The population, which is English speaking, is concentrated in the capital Oranjestad on the southwestern coast of the island. Although breadfruit, banana groves, and palm trees grow in the island's sheltered western coast, St. Eustatius is too dry to support much agriculture. There is some lobster fishing.
Tourism is of increasing importance.
A regular air service links St. Eustatius with nearby Saba and St. Martin. Attractions on the island include its two extinct volcanoes, one of which, the Quill, has a tropical forest growing in its crater. St. Eustatius was first colonized by the French and British in 1625. The island became a center of the slave trade. Dutch, French, and British settlers fought over it, and the island changed hands many times.