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75-420: His background is largely obscure, with conflicting accounts as a Dutchman from Curaçao or an Englishman, and is usually referred to by the surnames Mansvelt or Mansfield. He is first recorded accepting a privateering commission from Governor Edward D'Oyley at Port Royal in 1659. Based from Jamaica during the early-1660s, he began raiding Spanish shipping and coastal settlements, travelling overland as far as

150-410: A hot, semi-arid climate ( Köppen climate classification BSh ) with a dry season from January to September and a wet season from October to December. Rainfall is scarce, only 450 millimeters (12 inches) per year; in particular, the rainy season is drier than it normally is in tropical climates; during the dry season, it almost never rains. Owing to the scarcity of rainfall, the landscape of Curaçao

225-538: A 5% to 6% decrease in rainfall, increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events (including a 66% increase in hurricane intensity), and a 0.5- to 0.6-meter sea-level rise in the Caribbean Netherlands. The northern seabed drops steeply within 60 m (200 ft) of the Curaçaoan shore. This drop-off is known as the "blue edge". Dutch Caribbean The Dutch Caribbean (historically known as

300-541: A Portuguese-based creole, is the pre-dominant language on Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao. It is a Portuguese-based creole with heavy influence from Spanish, Dutch, West-African languages and Native languages. There are 2 dialects of the language, Papiamento (Aruba) and Papiamentu (Curaçao and Bonaire). It is an official language on Aruba and Curaçao and is used in almost all aspects of life on the ABC Islands. English pre-dominates on Sint Maarten, Saba and Sint Eustatius. English

375-543: A country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; the island achieved autonomy in 2010. One explanation for the island's name is that Curaçao was the autonym by which its indigenous peoples identified themselves. Early Spanish accounts support this theory, referring to the indigenous peoples as Indios Curaçaos . From 1525, the island was featured on Spanish maps as Curaçote, Curasaote, Curasaore , and even Curacaute . By

450-689: A hub of the Atlantic slave trade . Members of the Jewish community, fleeing persecution in Europe, settled here and significantly influenced the economy and culture. British forces occupied Curaçao twice during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars but it was returned to Dutch rule. The abolition of slavery in 1863 led to economic shifts and migrations. Dutch remains the official language, though Papiamentu , English, and Spanish are widely spoken, reflecting

525-499: A separate constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, leaving five island territories within the Netherlands Antilles. This arrangement lasted until the complete dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles , as a unified political entity, in 2010; that year, Curaçao and Sint Maarten became autonomous constituent countries within the Kingdom (like Aruba). Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba became special municipalities of

600-424: A spring water. In addition, Curaçao has upwelling which is an oceanographic phenomenon that involves wind-driven motion of dense, cooler and nutrient-rich water from deep ocean moving towards the ocean surface, contributing to the source of natural minerals, thermal conditions, and seawater used in hydrotherapy and mesotherapy , making the island one of many balneoclimateric areas in the region. Furthemore, off

675-531: A tropical storm, dropping as much as 265 mm (10.4 in) of rain on the island, nearly half its annual precipitation in a single day. This made Tomas one of the wettest events in the island's history, as well as one of the most devastating; its flooding killed two people and caused over NAƒ50 million (US$ 28 million) in damage. According to the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research, average carbon dioxide emissions per person on

750-437: A week after the fleet set sail from Saint Kitts . To commemorate its narrow escape from invasion, Curaçao marked the events with a day of thanksgiving, which was celebrated for decades into the 18th century. Many Dutch colonists grew affluent from the slave trade, building impressive colonial buildings in the capital of Willemstad; the city is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site . In 1795, a major slave revolt took place under

825-706: Is Willemstad . Together with Aruba and Bonaire , Curaçao forms the ABC islands . Collectively, Curaçao, Aruba, and other Dutch islands in the Caribbean are often called the Dutch Caribbean . It is the largest of the ABC islands in area and population, as well as the largest in the Dutch Caribbean. The name "Curaçao" may originate from the indigenous autonym of its people; this idea is supported by early Spanish accounts referring to

