Curaçao
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Curaçao,Template:Efn officially the Country of Curaçao,Template:Efn is a constituent island country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the southern Caribbean Sea, specifically the Dutch Caribbean region, about Template:Convert north of Venezuela.
Curaçao includes the main island of Curaçao and the much smaller, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao ("Little Curaçao").<ref name="CIA World Factbook- Curaçao"/> Curaçao has a population of 158,665 (January 2019 estimate),<ref name="rijksoverheid.nl" /> with an area of Template:Convert; its capital is Willemstad.<ref name="CIA World Factbook- Curaçao"/> 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 terms of area and population, as well as the largest in the Dutch Caribbean.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The island's name "Curaçao" may originate from the indigenous autonym of its people; this idea is supported by early Spanish accounts referring to 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 later 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 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 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.<ref>(Template:Langx, Papiamentu: Teritorio Insular di Kòrsou).</ref><ref>The English name is used by the governments of Curaçao and Netherlands Antilles, as English was an official language of the Netherlands Antilles and the Island Territory of Curaçao.</ref><ref name="CIA World Factbook- 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 a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; the island achieved autonomy in 2010.
Etymology
[edit]One explanation for the island's name is that Curaçao was the autonym by which its indigenous peoples identified themselves.<ref>Joubert and Van Buurt, 1994</ref> Early Spanish accounts support this theory, referring to the indigenous peoples as Indios Curaçaos.<ref name="curacao-nature">"Curaçao" Template:Webarchive, Curaçao-nature.com, 2005–2016. Retrieved 12 August 2016</ref>
From 1525, the island was featured on Spanish maps as Curaçote, Curasaote, Curasaore, and even Curacaute.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By the 17th century, it appeared on most maps as Curaçao or Curazao.<ref name="curacao-nature" /> On a map created by Hieronymus Cock in 1562 in Antwerp, the island was called Qúracao.<ref>Cock's 1562 map, Library of Congress website</ref>
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 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.<ref name="CIA World Factbook- Curaçao" />
History
[edit]Pre-colonial
[edit]
The original inhabitants of Curaçao were the Arawak and Caquetio Amerindians.<ref name="The History of Curaçao">Template:Cite web</ref> Their ancestors had migrated to the island from the mainland of South America, probably hundreds of years before Europeans' first arrival.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Spanish colonization
[edit]The first Europeans recorded as seeing the island were members of a Spanish expedition under the leadership of Alonso de Ojeda in 1499.<ref name="The History of Curaçao"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Spaniards enslaved most of the Caquetios (Arawak) for forced labour in their Hispaniola colony, but paid little attention to the island itself.<ref name="The History of Curaçao"/> In 1515, almost all of 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 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 the kunuku plantations and savannas.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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, 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 the island, while the Caquetios are thought to have lived scattered all over the island.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Dutch colonial rule
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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 the island while Dutch colonists started settling there.<ref name="The History of Curaçao"/>
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 the time.Template:Citation needed 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.<ref name="The History of Curaçao"/>
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.<ref name="history">Template:Cite web</ref> In 1674 the island became a free port.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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, 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.Template:Citation needed
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 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
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 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 the mainland, such as Simon Bolivar, regrouped in Curaçao.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At the end of the Napoleonic wars stable Dutch rule returned in 1815. After the signing of the Treaty of London, the island was incorporated into the colony of Curaçao and Dependencies.<ref name="curacao-travelguide.com">Template:Cite web</ref>
The Dutch abolished slavery in 1863, causing vast changes in the economy with the shift to wage labour.<ref name="curacao-travelguide.com"/> 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,<ref>Called "Paga Tera"</ref> 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.Template:Citation needed
Belle Alliance,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> an elegant 18th-century estate in Willemstad, occasionally hosted the island’s Governor as a guest during official visits.
Historically, Dutch was not widely spoken on the island outside of the colonial administration, but its use increased in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.<ref name="Putte">Dede pikiña ku su bisiña: Papiamentu-Nederlands en de onverwerkt verleden tijd. van Putte, Florimon., 1999. Zutphen: de Walburg Pers</ref> 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 the late 19th century.<ref>Van Putte 1999.</ref>
20th and 21st centuries
[edit]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 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.<ref name="The History of Curaçao"/>Template:Unreliable source?
