Netherlands Antilles

 

Location

 

            The islands of the Netherlands Antilles are all a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.  The Netherlands Antilles consists of two groups of islands located in the Caribbean Sea.  The northern group, the “Leeward Islands,” just off the Venezuelan coast, is comprised of the islands of Bonaire, Curacao, and their islets, Klein Bonaire and Klein Curacao.  The southern group of islands, called the “Windward Islands,” is located east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.  This group includes Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten, which is the southern, Dutch, part of the island of Saint Martin. All are a part of the Lesser Antilles.  The geographical coordinates are 12 15 N, 68 45 W.

Geography

            The Netherlands Antilles has a land area of 960 square kilometers.  All five islands are of volcanic origin, with hilly terrain unsuited for agriculture.  Mount Scenery, located on the island of Saba, is the highest point in the Netherlands Antilles, and all of the Netherlands, at 862 meters, or 2, 864 feet.  The lowest point is the Caribbean Sea at zero meters.  The area of land is more than five times the size of Washington D.C., and includes no major lakes or other bodies of water.  There are 364 kilometers of coastline.  The only bordering country is Guadeloupe, the northern French portion of the island of Saint Martin.   

Climate

            The islands of the Netherlands Antilles have tropical climates, with warm, sunny weather all year long, making them wonderful vacation destinations.  Northeast trade winds help keep temperatures mild and rainfall to a minimum, with an average of only 22 inches of precipitation yearly.

 Due to their location north of the Caribbean hurricane belt, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten, the “Leeward Islands,” are subject to hurricanes during the months of July to October.  Curacao and Bonaire, located south of the Caribbean hurricane belt are rarely threatened. 

History

          Each island of the Netherlands Antilles has its own unique history that has allowed a very ethnically diverse region to develop.  As a group, the islands were all first discovered and settled by the Spanish but in the 17th century the islands were conquered by the Dutch.  In 1954, the colony of islands became a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.  The island of Aruba was a part of the Netherlands Antilles until 1986, when it became a separate part of the kingdom.      

Curacao had the first original inhabitants of the Netherlands Antilles who were Arawak Indians.  Curacao was discovered in 1499, by Spain and remained under Spanish rule until 1634 when the Dutch gained control.  As the center of the Caribbean Slave Trade, Curacao became the home to the Netherlands Antilles government in 1954.  Willemstad, the capital of the Netherlands Antilles, is located on Curacao, and offers a variety of historical sites including the oldest synagogues still in use in the Western hemisphere.    

            Bonaire has similar origins to Curacao, and was also secured by the Dutch in 1634.  The island of Bonaire served as a granary for the Dutch East Indian Company until 1791 when the government reclaimed its control.  Bonaire also forms the ABC islands with Aruba and Curacao.  The coastal waters off Bonaire have been legally protected since 1979, allowing the aquatic life and coral reef to remain beautiful attractions for tourists.        

            Sint Eustatius had its first settlement in 1636.  This island has changed hands 22 times between the Dutch, French, and the Spanish.  The regional capital of Sint Eustatius is Oranjested.

            Saba, the smallest of all the islands of the Netherlands Antilles at only 5 square miles, was colonized by the Dutch in 1640.  The island consists largely of the extinct volcano Mount Scenery, which hinders the area from becoming more populated. 

            Sint Maarten is the Southern part of the island of Saint Martin.  The Northern portion is under French control and is a part of Guadeloupe.  Due to its ethnically diverse heritage, Sint Maarten is known as the gourmet capital of the Caribbean, offering a wide variety of fine cuisine with influences from all around the world.     

Important Dates

          The national holiday of the Netherlands Antilles is Queen’s Day, which is April 30th.  This holiday celebrates the birthday of the Queen Mother Juliana in 1909, and the appointment of the throne to her oldest daughter Beatrix, in 1980.

            The constitution, the Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, became official on December 29, 1954. 

