Saba (island)
Saba (/ˈseɪbə/ ⓘ;[6] Dutch: Saba, pronounced [ˈsaːbaː] ⓘ[7]) is a Caribbean island and the smallest special municipality (officially "public body") of the Netherlands.[8][9] It consists largely of the active volcano[10] Mount Scenery, which at 887 metres (2,910 ft) is the highest point of the entire Kingdom of the Netherlands. The island lies in the northern Leeward Islands portion of the West Indies, southeast of the Virgin Islands. Together with Bonaire and Sint Eustatius it forms the BES islands, also known as the Caribbean Netherlands.
"Saba Island" redirects here. For the island south of St. Thomas, see Saba Island (United States Virgin Islands).
Saba
10 October 2010 (dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles)
13 km2 (5 sq mi)
1,911
148/km2 (380/sq mi)
Saban
26.6 %
15.7 %
10.0 %
47.7 %
United States dollar ($) (USD)
Saba has a land area of 13 square kilometres (5.0 sq mi).[1] The population was 1,911 in January 2022,[11] with a population density of 147 inhabitants per square kilometre (380/sq mi). It is the smallest territory by permanent population in the Americas. Its towns and major settlements are The Bottom (the capital), Windwardside, Zion's Hill and St. Johns.
Etymology[edit]
Theories about the origin of Saba's name include siba (the Arawakan word for 'rock'), sabot, sábado, and Sheba.[12][13] The island was referred to by its present name, Saba, as early as 1595 when it appeared in a voyage account by John Hawkins.[13] Before its present name, the island was designated "St. Christopher" (San Cristóbal)[14] by Christopher Columbus.[13]
Education[edit]
The primary school is Sacred Heart Primary School in St. John's.[101] There is also one secondary and vocational school in Saba, the Saba Comprehensive School in St. John's.[102]
Saba University School of Medicine is a for-profit medical school located in The Bottom, Saba's capital. The medical school was established by American expatriates in coordination with the government of the Netherlands.[103] The school adds over 400 residents when classes are in session,[103] and it is the prime educational attraction.