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900-518: Is 31.4 °C or 89 °F. The year's average temperature is 25.7 °C or 78 °F. The seawater around Curaçao averages around 27 °C (81 °F) and is coolest (avg. 25.9 °C [78.6 °F]) from February to March, and hottest (avg. 28.2 °C [82.8 °F]) from September to October. Because Curaçao lies North of the Intertropical Convergence Zone and in an area of low-level divergence where winds flow parallel to

975-474: Is also widely known and spoken on Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao (especially on Aruba). Spanish is widely known and spoken on Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao due to proximity, historical and cultural connections to Venezuela and Colombia . Many Spanish-speaking immigrants from Latin-America also reside on the islands. Dutch is not the common or native language on any of the Dutch Caribbean islands, although most inhabitants do know and can speak Dutch quite well. Dutch

1050-426: Is arid; especially on the north coast of the island. Temperatures are relatively constant, with small differences measured throughout the year. The trade winds cool the island during the day and warm it at night. The coolest month is January with an average temperature of 26.6 °C or 80 °F; the hottest is September with an average temperature of 29.1 °C or 84 °F. The year's average maximum temperature

1125-463: Is generally ethnically mixed, but the ethnic makeup of each island varies. People from Aruba have higher degrees of European and Indigenous ancestry ( mestizos ) on average, while people from the other islands (Curaçao, Bonaire, Sint Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius) tend to have higher degrees of African ancestry on average. Inhabitants of the Dutch Caribbean are multi-lingual, often speaking 3 to 4 languages at high degrees of fluency. Papiamento ,

1200-546: Is sometimes also used for the Caribbean Netherlands , an entity consisting of the three special municipalities forming part of the constituent country of the Netherlands since 2010. The Dutch Caribbean had a population of 337,617 as of January 2019. The islands of the Dutch Caribbean were, formerly, part of Curaçao and Dependencies (1815–1828), or Sint Eustatius and Dependencies (1815–1828), which were merged with

1275-514: Is the white-tailed deer . This deer is related to the American white-tailed deer, or Virginia deer, found in areas from North America through Central America and the Caribbean, and as far south as Bolivia. It can be a large deer, some reaching six feet (2 m) in length and three feet (0.9 m) in height, and weighing as much as 300 pounds (140 kg). It has a long tail with a white underside, and

1350-527: Is the only type of deer on the island. It has been a protected species since 1926, and an estimated 200 live on Curaçao. They are found in many parts of the island, but most notably at the west end's Christoffel Park, where about 70% of the herd resides. Archaeologists believe the deer were brought from South America to Curaçao by its original inhabitants, the Arawaks. There are several species of iguana , light green in colour with shimmering shades of aqua along

1425-834: The Dutch West Indies ) are the New World territories, colonies, and countries (former and current) of the Dutch Empire and the Kingdom of the Netherlands located in the Caribbean Sea , mainly the northern and southwestern regions of the Lesser Antilles archipelago. Currently, it comprises the constituent countries of Curaçao , Aruba and Sint Maarten (the 'CAS' islands) and the special municipalities of Bonaire , Sint Eustatius and Saba (BES islands). The term "Dutch Caribbean"

1500-405: The Kingdom of the Netherlands , with the kingdom retaining responsibility for defence and foreign policy . The kingdom was also tasked with overseeing the island's finances under a debt-relief arrangement agreed upon between the two. Curaçao's first prime minister was Gerrit Schotte . He was succeeded in 2012 by Stanley Betrian , ad interim . After the 2012 elections, Daniel Hodge became

1575-769: The Main Development Region for tropical cyclones , but is still occasionally affected by them, as with Hurricanes Hazel in 1954, Anna in 1961, Felix in 2007, and Omar in 2008. No hurricane has made landfall in Curaçao since the US National Hurricane Center started tracking hurricanes. Curaçao has, however, been directly affected by pre-hurricane tropical storms several times; the latest being Hurricane Tomas in 2010, Cesar in 1996, Joan in 1988, Cora and Greta in 1978, Edith and Irene in 1971, and Francelia in 1969. Tomas brushed past Curaçao as

