SABA

island of the Netherlands Antilles in the Caribbean Sea. It lies 16 miles (26 km) northwest of Sint Eustatius, with which it forms the northwestern termination of the inner volcanic arc of the Lesser Antilles. Saba has an area of 5 square miles (13 square km) and is actually the peak of an extinct volcano, Mount Scenery (2,910 feet ), surrounded by sea cliffs. It is windward with respect to the northeastern trade winds and receives about 44 inches (1,125 mm) of rain annually. The villages of Bottom and Windwardside, occupying the old volcanic crater, are approached up a steep road from a rocky landing place on the southern coast. Saba was settled by the Dutch in 1632 but, because of its inaccessibility and ruggedness, never achieved economic importance and often functioned as a buccaneers' stronghold. In 1828 Saba, together with Sint Eustatius, formed a colony of the Dutch West Indies and became a part of the Netherlands Antilles in 1845. The spoken language is English, and Roman Catholicism is the dominant religion. Its population, which is about half black and half white, depends heavily on tourism and is engaged in raising livestock and cultivating vegetables, particularly potatoes, which are exported to neighbouring islands. Pop. (1994 est.) 1,180.