Population

The inhabitants of these five islands are a very ethnically diverse group of people.  The total population of all the islands, as of 2004, was 218,126.  Curacao is the most highly populated island of the Netherlands Antilles with 150,000 inhabitants.  Willemstad, the capital, is the largest metropolitan center with a population of 140,000.  Sint Maarten is the next highly populated with 40,000 residents.  Bonaire comes in third with a population of 12,000.  The islands of Sint Eustatius and Saba are the least populated, with 3,600 and 1,300 inhabitants, respectively.  Due to the difficult terrain of Saba, growth progressed slowly and this island is still the least populated.

The nationality of the residents of the Netherlands Antilles is Dutch Antillean.  85% of the population is of African derivation.  The other 15% are Dutch, Portuguese, North Americans, Latin Americans, Sephardic Jews, Lebanese, Asians, and natives from other Caribbean islands.

As of 2004, the population growth rate was 0.86% and the average life expectancy was almost 76 years, with females outliving males by an average of four years.     

Currency

            The currency of the Netherlands Antilles is called the Antillean guilder.  Since 1989, there has been a fixed exchange rate with the U.S. dollar of 1.79: 1.  The U.S. dollar is accepted on all of the islands.    

Education

          The University of the Netherlands Antilles, located on the island of Curacao, is the only major university of the region.  The literacy rate, which is defined as the percentage of people over the age of 15 who can read and write, is 96.7%.

Language

            Each of the five islands of the Netherlands Antilles has its own language and dialect use.  Dutch is the official language and is taught in schools, with English and Spanish being widely spoken. Papiamento, which is a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect of Creole origin, predominates on the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, & Curacao).  English is the main spoken language of the Windwards and is used in their school systems. 

Religion

          Roman Catholicism predominates as the major religion of the Netherlands Antilles.  Other religious doctrines of the region include Anglican, Jewish, Muslim, Protestant, Mormon, and Baptist faiths.    

Agriculture

            Agriculture makes up about 1% GDP for the islands of the Netherlands Antilles.  Poor soils and inadequate water supplies hinder the development of agriculture.  Only 10% of the land is deemed arable, with no permanent land used for crops.  Aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, and tropical fruit are the major agricultural products of this area. 

Economy

            The economy of the Netherlands Antilles is dependent on tourism, which contributes an astounding 94% to the gross domestic product (GDP).  Curacao, Sint Maarten, and Bonaire are the most attractive tourist destinations, being world-renowned for excellent scuba diving and wind surfing.  Industry, including oil refinement in Curacao, petroleum transshipment facilities in Curacao and Bonaire, and light manufacturing, also in Curacao, contributes 15% to the GDP.  Offshore finance and illegal drug trafficking are also sources of revenue for the Netherlands Antilles.

 These islands have a high per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure compared to other countries in the region.  Almost all goods are imported, with the major suppliers being the United States, Venezuela, Mexico, and the Dutch government, which supports the islands with sizeable development aid.  The unemployment rate remains high at about 14-15%. 

Beaches are the major natural resource of the Netherlands Antilles.  There are also phosphates found in Curacao, and Bonaire remains a major supplier of salt to the United States. 

Food

          A majority of the food products used in the Netherlands Antilles are imported.  Very few foods are grown or produced on the islands themselves.  The cuisine is very diverse due to the worldwide cultural influences of the area. 

Landmarks

          Mount Scenery, the largest and only mountain on the islands, is a major landmark for tourists to visit.  Located on Saba, it dominates the land and living space, leaving very little area left for human settlement. 

As mentioned earlier, the capital of Willemstad offers tourists a wide range of historical sites to visit, including their world-renowned synagogues. 

           The most popular sites to visit while on the islands are definitely the beautiful coastal coral reefs.  Curacao and Bonaire both have protected coastlines and waters which have allowed the reefs to remain virtually untouched.  Snorkeling and scuba diving have become increasingly popular activities in this area because of the breathtaking sites in the water.  The northeast trade winds have made windsurfing another local popularity. 

            Bonaire offers a unique donkey sanctuary and a huge population of flamingos for tourists interested in seeing some of the local animals. 

            Each island is in sight of the next, which allows for tourists to easily navigate all five islands and all of the landmark destinations they have to offer.

Jamie Hiemenz