In 1929, Curaçao 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 the Netherlands, he settled for a position as chief inspector in Maastricht. The Dutch increased their military presence on the island.<ref name=mindef>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1936 a 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 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 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 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 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 Shell refinery led to a series of riots in 1969.<ref>Anderson & Dynes 1975, p. 81, Oostindie & Klinkers 2013, p. 98, "Striking Oil Workers Burn, Loot in Curacao". Los Angeles Times. 31 May 1969, p. 2.</ref> A state of emergency was declared after rioters set fire the Willemstad downtown and the bankers mansions. Protestors had to face the Dutch Navy marines dispatching from the local military base on the island, in order to quell the rebellion led by charismatic politicians as Papa Godett and Stanley Browne. The riots resulted in two deaths, numerous injuries and severe damage in Willemstad. In response, 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.<ref>Anderson & Dynes 1975, pp. 100–101, Sharpe 2015, p. 122, Verton 1976, p. 90, "Nieuwe ministers legden eed af" (in Dutch). Amigoe di Curaçao. 12 December 1969, p. 1.</ref>
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 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 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.Template:Citation needed
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.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite news</ref> The government consortium leases the refinery to the Venezuelan PDVSA state oil company.<ref name=":1" />
Continuing economic hardship in the late 1990s and early 2000s resulted in much emigration to the Netherlands.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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 the process. A new island council ratified this agreement on 9 July 2007.<ref name="approved">Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Since the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles
[edit]The dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles came into effect on 10 October 2010.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Curaçao became a country within 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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 the third prime minister on 31 December 2012.<ref name=Hodge>Template:Cite news</ref> He led a demissionary cabinet until 7 June 2013, when a new cabinet under the leadership of Ivar Asjes was sworn in.<ref name=Asjes>Template:Cite news</ref>
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 the Netherlands, with suggestions for more innovative approaches to help Curaçao succeed and increase its standard of living.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Dutch government reminded the Curaçaoan government that it had provided assistance with oil refinery negotiations with the Chinese "on numerous occasions".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic resulted in austerity measures. Curaçao had to impose spending cuts to qualify for additional aid from the Netherlands.<ref name="ntr">Template:Cite news</ref> As part of the austerity package, the Government of Curaçao announced a 12.5% cut in benefits for civil servants.<ref name="head"/> 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.<ref name="head">Template:Cite news</ref> The demonstration turned into a riot, and police cleared the square in front of Fort Amsterdam<ref name="nu">Template:Cite web</ref> with tear gas.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The city centre of Willemstad was later looted.<ref name="nu"/> 48 people were arrested,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Geography
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Curaçao, lies on the continental shelf of South America featuring a hilly topography, with its highest point reaching Template:Convert above sea level.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> named Christoffelberg. Curaçao has diverse range of beaches from coastline's bays, inlets, lagoons, seasonal lakes, rough seas at its northshore, and 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. Furthermore, off the southeast coast of the main island of Curaçao lies the tiny unhabitated Isle of Klein Curaçao.<ref name="CIA World Factbook- Curaçao"/> Klein Curaçao boasts a long stretched beach.
Flora
[edit]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 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.Template:Citation needed
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Fauna
[edit]Template:Further Template:Further 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 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.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Other than field mice, small rabbits, and cave bats, Curaçao's most notable animal 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 Template:Convert in length and Template:Convert in height and weighing as much as Template:Convert. It has a long tail with a white underside and 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.Template:Citation needed
There are several species of iguana, light green in colour with shimmering shades of aqua along 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.Template:Citation needed
Historically, Curaçao contained a diverse ecosystem of stygofauna, including members from relictual crustacean groups such as Thermosbaenacea. However, this network of aquatic species, involving numerous endemic taxa, have not been detected since the 1970s. Their abrupt disappearance is hypothesized to have resulted from a combination of habitat destruction and contamination of groundwater by oil and discharge, the result of oil industry activities in the late 1900s.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Climate
[edit]Curaçao has 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Rainfall is scarce, only 450 millimeters (~17 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 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 Template:Convert; the hottest is September with an average temperature of Template:Convert. The year's average maximum temperature is Template:Convert. The year's average temperature is Template:Convert. The seawater around Curaçao averages around Template:Cvt and is coolest (avg. Template:Convert) from February to March, and hottest (avg. Template:Convert) from September to October.Template:Citation needed
Because Curaçao lies North of the Intertropical Convergence Zone and in an area of low-level divergence where winds flow parallel to 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,<ref>Dewar, Robert E. and Wallis, James R; ‘Geographical patterning in interannual rainfall variability in the tropics and near tropics: An L-moments approach’; in Journal of Climate, 12; pp. 3457–3466</ref> being strongly linked to the El Niño Southern Oscillation. As little as Template:Convert may fall in a strong El Niño year, but as much as Template:Convert is not unknown in powerful La Niña years.
Curaçao lies outside 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 a tropical storm, dropping as much as Template:Convert of rain on the island, nearly half its annual precipitation in a single day.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This made Tomas one of the wettest events in the island's history,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> as well as one of the most devastating; its flooding killed two people and caused over NAƒ50 million (US$28 million) in damage.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
According to the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research, average carbon dioxide emissions per person on the island were 52 tonnes in 2018, the second highest in the world.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Meteo, the Curaçao weather department, provides up-to-date information about weather conditions via its website and mobile apps for iOS and Android.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Climate change
[edit]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.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref> The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that should air temperatures increase by 1.4 degrees, there will be 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.<ref name=":2" />
Geology
[edit]Template:Main The northern seabed drops steeply within Template:Convert of the Curaçaoan shore. This drop-off is known as the "blue edge".
