Added: May 26, 2010

From: matheona

Duration: 7:23

GeographyArea: 960 sq. km. (597 sq. mi.); more than five times the size of Washington, DC; five islands divided geographically into the Windward Islands (northern) group (Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten) and the Leeward Islands (southern) group (Bonaire and Curaçao). Cities: Capital--Willemstad (metropolitan). Islands: Curaçao (pop. 141,766) Sint Maarten (40,917), Bonaire (12,877), Sint Eustatius (2,768), Saba (1,601). Terrain: Generally hilly, volcanic interiors. Climate: Tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds. People / Nationality: Noun and adjective--Dutch. Population (2009): 199,929./ Annual population growth rate (2009): 0.73%. Ethnic groups: Mixed black 85%, other 15% (mixed Latin American, white, East Asian). Religions: Roman Catholic (72%), Pentecostal (4.9%), Protestant (3.5%), Seventh-Day Adventist (3.1%), Jehovahs Witness (1.7%), other Christian (4.2%), Jewish (1.3%), other (1.2%), none (5.2%). Languages: Dutch (official), Papiamento predominates, English is widely spoken, Spanish. Education: Literacy--96.7% Curaçao; 96.3% Netherlands Antilles (2003). Health: Infant mortality rate--6.1 deaths/1,000 live births; 62.6 live births per 1,000 women 15 to 44 years old. Life expectancy--female, 79.9 yrs.; male, 72.8 yrs.Work force (95,000; 2009): Agriculture--1%; industry--15%; services--84%. Bonaire With origins similar to Curaçao, Bonaire was captured by the Dutch in 1634, and was a granary for the Dutch East Indian Company until 1791, when the government reclaimed control. Sint Eustatius The first settlement in Sint Eustatius was established in 1636 and changed hands between the Dutch, French, and Spanish 22 times in its history. In the 18th century the island became a duty-free port for overburdened colonizers shipping back to the homeland, which propelled it into a major port with rapid population growth that lost momentum after the American-British peace treaty in 1783. Saba Columbus was the first to sight Saba, but it was the Dutch who colonized the island in 1640 with a party from Sint Eustatius. Because of its difficult terrain, the island's growth progressed slowly, and it remains the least populated island in the Dutch Kingdom. Sint Maarten The Dutch were the first to colonize Sint Maarten in 1631, but within 2 years the Spanish invaded and evacuated the settlers. The Dutch failed in an attempt to regain the island in 1644, but 4 years later the Spanish abandoned the island of their own accord. In 1648 the island was divided between the Dutch and the French; however, complete control of the island was seized numerous times in a series of conflicts. The British became involved as well, taking power for 6-year and 10-year stints. Finally, in 1817, the current partition line between Dutch and French was established. The island flourished under a slave-based plantation economy and the exportation of salt until abolition of slavery in 1863. Unification In 1845 the Dutch Windward islands united with Curaçao, Bonaire, and Aruba in a political unit. The islands' economy remained weak until the 20th century, when oil was discovered in Venezuelas Lake Maracaibo and a refinery was established on Curaçao. In addition, during the same period, an offshore financial sector was created to serve Dutch business interests. Since 1954, the federation of the Netherlands Antilles (Curacao, Bonaire, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten), which is a constituent part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, has been semi-autonomous in most internal affairs. The Kingdom retains authority over foreign affairs, defense, final judicial review, and "Kingdom matters" including human rights and good governance. Aruba was part of this federation until January 1, 1986, when it gained a separate status within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. About 85% of Curacao's population is of African derivation. The remaining 15% is made up of various races and nationalities, including Dutch, Portuguese, North Americans, natives from other Caribbean islands, Latin Americans, Sephardic Jews, Lebanese, and Asians. Roman Catholicism predominates, but several other religions are represented, which include Anglican, Jewish, Muslim, Protestant, Mormon, Baptist, Islam, and Hindu. The Jewish community is the oldest in the Western Hemisphere, dating back to 1634. While faltering economic conditions caused the Netherlands Antilles to experience high rates of migration by citizens to the Netherlands from 1998-2002, this trend has largely been reversed in recent years.

Channel: People

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