriculture clearing, or ...
and passes by ruins of old farmland. The hike takes about 45 minutes (from the Bottom Mountain trail junction to the Crispeen Track junction).
* Buds Mountain Loop: It is an alternate way to go up or down Mount Scenery. It connects to Bottom Mountain Trail. It goes though secondary rainforest, as well as rainforest near the top. It takes 1.5 hours uphill.
* Parish Hill Trail: It can begin in two different locations in The Bottom, either behind the hospital or at the beginning of the road that leads down to Fort Bay from The Bottom. The trail goes up to the top of Parish Hill, which is a volcanic dome
In volcanology, a lava dome is a circular, mound-shaped protrusion resulting from the slow extrusion of viscous lava from a volcano. Dome-building eruptions are common, particularly in convergent plate boundary settings. Around 6% of eruptions ...
. The hike takes about 1.5 hours.
Climate
Gallery
File:The mayor of Saba.jpg, Saba's Government House
File:The Bottom Central Park with Fire Department (6549994025).jpg, Saba's Central Park with Fire Department
File:The Bottom, Saba's Capital (6549984361).jpg, The Bottom's signboard
File:Governor's residence, The Bottom, Saba Residentie van de gouverneur, The Bottom, Bestanddeelnr 935-1474.jpg, The Governor's residence
File:Wilma's house in Saba.jpg, Traditional Saban cottage in The Bottom
File:Saba University School of Medicine (6550000009).jpg, Saba University School of Medicine buildings
File:Saba Artisan Foundation (6549991327).jpg, Saba Artisan Foundation entrance
File:My Store- Your One Stop Shop (And Only Option) (6549994923).jpg, Grocery Store in The Bottom
File:Old Home Detail in The Bottom (6549993103).jpg, Building in The Bottom
File:The Bottom Raised Cemetery (6549987009).jpg, Raised cemetery in The Bottom
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bottom
Populated places in Saba (island)
Capitals in the Caribbean