On Curaçao, four major geological formations can be found: the lava formation, the Knip formation, the Mid-Curaçao formation and limestone formations.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Curaçao lies within the Caribbean large igneous province (CLIP) with key exposures of those lavas existing on the island consisting of the Curaçao Lava Formation (CLF). The CLF consists of 5 km of pillow lavas with some basalt intrusions. The ages of these rocks include 89 Ma for the lavas and 75 Ma for the poikilitic sills, though some sequences may have erupted as late as 62–66 Ma, placing them in the Cretaceous period. Their composition includes picrite pillows at the base, followed by tholeiitic lavas, then hyaloclastites, then the poikilitic sills. The CLF was gradually uplifted until Eocene-Miocene limestone caps formed, before final exposure above sea level. Christoffelberg and the Zevenbergen (Seven Hills) portion of the island have exposures of the Knip Formation. This formation includes deepwater deposits of calcareous sands and fine clays, capped by siliceous chert containing radiolarians. Middle Curaçao contains alluvial soils from eroded CLF and limestone.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Beaches
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Curaçao has 37 beaches.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Most are on the south side of the island. The best known are:
- Baya Beach
- Blue Bay
- Boca Sami
- Daaibooi
- Grote Knip (Kenepa Grandi)
- Kleine Knip (Kenepa Chiki)
- Kokomo Beach
- Mambo Beach
- Piscaderabaai
- Playa Forti
- Playa Jeremi
- Playa Kas Abao
- Playa Kalki
- Playa Kanoa
- Playa Lagun
- Playa Porto Marie
- Playa Santa Cruz
- Playa Santa Barbara
- Seaquarium Beach
- Sint Michielsbaai
- Vaersenbaai
- Westpunt
Architecture
[edit]The island has diverse architectural styles reflecting the influence of the various historical rulers over the region, including Spain, the Netherlands, with more modern elements under Western influence primarily including the United States and other European countries. This ranges from ruins and colonial buildings to modern infrastructure.
Forts
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When the Dutch arrived in 1634, they built forts at key points around the island to protect themselves from foreign powers, privateers, and pirates. Six of the best-preserved forts can still be seen today:
- Fort Amsterdam (1635)
- Fort Beekenburg (1703)
- Fort Nassau (1797)
- Waterfort (1826)
- Rif Fort (1828)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Fort Piscadera (built between 1701 and 1704)
In 1957, the hotel Van der Valk Plaza Curaçao was built on top of the Waterfort.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
The Rif Fort is located opposite of the Waterfort, across the Otrobanda harbour entrance. It contains restaurants and shops, and in 2009, the Renaissance Curaçao Resort and Casino opened next to it.<ref>(2011) GEA Curaçao. Ref. AR 48811 – Aqua Spa B.V. vs Renaissance Curaçao Resort & Casino (Riffort Village N.V.) – Riffort Village Exploitatie Maatschappij N.V. – Aruba Bank N.V.</ref><ref>"Lien on Renaissance Bank Accounts", Amigoe Newspaper, 31 May 2011</ref>
Politics
[edit]After being part of the Netherlands Antilles, Curaçao became autonomous, along with Sint Maarten island, while the less populated islands of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba remained special municipalities governed by the Netherlands.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref>
Government
[edit]
Curaçao is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.<ref name="CIA World Factbook- Curaçao"/> Its governance takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democracy. The King of the Netherlands is the head of state, represented locally by a governor, with the Prime Minister of Curaçao serving as head of government.<ref name="CIA World Factbook- Curaçao"/> Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament.Template:Citation needed
The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. Convicted felons are held at the Curaçao Centre for Detention and Correction.Template:Citation needed
Curaçao has full autonomy over most matters; the exceptions are outlined in the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands under the title "Kingdom affairs".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Military
[edit]
Defence of the island is the responsibility of the Netherlands.<ref name="CIA World Factbook- Curaçao"/> The Netherlands Armed Forces deploy both ground and naval units in the Caribbean with some of these forces based on Curaçao. These forces include:
- a company of the Royal Netherlands Army on Curaçao on a rotational basis;
- a Fast Raiding Interception and Special Forces Craft (FRISC) troop (fast boats);
- a guardship, normally a Holland-class offshore patrol vessel, from the Royal Netherlands Navy on station in the Caribbean on a rotational basis;
- the Royal Netherlands Navy support vessel HNLMS Pelikaan;
- Curmil (Curaçaoan) militia elements;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Elements of a Royal Marechaussee brigade of the Armed Forces.<ref name="ULCdefensie">Template:Cite web</ref>
Two Dutch naval bases, Parera and Suffisant, are located on the island of Curaçao.<ref name="CZCdefensie">Template:Cite web</ref> Officers of the Arubaanse Militie complete additional training on Curaçao.Template:Citation needed The Curaçao Volunteer Corps is also stationed at the Suffisant Naval Barracks.<ref name="ULCdefensie" />
On the west side of Curaçao International Airport are hangars for the two Bombardier Dash 8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft and two AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters of the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard. Until 2007, the site was a Royal Netherlands Navy air base which operated for 55 years with a wide variety of aircraft, including Fireflies, Avengers, Trackers, Neptunes, Fokker F-27s, P-3C Orions, Fokker F-60s and several helicopter types. After the political decision to sell off all Orions, the air base wasn't needed anymore.Template:Citation needed
The west end of the airport is a USAF Forward Operating Location (FOL).<ref name="auto">Template:Cite web</ref> The base hosts Airborne Warning And Control System (AWACS), cargo aircraft, aerial refueling planes, and reconnaissance aircraft.<ref name="auto"/> Until 1999, the USAF operated a small fleet of F-16 fighters from the FOL.Template:Citation needed The PAE corporation runs base operations at the FOL.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Conscription
[edit]Suffisant Naval Base has facilities used for conscription in the Caribbean. There has been no military conscription since 1997, but a form of civil conscription has replaced it, compelling underprivileged young Antilleans to undertake professional training.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Economy