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1650-426: The colony of Suriname (not actually considered part of the "Dutch Caribbean", although it is located on the Caribbean coast of northeastern South America ). Until 1845, they were governed from Paramaribo , Suriname, at which point all the islands, again, became part of Curaçao and Dependencies. In 1954, the islands became the land (Dutch for "country") of Netherlands Antilles , lasting until 2010. The autonomy of

1725-462: The 17th century, it appeared on most maps as Curaçao or Curazao. On a map created by Hieronymus Cock in 1562 in Antwerp , the island was called Qúracao . A persistent but undocumented story claims the following: in the 16th and 17th centuries—the early years of European exploration—when sailors on long voyages got scurvy from lack of vitamin C , sick Portuguese or Spanish sailors were left on

1800-418: The 2,000 Caquetios living there were also transported to Hispaniola as slaves. Established in 1499 as a Spanish launchpad for exploring northern South America, Curaçao was officially settled by Spain in 1527 . It functioned as an island extension of Venezuela throughout the 1500s. As mainland colonization advanced, Spain slowly withdrew from the island. The city registry of Caracas , Venezuela holds one of

1875-478: The ABC islands and the national symbol of Aruba. Brassavola nodosa is a drought-tolerant species of Brassavola , one of the few orchids present in the ABC islands. Cacti include Melocactus and Opuntia species such as Opuntia stricta . Curaçao is semi-arid , and as such has not supported the numerous tropical species of mammals, birds, and lizards most associated with rainforests . Dozens of species of hummingbirds , bananaquits , orioles , and

1950-657: The Allied operations, was besieged by German submarines on several occasions under Neuland Operation. In August 1942, the Germans returned to Curaçao and attacked a tanker and received fire from a Dutch shore battery before slipping away. The US Navy established the Fourth Fleet, which was responsible for countering enemy naval operations in the Caribbean and in the South Atlantic. The US Army also sent aircraft and personnel to help protect

2025-639: The Antillean Airline Company and the Curaçao Dry Dock Company. The offshore financial services industry also experienced a downturn due to new U.S. tax laws. In the mid-1980s, Shell sold its refinery for the symbolic amount of one Antillean guilder to a local government consortium . In recent years, the aging refinery has been the subject of lawsuits alleging that its emissions, including sulfur dioxide and particulate matter , far exceed safety standards. The government consortium leases

2100-535: The Dutch government introduced far-reaching reforms, allowing Afro-Curaçaoans greater influence over the island's political and economic life, and increased the prominence of the local Papiamentu language. Curaçao experienced an economic downturn in the early 1980s. Shell's refinery on the island operated with significant losses from 1975 to 1979, and again from 1982 to 1985. Persistent losses, global overproduction , stronger competition, and low market expectations threatened

2175-551: The Kingdom of the Netherlands: Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten. The Netherlands is the fourth and largest constituent country in the Kingdom. Sint Maarten comprises the southern half of the island of Saint Martin . The northern half of the island (the Collectivity of Saint Martin ) is an overseas territory of France . Aruba and Curaçao are located in the far south of the Caribbean, roughly 30 kilometres and 65 kilometres from

2250-579: The Netherlands Antilles' island territories was stipulated in the Islands Regulation of the Netherlands Antilles . Initially, the Netherlands Antilles consisted of four island territories—Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao and the SSS islands . The latter split into the Island Territories of Saba, Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten, in 1983. The island of Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986 to become

2325-654: The Netherlands proper (located on the European mainland ), a member state of the European Union . Geographically, the six entities of the Dutch Caribbean are clustered into two vastly separated areas of the Caribbean: Politically, each (six) entity of the Dutch Caribbean currently has one of two relationships with the Netherlands: Three Caribbean polities are landen (Dutch for "countries") within

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2400-530: The Netherlands, he settled for a position as chief inspector in Maastricht . The Dutch increased their military presence on the island. In 1936 burning bale of cotton thrown overboard by the crew of the M. S. Colombia, which lay anchored in the Schottegat, caused the oil floating on the water to catch fire. It took days to get the fire under control; houses had to be evacuated, but there were no casualties. During

2475-476: The Netherlands, with suggestions for more innovative approaches to help Curaçao succeed and increase its standard of living . The Dutch government reminded the Curaçaoan government that it had provided assistance with oil refinery negotiations with the Chinese "on numerous occasions". The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic resulted in austerity measures . Curaçao had to impose spending cuts to qualify for additional aid from

