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Saint Eustatius , also
known affectionately to the locals as Statia, or Statius, is one of the
islands which make up the Netherlands Antilles; it is in the
northern, Leeward Islands portion of the West Indies,
southeast of the Virgin Islands. Sint Eustatius is part of the
inner arc of the Leeward Island chain, lying immediately to the
northwest of Saint Kitts and Nevis and to
the southeast of Saba at. The island is
named after the legendary Catholic Saint
Eustace. The regional capital is Oranjestad. Saint Eustatius has a land area of 21 km² (8.1 sq. miles). At the 2001 Netherlands Antilles census, the population was 2,292 inhabitants, equating to a population density of 109 inhabitants per square kilometre. In 2004, the population was estimated at 2,498 inhabitants. Travel to the island by air is through F.D. Roosevelt Airport. Sint Eustatius is slated to become a special municipality within the country of the Netherlands. This transition is still planned, but has now been postponed to an indefinite future date. The University of Sint Eustatius, School of Medicine is located on the island with students coming predominantly from the United States and Canada, but also from many other international locations. The students of the university of Sint Eustatius School of Medicine provide an important source of revenue for the island and local economy, bringing in tens of thousands of dollars every semester for food, accommodations and more. |
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