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Curaçao has an open economy; its most important sectors are tourism, international trade, shipping services, oil refining,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> oil storage and bunkering, and international financial services.<ref name="CIA World Factbook- Curaçao"/> Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA's lease on the island's oil refinery expired in 2019; the facility employs 1,000 people, refining oil from Venezuela for export to the US and Asia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Schlumberger, the world's largest oil field services company, is incorporated in Curaçao.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Template:Interlanguage link is said to be responsible for Curaçao's position as one of the world's top five highest per capita CO2 emission-producing countries.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Along with Sint Maarten, Curaçao uses two co-circulating currencies: the Netherlands Antillean guilder and its successor, the Caribbean guilder; the former will be withdrawn as legal tender on 1 July 2025.Template:Needs update<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref><ref name="CIA World Factbook- Curaçao"/> Its economy is well-developed, supporting a high standard of living, ranking 46th in the world in terms of GDP (PPP) per capita and 27th in the world in terms of nominal GDP per capita. Curaçao possesses a high-income economy as defined by the World Bank.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Activities related to the port of Willemstad, such as the Free Trade Zone, make significant contributions to the economy.<ref name="CIA World Factbook- Curaçao"/> To achieve greater economic diversification, the Curaçaoan government is increasing its efforts to attract more foreign investment.<ref name="CIA World Factbook- Curaçao"/> This policy, called the "Open Arms" policy, features a heavy focus on attracting information technology companies.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Since 2016, reduced foreign demand for goods due to the ongoing unrest and political uncertainty in Venezuela has led to decreased exports and increased domestic demand for goods and services, resulting in economic stagnation. While many economic sectors contracted, expansion took place in the construction, financial intermediation, and utilities sectors.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Tourism
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While tourism plays a major role in Curaçao's economy, the island is less reliant on tourism than many other Caribbean countries. Most tourists come to Curaçao from the Netherlands, the eastern United States, South America and other Caribbean islands.Template:Citation needed Curaçao was a Caribbean leader in cruise ship tourism growth, with 610,186 cruise passengers in 2013, a 41.4% increase over the previous year.<ref name="CaribbeanInTourismGrowth">Template:Cite news</ref> Hato International Airport received 1,772,501 passengers in 2013 and announced capital investments totaling US$48 million aimed at transforming the airport into a regional hub by 2018.
The Curaçaoan insular shelf's sharp drop-off known as the "Blue Edge" is often visited by scuba diving tourists.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Coral reefs for snorkeling and scuba diving can be reached without a boat. The southern coast has calm waters as well as many small beaches, such as Jan Thiel and Cas Abou. At the westernmost point of the island is Watamula and the Cliff Villa Peninsula which are good locations for drift diving. The coastline of Curaçao features numerous bays and inlets which serve as popular mooring locations for boats.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In June 2017, the island was named the Top Cruise Destination in the Southern Caribbean by Cruise Critic, a major online forum. The winners of the Destination Awards were selected based on comments from cruise passengers who rated the downtown area of Willemstad as "amazing" and the food and shopping as "excellent".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The historic centre of Willemstad is a World Heritage Site. Another attraction is the town's colourful street art. The Blue Bay Sculpture Garden with works from known Curaçao artists is situated in a nearby resort.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Landhuis Bloemhof is an art museum and gallery located in Willemstad.<ref name="beautiful">Template:Cite web</ref>
Some of the coral reefs are affected by tourism. Porto Marie Beach is experimenting with artificial coral reefs in order to improve the reef's condition.Template:Citation needed Hundreds of artificial coral blocks that have been placed are now home to a large array of tropical fish. It is now under investigation to see if the sewer waste of hotels is a partial cause of the dying of the coral reef.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Ecotourism is a growing segment of Curaçaoan tourism.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> One site in particular – Mambo Beach, also known as "Seaquarium Beach" – is a popular destination due to the calm tides for children, frequent viewing of marine life, and vibrant coral reefs – some of which have been artificially planted to improve reef health.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Labour
[edit]In 2016, a Labour Force Survey (LFS) indicated that the unemployment rate was 13.3%. For residents ages 15–64, the employment rate was 70.4%.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Financial services
[edit]Curaçao's history in financial services dates back to World War I. Prior to this period, the financial arms of local merchant houses functioned as informal lenders to the community. However, at the turn of the 20th century, Curaçao underwent industrialization, and a number of merchant houses established private commercial banks.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As the economy grew, these banks began assuming additional functions eventually becoming full-fledged financial institutions.
The Dutch Caribbean Securities Exchange is located in the capital of Willemstad, as is the Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten; the latter of which dates to 1828. It is the oldest central bank in the Western Hemisphere.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The island's legal system supports a variety of corporate structures and is a corporate haven. Though Curaçao is considered a tax haven, it adheres to the EU Code of Conduct against harmful tax practices. It holds a qualified intermediary status from the United States Internal Revenue Service. It is an accepted jurisdiction of the OECD and Caribbean Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering. The country enforces Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism funding compliance.Template:Citation needed
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act
[edit]
On 30 June 2014, Curaçao<ref>U.S. Treasury FACTA.</ref> was deemed to have an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) with the United States of America with respect to the "Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act" of the United States of America. The Tax Information Exchange Agreement signed in Washington, D.C., on 17 April 2002<ref>U.S. Treasury Agreement with Curaçao (pdf).</ref> between the U.S. and the Kingdom of the Netherlands includes Curaçao, and was updated with respect to Curaçao in 2014, taking effect in 2016.