2550-494: The Netherlands. As part of the austerity package, the Government of Curaçao announced a 12.5% cut in benefits for civil servants . On 24 June 2020, a group of civil servants, together with waste collectors from Selikor, marched to Fort Amsterdam and demanded to speak with Rhuggenaath. The demonstration turned into a riot , and police cleared the square in front of Fort Amsterdam with tear gas . The city centre of Willemstad

2625-548: The Pacific coast of South America. When Christopher Myngs was injured during the Sack of Campeche in 1663, Mansvelt took control of the 1000-man landing party and sacked the city, negotiating the surrender himself and capturing 14 vessels in port. Thereafter, he commanded his own ships and pirate crews, using similar tactics to raid smaller settlements. In late 1665, he attacked a Cuban village with 200 buccaneers. Soon after this raid, he

2700-775: The Second World War, the island played an important role in the supply of fuel for the Allied forces. In 1940, before the invasion of the Netherlands by Nazi Germany, the British occupied Curaçao and the French Aruba. The presence of powers other than the Netherlands alarmed the Venezuelan government given the proximity of these islands at the entrance to the Gulf of Venezuela and the fact they'd historically been used as bases to launch incursions against Venezuelan territory. In 1941, US troops occupied

2775-509: The St. Catharine, Mansvelt sent word to Port Royal for reinforcements in order to use the island as a base to attack the Spanish. The island was likely Providencia , located 100 miles off Nicaragua . He failed to persuade the governor in his request, as well as his attempts to use the island as a pirate haven, and died of a sudden illness. Another version, again according to Exquemelin, claims he sailed from

2850-521: The belly and sides, found lounging in the sun across the island. The iguanas found on Curaçao serve not only as a scenic attraction but, unlike many islands that gave up the practice years ago, remain hunted for food. Along the west end of the island's north shore are several inlets that have become home to breeding sea turtles . These turtles are protected by the park system in Shete Boka Park, and can be visited accompanied by park rangers. Curaçao has

2925-449: The coast of Venezuela, respectively. The three Caribbean islands that are special municipalities of the Netherlands alone are Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba. Abbreviated collectively, these are also known as the " BES islands ", or the Caribbean Netherlands . Bonaire is located in the far south of the Caribbean, being about 80 kilometres north of the coast of Venezuela; Saba is located about 50 kilometres south of Sint Maarten, and boasts

3000-484: The coast, its climate is much drier than expected for the northeastern side of a continent at its latitude. Rainfall is also extremely variable from year to year, being strongly linked to the El Niño Southern Oscillation . As little as 200 millimetres or 8 inches may fall in a strong El Niño year, but as much as 1,150 millimetres or 45 inches is not unknown in powerful La Niña years. Curaçao lies outside

3075-752: The earliest written mentions of Curaçao. A document dated 9 December 1595 states that Francisco Montesinos, priest and vicar of "the Yslas de Curasao, Aruba and Bonaire " conferred his power of attorney to Pedro Gutiérrez de Lugo, a Caracas resident, to collect his ecclesiastic salary from the Royal Treasury of King Philip II of Spain . The Spanish introduced numerous tree, plant and animal species to Curaçao, including horses, sheep, goats, pigs and cattle from Europe and other Spanish colonies. In general, imported sheep, goats and cattle did relatively well. Cattle were herded by Caquetios and Spaniards and roamed freely in

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3150-444: The economy with the shift to wage labour . Some Curaçao inhabitants emigrated to other islands, such as Cuba , to work in sugarcane plantations . Other former slaves had nowhere to go and continued working for plantation owners under the tenant farmer system, in which former slaves leased land from former masters, paying most of their harvest to owners as rent. The system lasted until the early 20th century. Historically, Dutch

3225-405: The entire industry, from pumping, transporting, and refining to sales. The refineries on Aruba and Curaçao operated in global markets and were profitable partly because of the margin between the production costs of crude oil and the revenues the sale of oil products. This provided a safety net for losses incurred through inefficiency or excessive operating costs at the refineries. In 1929, Curaçao

