Bonaire (pop. 12,000) is an island in the Netherlands Antilles. Together with Aruba and Curaçao it forms a group referred to as the ABC islands. While English, Papiamento and Spanish are commonly spoken, the official language is Dutch.

Exploiting its natural topography, Bonaire has been a major supplier of salt to the USA for many years, and continues to do so through the flooding of flat-lands with sea water. It is also famed for its flamingo populations and its donkey sanctuary. Bonaire is world renowned for its excellent scuba diving. The island is ringed by a coral reef that is easily accessible from the shore along the Western and Southern sides.

Lac Bay on the eastern side of the island is a windsurfer's paradise. Locals Taty and Tonky Frans in 2004 were ranked in the top five of the world's freestyle windsurfing professionals.

Klein Bonaire is a small, uninhabited islet just off the coast of the main island, within the rough crescent formed by the main island.

External link

• Lonely Planet - Bonaire (http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/caribbean/bonaire/index.htm)
• Caribbean Adventures - Bonaire (http://www.greatcaribbeanadventures.com/bonaire/index.asp)

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Bonaire is also a place in the state of Georgia. See Bonaire, Georgia.

In addition, with a somewhat different spelling there is Bon Air, Virginia.

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