Trade
[edit]Curaçao trades mainly with the United States, Venezuela, and the European Union. It has an Association Agreement with the European Union which allows companies which do business in and via Curaçao to export products to European markets,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> free of import duties and quotas. It is also a participant in the US Caribbean Basin Initiative allowing it to have preferential access to the US market.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Prostitution
[edit]Template:See also Prostitution in Curaçao is legal only for foreign women who get a temporary permit to work in the large open-air brothel called "Le Mirage" or "Campo Alegre". Using prostitution services is legal for men (locals included). The brothel has operated near the airport since the 1940s.<ref name="chron">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="nswp">Template:Cite web</ref> Curaçao monitors, contains and regulates the industry. The government states that the workers in these establishments are thereby given a safe environment and access to medical practitioners. However this approach does exclude local women (or men) to legally make a living from prostitution and does lead to loss of local income, as the foreign prostitutes send or take most of their earnings home.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Developments of Campo Alegre (2020–2024)
[edit]Since its closure in 2020 after 71 years of operation, Campo Alegre, Curaçao's largest open-air brothel, has been at the center of significant developments. Following the closure, a government-appointed working group proposed three scenarios for the site: transforming it into a regulated prostitution area, repurposing it for commercial use, or converting it into a residential area.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2023, the property was put up for auction, attracting various potential buyers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In a significant move, the Curaçao government purchased the Campo Alegre property, aiming to have more control over its future use.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The current ruling political party, Movement for the Future of Curaçao (MFK), had made an election promise to reopen Campo Alegre as a regulated prostitution center. This promise aligns with the recommendations of the working group and reflects the party's stance on creating a controlled environment for sex work.
As of 2024, the government is evaluating scenarios to ensure that the chosen path will benefit the local economy and social landscape.
The U.S. State Department has cited anecdotal evidence claiming that, "Curaçao...[is a] destination island... for women trafficked for the sex trade from Peru, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti, according to local observers. At least 500 foreign women reportedly are in prostitution throughout the five islands of the Antilles, some of whom have been trafficked."<ref name="trafficking192">Template:Cite web</ref> The US Department of State has said that the government of Curaçao frequently underestimates the extent of human trafficking problems.<ref name="trafficking192" />
Demographics
[edit]
Owing to the island's history of colonial times, the majority of the Curaçaoans are of African descent, including many of mixed African and European descent.<ref name="CIA World Factbook- Curaçao"/> There are also significant minorities of immigrants and Curaçaoans of Dutch, French, Portuguese, Latin American, South Asian, East Asian, and Levantine descent on the island.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
According to 2022 data from the CIA, Curacao has a total of only 92 men for every 100 women.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Religion
[edit]The religious breakdown of the population of Curaçao, according to a 2011 estimate:<ref name="CIACuraçao">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Roman Catholic;<ref name="CIACuraçao" /> 69.8%
- Adventist;<ref name="CIACuraçao" /> 9%
- Evangelical;<ref name="CIACuraçao" /> 8.9%
- Pentecostal;<ref name="CIACuraçao" /> 7.6%
- Other Protestant;<ref name="CIACuraçao" /> 3.2%
- Jehovah's Witnesses;<ref name="CIACuraçao" /> 2%
- Other;<ref name="CIACuraçao" /> 3.8%
- None;<ref name="CIACuraçao" /> 10%
- Unspecified;<ref name="CIACuraçao" /> 0.6%
There has been a shift towards the Charismatic movement in recent decades. Other denominations include the Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Methodist Church. Alongside these Christian denominations, some inhabitants practise Montamentu and other diaspora African religions.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> As elsewhere in Latin America, Pentecostalism is on the rise.Template:Citation needed There are also practising Muslims and Hindus.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Willemstad encompasses all the territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean which includes Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and the islands of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. The diocese is also a member of the Antilles Episcopal Conference.Template:Citation needed
While small, Curaçao's Jewish community has had a significant impact on the island's history.<ref name="history" /> Curaçao has the oldest active Jewish congregation in the Americas, dating to 1651. The Curaçao synagogue is the oldest synagogue of the Americas in continuous use, since its completion in 1732 on the site of a previous synagogue.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Additionally, there are both Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jewish communities.<ref name="CIA World Factbook- Curaçao"/> As of the year 2000 there were approximately 300 Jewish people living on the island.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Languages
[edit]Curaçao is a multilingual society. The official languages are Dutch, Papiamentu and English.<ref name = "official-spanish portugues,languages">Template:Citation</ref><ref name="CIA World Factbook- Curaçao"/> However, Dutch is the sole language for all administration and legal matters.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Most of Curaçao's population is able to converse in at least two, though more commonly in all four of the languages of Papiamentu, Dutch, English, and Spanish.Template:Citation needed
The most widely spoken language is Papiamentu, a Portuguese creole with African, Dutch and Spanish influences, spoken in all levels of society.<ref name="CIA World Factbook- Curaçao"/> Papiamentu was introduced as a language of primary school education in 1993, making Curaçao one of a handful of places where a creole language is used as a medium to acquire basic literacy.<ref name="Liddicoat2007">Template:Cite book</ref> Spanish and English also have a long historical presence in Curaçao. Spanish became an important language in the 18th century due to the close economic ties with Spanish territories in what are now Venezuela and Colombia<ref name=Putte /> and several Venezuelan TV networks are received. Use of English dates to the early 19th century, when the British occupied Curaçao, Aruba and Bonaire. When Dutch rule resumed in 1815, officials already noted the widespread use of the English language.<ref name=Putte />
According to the 2001 census, Papiamentu was the first language of 81.2% of the population. Dutch of 8%, Spanish of 4%, and English of 2.9%.<ref name="cbs">Template:Cite web</ref> However, these numbers divide the population in terms of first language and do not account for the high rate of bilingualism in the population of Curaçao.Template:Citation needed
Localities
[edit]Curaçao was divided into five districts from 1863 to 1925, after which it was reduced to the two outer districts of Bandabou and Bandariba and the city district of Willemstad. Over the years, the capital, Willemstad, encompassed the entire area surrounding the large natural harbour, the Schottegat. As a result, many formerly isolated villages have grown together to form a large urbanised area. The city covers approximately one third of the entire island in the east. Willemstad's most famous neighbourhoods are:
- Punda, the historic city centre with the Handelskade on St. Anna Bay.