3300-456: The expedition to return to Jamaica or Tortuga after this setback; however, Mansvelt took what remained of the fleet successfully raiding the Isle of St. Catherine and capturing the island of Santa Catalina , also known as Providencia or Providence Island, a name given to it by English Puritans who had settled it in 1630. The island was controlled by Spain at the time Mansvelt arrived. After occupying

3375-507: The fleet which captured and looted Granada and the Isle of St. Catherine , although this is disputed. He was, however, elected admiral of the fleet, consisting between 10 and 15 ships and an estimated 500 men. Sailing for Costa Rica in April, he intended to attack Cartago several miles inland but was turned back by heavy resistance from Spanish defenders near Turrialba . Several members chose to leave

3450-511: The highest mountain in the Netherlands, Mount Scenery , at 880 m (2,887') above sea level). Sint Eustatius is located directly north of Saint Kitts . The islands have also been informally grouped in the following ways. The populations of the Dutch Caribbean descend from a diverse array of ethnic groups ( Europeans , Africans , Natives , Latin-Americans , Jews , Levantine Arabs , Asians etc.), having been home to numerous people groups, languages and cultures over time. The Dutch Caribbean

3525-501: The inhabitants as Indios Curaçaos. Curaçao's history begins with the Arawak and Caquetio Amerindians ; the island becoming a Spanish colony after Alonso de Ojeda 's 1499 expedition. Though labelled "the useless island" due to its poor agricultural yield and lack of precious metals, it became a strategic cattle ranching area. When the Dutch colonized the island in 1634, they shifted the island's focus to trade and shipping, and later made it

3600-471: The island and built military airport "Hato". The main purpose was this deployment was to fight against expected future attacks by Axis submarines and potentially long-distance Nazi bombers. America was also concerned over the potential threat of a German invasion of the continental US launched with the aid of German settlers in South America. In 1942 the port of Willemstad, one of the main sources of fuel for

3675-519: The island became a free port . In the Franco-Dutch War of 1672–78, French Count Jean II d'Estrées planned to attack Curaçao. His fleet—12 men-of-war , three fire ships , two transports, a hospital ship , and 12 privateers —met with disaster, losing seven men-of-war and two other ships when they struck reefs off the Las Aves archipelago . The serious navigational error occurred on 11 May 1678,

3750-510: The island now known as Curaçao. When their ship returned, some had recovered, probably after eating vitamin C-rich fruit there. From then on, the Portuguese allegedly referred to the island as Ilha da Curação (Island of Healing) or the Spanish as Isla de la Curación. The original inhabitants of Curaçao were the Arawak and Caquetio Amerindians . Their ancestors had migrated to the island from

3825-548: The island to Tortuga where he was captured by the Spanish in Cuba and executed for piracy in Portobelo . Regardless, his authority was assumed by another rising buccaneering captain, Henry Morgan , following news of his death. Cura%C3%A7ao Curaçao , officially the Country of Curaçao ( Dutch : Land Curaçao ; Papiamentu : Pais Kòrsou ), is a Lesser Antilles island in

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3900-514: The island were 52 tonnes in 2018, the second highest in the world. Meteo, the Curaçao weather department, provides up-to-date information about weather conditions via its website and mobile apps for iOS and Android . Average temperatures have risen sharply in the past 40 years in the Caribbean Netherlands and Curaçao has experienced more warm days and fewer cooler nights. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that should air temperatures increase by 1.4 degrees, there will be

3975-399: The island while Dutch colonists started settling there. The Dutch West India Company founded the capital of Willemstad on the banks of an inlet called the Schottegat; the natural harbour proved an ideal place for trade. Commerce and shipping—and piracy —became Curaçao's most important economic activities. Later, salt mining became a major industry, the mineral being a lucrative export at

4050-569: The island's diverse cultural influences. Curaçao was formerly part of the Curaçao and Dependencies colony from 1815 to 1954 and later the Netherlands Antilles from 1954 to 2010, as Island Territory of Curaçao. The discovery of oil in the Maracaibo Basin in 1914 transformed Curaçao into a critical refinery location, altering its economic landscape. There were efforts towards becoming

