The locals refer to this 11.8 square-mile island in the Dutch Caribbean chain as Statia. Though small, the island reveals a surprisingly rich past to travelers. During the 1700s, Statia's capital, Oranjestad, was a trading hub for slaves, sugar, cotton and commodities from Europe and the Far East. At its peak, the island's population reached 18,000, and Oranjestad was perhaps the richest port in all the region. However, in 1776 the government brought the wrath of England upon the tiny nation after recognizing the newly independent United States by firing an 11-gun salute to a passing warship. The decline began, and today the sleepy island has approximately 4,000 inhabitants.
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