- Otrobanda, on the other side of St. Anna Bay
- Pietermaai, east of Punda
- Scharloo, north of Punda and Pietermaai, across the Waaigat
- Julianadorp, a suburb on the west side of the city, built around 1928 on behalf of Shell for its personnel
- Emmastad, built for Shell in the 1950s, after Julianadorp was full.
- Saliña is situated next to Punda and has many shops and restaurants.
- Brievengat, a suburb in the north of the city.
Structure of the population
[edit]| Age Group | Male | Female | Total | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 69 285 | 83 084 | 152 369 | 100 |
| 0–4 | 3 876 | 3 637 | 7 513 | 4.93 |
| 5–9 | 4 750 | 4 479 | 9 229 | 6.06 |
| 10–14 | 4 487 | 4 401 | 8 888 | 5.83 |
| 15–19 | 4 503 | 4 393 | 8 895 | 5.84 |
| 20–24 | 3 891 | 3 665 | 7 556 | 4.96 |
| 25–29 | 3 862 | 4 280 | 8 142 | 5.34 |
| 30–34 | 3 966 | 4 774 | 8 740 | 5.74 |
| 35–39 | 4 081 | 5 091 | 9 172 | 6.02 |
| 40–44 | 3 833 | 5 099 | 8 932 | 5.86 |
| 45–49 | 4 563 | 5 790 | 10 353 | 6.79 |
| 50–54 | 5 049 | 6 323 | 11 372 | 7.46 |
| 55–59 | 5 481 | 7 013 | 12 493 | 8.20 |
| 60–64 | 4 937 | 6 576 | 11 513 | 7.56 |
| 65–69 | 4 098 | 5 523 | 9 621 | 6.31 |
| 70–74 | 3 427 | 4 506 | 7 932 | 5.21 |
| 75–79 | 2 163 | 3 342 | 5 504 | 3.61 |
| 80–84 | 1 346 | 2 146 | 3 492 | 2.29 |
| 85–89 | 661 | 1 283 | 1 944 | 1.28 |
| 90–94 | 248 | 543 | 791 | 0.52 |
| 95–99 | 59 | 192 | 250 | 0.16 |
| 100+ | 8 | 35 | 43 | 0.03 |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
| 0–14 | 13 113 | 12 517 | 25 630 | 16.82 |
| 15–64 | 44 162 | 52 997 | 97 159 | 63.77 |
| 65+ | 12 010 | 17 570 | 29 580 | 19.41 |
Statistics
[edit]
Education
[edit]
Public education is based on the Dutch educational system and besides the public schools, private and parochial schools are also available. Since the introduction of a new public education law in 1992, compulsory primary education starts at age six and continues for six years; secondary lasts for another four.<ref name="edu">Template:Cite book</ref>
The main institute of higher learning is the University of Curaçao (formerly University of The Netherlands Antilles), enrolling 2,100 students.<ref name="edu" /> The comprehensive model of education is influenced by both the Dutch and American education systems. Other higher education offerings on the island include offshore medical schools, universities, language schools and academies for fine art, music, police, teacher and nurse-training.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Culture
[edit]
Visual art
[edit]Visual art in Curaçao encompasses painting, sculptures, and street art.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Curaçao promotes street art with a festival, Kaya Kaya, held in the Otrabanda neighborhood of Willemstad.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The streets of Willemstad are filled with murals from multiple versions of the festival.