4125-863: The island, while the Caquetios are thought to have lived scattered all over the island. In 1634, during the Eighty Years' War of independence between the Republic of the Netherlands and Spain, the Dutch West India Company under Admiral Johann van Walbeeck invaded the island; the Spanish surrendered in San Juan in August. Approximately 30 Spaniards and many indigenous people were then deported to Santa Ana de Coro in Venezuela. About 30 Taíno families were allowed to live on

4200-448: The kunuku plantations and savannas . Not all imported species fared equally well, and the Spanish also learned to use Caquetio crops and agricultural methods, as well as those from other Caribbean islands. Though historical sources point to thousands of people living on the island, agricultural yields were disappointing; this and the lack of precious metals in the salt mines led the Spanish to call Curaçao "the useless island". Over time,

4275-688: The larger terns , herons , egrets , and even flamingos make their homes near ponds or in coastal areas. The trupial, a black bird with a bright orange underbelly and white swatches on its wings, is common to Curaçao. The mockingbird , called chuchubi in Papiamentu, resembles the North American mockingbird, with a long white-grey tail and a grey back. Near shorelines, big-billed brown pelicans feed on fish. Other seabirds include several types of gulls and large cormorants . Other than field mice, small rabbits, and cave bats, Curaçao's most notable animal

4350-559: The late 19th century. When oil was discovered in the Venezuelan Maracaibo Basin town of Mene Grande in 1914, Curaçao's economy was dramatically altered. In the early years, both Shell and Exxon held drilling concessions in Venezuela, which ensured a constant supply of crude oil to refineries in Aruba and Curaçao. Crude oil production in Venezuela was inexpensive. Both Shell and Exxon were vertically integrated and controlled

4425-510: The leaders Tula Rigaud , Louis Mercier, Bastian Karpata, and Pedro Wakao. Up to 4,000 slaves in northwest Curaçao revolted, with more than 1,000 taking part in extended gunfights. After a month, the slave owners were able to suppress the revolt. Curaçao's proximity to South America resulted in interaction with cultures of the coastal areas more than a century after the independence of the Netherlands from Spain. Architectural similarities can be seen between 19th century Willemstad neighborhoods and

4500-411: The mainland of South America , probably hundreds of years before Europeans' first arrival. The first Europeans recorded as seeing the island were members of a Spanish expedition under the leadership of Alonso de Ojeda in 1499. The Spaniards enslaved most of the Caquetios (Arawak) for forced labour in their Hispaniola colony, but paid little attention to the island itself. In 1515, almost all of

4575-524: The mainland, such as Simon Bolivar , regrouped in Curaçao. During the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , British forces twice occupied Curaçao; the first occupation lasted from 1800 to 1803, and the second occupation from 1807 to 1815. Stable Dutch rule returned in 1815 at the end of the Napoleonic wars , when the island was incorporated into the colony of Curaçao and Dependencies . The Dutch abolished slavery in 1863, causing vast changes in

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4650-543: The nearby Venezuelan city of Coro in Falcón State , which has also been designated a World Heritage Site. Netherlands established economic ties with the Viceroyalty of New Granada that included the present-day countries of Colombia and Venezuela . In the 19th century, Curaçaoans such as Manuel Piar and Luis Brión were prominently engaged in the wars of independence of both Venezuela and Colombia. Political refugees from

4725-458: The number of Spaniards living on Curaçao decreased while the number of aboriginal inhabitants stabilized. Presumably through natural growth, return and colonization, the Caquetio population then began to increase. In the last decades of Spanish occupation, Curaçao was used as a large cattle ranch. At that point, Spaniards lived around Santa Barbara , Santa Ana and in the villages in the western part of

4800-589: The oil refineries and bolster the Venezuelan Air Force. In 1954, Curaçao and other Dutch Caribbean colonies were joined to form the Netherlands Antilles . Discontent with Curaçao's seemingly subordinate relationship to the Netherlands, ongoing racial discrimination , and a rise in unemployment owing to layoffs in the oil industry led to a series of riots in 1969. The riots resulted in two deaths, numerous injuries and severe damage in Willemstad. In response,

