The Netherlands Antilles: Bonaire, Curacao, Sint Maarten, St. Eustatius & Saba
|
The Netherlands Antilles, previously known as the Netherlands West Indies, is part a of the Lesser Antilles islands. The islands consist of two island groups in the Caribbean that form an autonomous part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Strictly speaking, Bonaire, Curacao, Sint Maarten, St. Eustatius and Saba are constituent elements of the Netherlands Antilles (whose shared capital is Willemstad - Curagao's capital), itself a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The official language is Dutch, and the currency is the Netherlands Antilles guilder. The islands' economy is based mostly upon tourism and petroleum. The Netherlands Antilles is composed of five islands, Curacao and Bonaire located off the coast of Venezuela, and St. Maarten, Saba, and St. Eustatius lie east of the US Virgin Islands. Geographically the Netherlands Antilles are divided into the Leeward Islands (northern) group (Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten) and the Windward Islands (southern) group (Bonaire and Curacao). In 1986 Aruba obtained a separate status within the kingdom by leaving the Netherlands Antilles. 
History:
Both the Leeward (Alonso de Ojeda, 1499) and Windward (Christopher Columbus, 1493) island groups were discovered and initially settled and occupied by the Spanish. In the 17th century, the islands were conquered by the Dutch West India Company and were used as bases for slave trade. In 1863 was slavery abolished. In 1954, the islands were upgraded from colony status to an official part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Aruba was part of the Netherlands Antilles until 1986, when it's status changed - "status aparte", and became a separate part of the kingdom outside of the Netherlands Antilles. Other islands of the Netherlands Antilles have indicated that they wish to obtain the same status, but no agreements on this have been reached. Other "status" options include independence or together becoming a full province of the Netherlands. Island Politics:
The head of state is the ruling monarch of the Netherlands, who is represented in the Netherlands Antilles by a governor. The governor is the head of local government, and forms, in conjunction with the council of ministers, the executive branch of the government for the Netherlands Antilles. The legislative branch is two-layered. Delegates of the islands are represented in the government of the Netherlands Antilles, but each island has its own government that takes care of the daily tasks on the island. Geography:
The islands of the Netherlands Antilles are all of volcanic origin. The islands are hilly, leaving not much ground suitable for agriculture. The highest point is Mount Scenery, 862 m, on Saba (also the highest point in all the Netherlands). The Netherlands Antilles have a tropical climate, with warm weather all year round. The Leeward Islands, the northern island group, are subject to hurricanes. Culture:
There is a varied and unique culture of the islands due to the origins of the population and location of the islands. Dutch influence is still heavy, though today not many of the islanders are of Dutch origin. Tourism from the United States and Canada has recently also increased the importance of American /North American culture. The holiday of Carnival is, like in many Caribbean and Latin American countries, an important one.
|
Summary: Learn all about the Netherlands Antilles. How the islands (Bonaire, Curacao, Sint Maarten, St. Eustatius and Saba) are a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Resources »