Literature
[edit]Despite the island's relatively small population, the diversity of languages and cultural influences on Curaçao have generated a remarkable literary tradition, primarily in Dutch and Papiamentu. The oral traditions of the Arawak indigenous peoples are lost. West African slaves brought the tales of Anansi, thus forming the basis of Papiamentu literature. The first published work in Papiamentu was a poem by Joseph Sickman Corsen entitled Atardi, published in the La Cruz newspaper in 1905.Template:Citation needed Throughout Curaçaoan literature, narrative techniques and metaphors best characterized as magic realism tend to predominate. Novelists and poets from Curaçao have contributed to Caribbean and Dutch literature. Best known are Cola Debrot, Frank Martinus Arion, Pierre Lauffer, Template:Ill, Guillermo Rosario, Template:Ill and Tip Marugg.Template:Citation needed
Cuisine
[edit]Local food is called Krioyo (pronounced the same as criollo, the Spanish word for "Creole") and boasts a blend of flavours and techniques best compared to Caribbean cuisine and Latin American cuisine. Dishes common in Curaçao are found in Aruba and Bonaire as well. Popular dishes include stobá (a stew made with various ingredients such as papaya, beef or goat), Guiambo (soup made from okra and seafood), kadushi (cactus soup), sopi mondongo (intestine soup), funchi (cornmeal paste similar to fufu, ugali and polenta) and fish and other seafood. The ubiquitous side dish is fried plantain. Local bread rolls are made according to a Portuguese recipe. All around the island, there are snèks which serve local dishes as well as alcoholic drinks in a manner akin to the English pub.Template:Citation needed
The ubiquitous breakfast dish is pastechi: fried pastry with fillings of cheese, tuna, ham, or ground meat. Around the holiday season special dishes are consumed, such as the hallaca and pekelé, made out of salt cod. At weddings and other special occasions a variety of kos dushi are served: kokada (coconut sweets), ko'i lechi (condensed milk and sugar sweet) and tentalaria (peanut sweets). The Curaçao liqueur was developed here, when a local experimented with the rinds of the local citrus fruit known as laraha. Surinamese, Chinese, Indonesian, Indian and Dutch culinary influences also abound. The island also has a number of Chinese restaurants that serve mainly Indonesian dishes such as satay, nasi goreng and lumpia (which are all Indonesian names for the dishes). Dutch specialties such as croquettes and oliebollen are widely served in homes and restaurants.Template:Citation needed
Sports
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In 2004, the Little League Baseball team from Willemstad, Curaçao, won the world title in a game against the United States champion from Thousand Oaks, California. The Willemstad lineup included Jurickson Profar, the standout shortstop prospect who most recently played for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball, and Jonathan Schoop.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Curaçaoan players Andruw Jones,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ozzie Albies, and Kenley Jansen have made multiple Major League Baseball All-Star Game appearances.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The 2010 documentary film Boys of Summer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> details Curaçao's Pabao Little League All-Stars winning their country's eighth straight championship at the 2008 Little League World Series, then going on to defeat other teams, including Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, and earning a spot in Williamsport.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The prevailing trade winds and warm water make Curaçao a location for windsurfing.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Motion Magazine, June 2005</ref>
There is warm, clear water around the island. Scuba divers and snorkelers may have visibility up to Template:Convert at the Curaçao Underwater Marine Park, which stretches along Template:Convert of Curaçao's southern coastline.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Curaçao participated in the 2013 CARIFTA Games. Kevin Philbert stood third in the under-20 male Long Jump with a distance of Template:Convert. Vanessa Philbert stood second the under-17 female Template:Convert with a time of 4:47.97.<ref name=cfpi_1>Template:Citation</ref><ref name=milesplit_1>Template:Citation</ref><ref name=cfpi_2>Template:Citation</ref><ref name=milesplit_2>Template:Citation</ref>
The Curaçao national football team won the 2017 Caribbean Cup by defeating Jamaica in the final, qualifying for the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> They then traveled to Thailand and participated in the 2019 King's Cup for the first time, eventually winning the tournament by beating Vietnam in the final.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Infrastructure and transportation
[edit]Airport
[edit]Curaçao International Airport (also called Hato International Airport) is located on the northern coast of the island and offers connections to the Caribbean region, South America, North America and Europe. Curaçao Airport is a fairly large facility, with the third longest commercial runway in the Caribbean region after Rafael Hernández Airport in Puerto Rico and Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport in Guadeloupe. The airport served as a main base for Insel Air, and for Air ALM, the former national airlines of Curaçao.Template:Citation needed
Railways
[edit]In 1887 a horse drawn street tramway opened in Punda, the part of the capital Willemstad on the eastern side of Sint Annabaai. It had a U-shaped route about 2 km in length. In 1896, a tramway opened in Otrabanda on the opposite side of the bay, but it ceased operations within a few months. The Punda line was rebuilt in 1911, regauged to metre gauge, and the horse-drawn trams replaced by petrol engined ones. The line closed in 1920.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Public transportation
[edit]ABC (Auto Busbedrijf Curaçao, "Curaçao Bus Company") provides bus transportation in and around Willemstad with 21 lines, all departing from either Otrabanda and Punda bus stations, including lines 4A, 2A, 2B and 2C serving the airport. Fares range from 2.00 to 2.50 guilders.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Bridges
[edit]
The Queen Emma Bridge, a Template:Convert long pontoon bridge, allows pedestrians to walk between the Punda and Otrobanda districts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This swings open to allow the passage of ships to and from the port.<ref name="queen">Template:Cite web</ref> The bridge was originally opened in 1888 and the current bridge was installed in 1939.<ref name="emmabridge">Template:Cite web</ref> It is best known and, more often than not, referred to by the locals as "Our Swinging Old Lady".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Queen Juliana Bridge carries motor vehicle traffic between the same two districts and its 1974 opening allowed the Queen Emma Bridge to become a pedestrian-only bridge. At Template:Convert above the sea, the Queen Juliana Bridge is one of the highest bridges in the Caribbean.<ref name="queen" />
Utilities and sanitation