4875-412: The process. A new island council ratified this agreement on 9 July 2007. On 15 December 2008, Curaçao was again scheduled to become a separate country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. A non-binding referendum on the move was held in Curaçao on 15 May 2009; 52% of voters supported it. The dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles came into effect on 10 October 2010. Curaçao became a country within

4950-472: The refinery to the Venezuelan PDVSA state oil company. Continuing economic hardship in the late 1990s and early 2000s resulted in much emigration to the Netherlands. On 1 July 2007, Curaçao was due to become a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, like Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles. On 28 November 2006, the change was delayed when the island council rejected a clarification memorandum on

5025-417: The refinery's future. In 1985, after 70 years, Royal Dutch Shell decided to end its activities on Curaçao. This came at a crucial moment. Curaçao's fragile economy had been stagnant for some time. Several revenue-generating sectors suffered even more during this period: tourism from Venezuela collapsed after the devaluation of the bolivar , and a slowdown in the transportation sector had deleterious effects on

5100-430: The southeast coast of the main island of Curaçao lies the tiny unhabitated Isle of Klein Curaçao . Klein Curaçao boasts long stretched beach. Curaçao's flora differ from typical tropical island vegetation. Guajira-Barranquilla xeric scrub is the most notable, with various forms of cacti , thorny shrubs, evergreen , and watapana trees ( Libidibia coriaria ; called divi-divi on Aruba), which are characteristic of

5175-439: The southern Caribbean Sea , specifically the Dutch Caribbean region, about 65 km (40 mi) north of Venezuela . It is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands . Curaçao includes the main island of Curaçao and the much smaller, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao ("Little Curaçao"). Curaçao has a population of 158,665 (January 2019 est.), with an area of 444 km (171 sq mi); its capital

5250-522: The third prime minister on 31 December 2012. He led a demissionary cabinet until 7 June 2013, when a new cabinet under the leadership of Ivar Asjes was sworn in. Although Curaçao is autonomous, the Netherlands has intervened in its affairs to ensure that parliamentary elections are held and to assist in finalizing accurate budgets. In July 2017, Curaçaoan Prime Minister Eugene Rhuggenaath said he wanted Curaçao to take full responsibility over its affairs, but asked for more cooperation and assistance from

5325-720: The time. From 1662, the Dutch West India Company made Curaçao a centre of the Atlantic slave trade , often bringing slaves from West Africa to the island, before selling them elsewhere in the Caribbean and Spanish Main . Sephardic Jews fleeing persecution in Spain and Portugal sought safe haven in Dutch Brazil and the Dutch Republic . Many settled in Curaçao, where they made significant contributions to its civil society, cultural development and economic prosperity. In 1674

5400-479: Was attacked by Venezuelan rebel commander Rafael Simón Urbina , who, with 250 soldiers, captured the fort. The Venezuelans plundered weapons, ammunition, and the island's treasury. They also managed to capture the Governor of the island, Leonardus Albertus Fruytier (1882–1972), and hauled him off to Venezuela on a stolen American ship, Maracaibo . Fruytier was criticized and had to resign as governor. After returning to

5475-516: Was later looted . 48 people were arrested, the city districts of Punda and Otrobanda were placed under lockdown for the night, and a general curfew was declared from 20:30 to 06:00. Curaçao, lies on the continental shelf of South America featuring a hilly topography, with its highest point reaching 372 m (1,220 ft) above sea level . named Christoffelberg . Curaçao has diverse range of beaches from coastline's bays, inlets, lagoons, seasonal lakes, rough seas at its northshore, and

5550-453: Was not widely spoken on the island outside of the colonial administration, but its use increased in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Students on Curaçao, Aruba, and Bonaire were taught predominantly in Spanish until the early 19th century, when the British occupied all three islands. Teaching of Spanish was restored when Dutch rule resumed in 1815. Also, efforts were made to introduce widespread bilingual Dutch and Papiamentu education in

5625-434: Was offered a commission by the newly appointed governor, Thomas Modyford , at Port Royal, to sail against the Dutch at Curaçao . His men refused to fight the Dutch however, some themselves being Dutchman, while others believed it would be far more lucrative to continue their raids against the Spanish. In January 1666, Mansvelt and his crew left Jamaica . According to writer and historian, Alexandre Exquemelin , Mansvelt led

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