[edit]Aqualectra, a government-owned company<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and a full member of CARILEC, delivers potable water and electricity to the island. Rates are controlled by the government. Water is produced by reverse osmosis or desalinization.<ref name="aqualectra.com">Template:Cite web</ref> It services 69,000 households and companies using 130,000 water and electric meters.<ref name="aqualectra.com" /> The power generation company NuCuraçao opened wind farms in Tera Kora and Playa Kanoa in 2012, and expanded in Tera Kora in 2015.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> There is no natural gas distribution grid; gas is supplied to homes by pressurized containers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Curbside trash pickup is provided by the Selikor company. There is no recycling pickup, but there are drop-off centers for certain recycled materials at the Malpais landfill,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and various locations operated by Green Force;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> private haulers recycle construction waste, paper, and cardboard.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Notable residents
[edit]People from Curaçao include:
Arts and culture
[edit]- Akisha Albert, beauty queen
- Izaline Calister, singer-songwriter
- Joceline Clemencia, writer
- Peter Hartman, past-CEO of KLM
- May Henriquez, writer and sculptor<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Tip Marugg, writerTemplate:Citation needed
- Kizzy, a singer songwriter and television personality based in the United StatesTemplate:Citation needed
- Ruënna Mercelina, model, actress, beauty queen
- Robby Müller, cinematographer, closely associated with Wim Wenders and Jim Jarmusch<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Wim Statius Muller, composer, pianist<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Pernell Saturnino, a graduated percussionist of Berklee College of Music<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Sherman Smith (musician), singer-songwriter
- Ellen Spijkstra, ceramist
- Siny van Iterson, children's writer
Politics and government
[edit]- Luis Brión, admiral in the Venezuelan War of Independence
- Moises Frumencio da Costa Gomez, first Prime Minister of the Netherlands Antilles
- George Maduro, a war hero and namesake of Madurodam in The Hague
- Manuel Carlos Piar, general and competitor of Bolivar during the Venezuelan War of Independence
- Tula, leader of the 1795 slave revolt
- Daniël Corsen, Chairperson of the World Scout Committee
Sports
[edit]Baseball
[edit]Players in Major League Baseball:
- Ozzie Albies, professional second baseman<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Wladimir Balentien, professional outfielder<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Roger Bernadina, professional outfielder<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Didi Gregorius, professional shortstop<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
- Kenley Jansen, professional pitcher<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Andruw Jones, professional outfielder<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Jair Jurrjens, professional pitcher<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Shairon Martis, professional pitcher<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Hensley Meulens, professional baseball player and hitting coach<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Jurickson Profar, professional outfielder<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Ceddanne Rafaela, professional outfielder<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Jonathan Schoop, professional infielder<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Andrelton Simmons, professional shortstop<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Randall Simon, first baseman<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Football
[edit]- Vurnon Anita, a football player for Al-Orobah FC in the Saudi Arabian First Division<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Juninho Bacuna, footballer playing for Al Wehda in the Saudi Professional League.
- Leandro Bacuna, footballer playing for FC Groningen in the Dutch Eerste Divisie.
- Roly Bonevacia, a footballer who plays for Al-Faisaly in the Saudi Professional League<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Tahith Chong, a footballer playing for Luton Town in the English Premier League.
- Juriën Gaari, footballer playing for RKC Waalwijk in the Dutch Eredivisie.
- Sontje Hansen, footballer playing for NEC Nijmegen in the Dutch Eredivisie.
- Rangelo Janga, a footballer who plays for Bnei Sakhnin in the Israeli Premier League.
- Jürgen Locadia, footballer playing for Cangzhou Mighty Lions in the Chinese Super League.
- Cuco Martina, footballer playing for NAC Breda in the Dutch Eerste Divisie
- Roshon van Eijma, footballer playing for Top Oss in the Dutch Eerste Divisie
- Jeremy Antonisse, footballer playing for Moreirense in the Portuguese Primeira Liga.
- Darryl Lachman, footballer who plays for Perth Glory in the Australian A-League.
- Eloy Room, footballer playing for Vitesse Arnhem in the Dutch Eredivisie.
- Gino van Kessel, footballer playing for MFK Zemplín Michalovce in the Slovak Niké liga.
- Jetro Willems, footballer playing for Heracles Almelo in the Dutch Eredivisie.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Other Sports
[edit]- Jemyma Betrian, professional mixed-martial-arts (MMA) fighter<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Liemarvin Bonevacia, professional sprinter
- Marc de Maar, professional cyclist<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Churandy Martina, gold medalist 100 metres at the Pan American Games 2007<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Jordann Pikeur, professional kickboxer
- Jean-Julien Rojer, professional tennis player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Roelly Winklaar, IFBB pro bodybuilder
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]References
[edit]Sources
[edit]- Habitantenan di Kòrsou, sinku siglo di pena i gloria: 1499–1999. Römer-Kenepa, NC, Gibbes, FE, Skriwanek, MA., 1999. Curaçao: Fundashon Curaçao 500.
- Social movements, violence, and change: the May Movement in Curaçao. WA Anderson, RR Dynes, 1975. Columbus: Ohio State University Press.
- Stemmen uit het Verleden. Van Buurt, G., Joubert, S., 1994, Curaçao.
- Het Patroon van de Oude Curaçaose Samenleving. Hoetink, H., 1987. Amsterdam: Emmering.
- Dede pikiña ku su bisiña: Papiamentu-Nederlands en de onverwerkt verleden tijd. van Putte, Florimon., 1999. Zutphen: de Walburg Pers
Further reading
[edit]- Corcos, Joseph. A Synopsis of the History of the Jews of Curaçao. Curazao: Imprenta de la Librería, 1897.
- Emmanuel, Isaac S. and Suzanne A. History of the Jews of the Netherlands Antilles. 2 vols. Cincinnati: American Jewish Archives, 1970.
- Rupert, Linda M. "Contraband Trade and the Shaping of Colonial Societies in Curaçao and Tierra Firme." Itinerario 30 (2006): 35–54.
External links
[edit]Template:EB1911 poster Template:Commons category
- Curaçao. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency.
- Government of Curaçao Template:In lang
- Government of Curaçao (in Papiamentu)
- Curaçao Tourism Board
- Curaçao – official Instagram account
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