Editing Netherlands Antilles (section)

== History ==
{{See also|Curaçao and Dependencies|Dutch colonial empire}}
[[File:Lower Town Sint Eustatius.jpg|right|thumb|In the 18th century, [[Sint Eustatius]] was the most important Dutch island in the Caribbean.]]
Spanish explorers discovered both the [[Leeward Islands|leeward]] ([[Alonso de Ojeda]], 1499) and [[Windward Islands|windward]] ([[Christopher Columbus]], 1493) island groups in the late 16th century. However, the Spanish Crown only founded settlements in the Leeward Islands.

In the 17th century the islands were conquered by the [[Dutch West India Company]] and colonized by The Netherlands. From the last quarter of the 17th century, the group consisted of six Dutch islands: [[Curaçao]] (settled in 1634), [[Aruba]] (settled in 1636), [[Bonaire]] (settled in 1636), [[Sint Eustatius]] (settled in 1636), [[Saba (island)|Saba]] (settled in 1640) and [[Sint Maarten]] (settled in 1648). In the past, [[Anguilla]] (1631–1650), the present-day [[British Virgin Islands]] (1612–1672), [[St. Croix]] and [[Tobago]] had also been Dutch.

During the [[American Revolution]] Sint Eustatius, along with Curaçao, was a major trade center in the Caribbean, with Sint Eustatius a major source of supplies for the [[Thirteen Colonies]]. It had been called "the Golden Rock" because of the number of wealthy merchants and volume of trade there. The British sacked its only town, Oranjestad, in 1781 and the economy of the island never recovered.

However, with the discovery of oil in [[Venezuela]] in the nineteenth century, the [[Royal Dutch Shell|Anglo-Dutch Shell Oil Company]] established refineries in Curaçao, while the U.S. processed Venezuelan crude oil in Aruba. This resulted in booming economies on the two islands, which turned to bust in the 1980s when the oil refineries were closed.<ref>Albert Gastmann, "Suriname and the Dutch in the Caribbean" in ''Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture'', vol. 5, p. 189. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons 1996.</ref>

The various islands were united as a single country – the Netherlands Antilles – in 1954, under the Dutch crown. The country was [[Dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles|dissolved]] on 10 October 2010.<ref name="bbc" />
Curaçao and Sint Maarten became distinct [[Countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands|constituent countries]] alongside Aruba which had become a distinct constituent country in 1986; whereas Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba (the [[BES islands]]) [[Caribbean Netherlands|became special municipalities]] within the [[Netherlands]] proper.<ref name="endofNA">{{cite news |title=Antillen opgeheven op 10-10-2010 |url=http://www.nos.nl/nosjournaal/artikelen/2009/10/1/011009_antillen.html |publisher=NOS {{clarify |date=May 2015}} |date=1 October 2009 |access-date=1 October 2009 |language=nl |archive-date=4 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091004012255/http://www.nos.nl/nosjournaal/artikelen/2009/10/1/011009_antillen.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[File:Curacao Willemstad (36699795245).jpg|thumb|right|[[Willemstad]]]]
From 1815 onwards [[Curaçao and Dependencies]] formed a colony of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In 1865 a government regulation for Curaçao was enacted that allowed for some very limited autonomy for the colony. Although this regulation was replaced by a constitution ({{langx|nl|Staatsregeling}}) in 1936, the changes to the government structure remained superficial and Curaçao continued to be ruled as a colony.<ref>Oostindie and Klinkers 2001: 12–13</ref>

The Dutch abolition of slavery in 1863 would hit most of the economies of the Dutch Caribbean islands hard as they were primarily slave labor-driven, plantation-based economies (the King of the Netherlands officially apologising for its part in the trade at a formal ceremony in 2023).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ferrer |first=Isabel |date=2023-07-01 |title=King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands apologizes for slavery in Dutch colonies |url=https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-07-01/king-willem-alexander-of-the-netherlands-apologizes-for-slavery-in-dutch-colonies.html |access-date=2024-02-27 |website=EL PAÍS English |language=en-us}}</ref> With the exception of Aruba, where slavery was not as widespread as the island was considered too dry by the Dutch for large-scale plantations.

Economic prosperity on Curaçao and neighboring Aruba was restored in the early 20th century with the construction of oil refineries to service the newly discovered Venezuelan oil fields.

Colonial rule ended after the conclusion of the [[Second World War]]. [[Wilhelmina of the Netherlands|Queen Wilhelmina]] had promised in a 1942 speech to offer autonomy to the overseas territories of the Netherlands. During the war, the British and American occupation of the islands – with the consent of the Dutch government – led to increasing demands for autonomy within the population as well.<ref>Oostindie and Klinkers 2001: 29–32</ref>

In May 1948 a new constitution for the territory entered into force, allowing the largest amount of autonomy possible under the Dutch constitution of 1922. Among other things, [[universal suffrage]] was introduced. The territory was also renamed "Netherlands Antilles". After the Dutch constitution was revised in 1948, a new interim Constitution of the Netherlands Antilles was enacted in February 1951. Shortly afterwards, on 3 March 1951, the [[Island Regulation of the Netherlands Antilles]] ({{langx|nl|Eilandenregeling Nederlandse Antillen or ERNA}}) was issued by [[royal decree]], giving fairly wide autonomy to the various island territories in the Netherlands Antilles. A consolidated version of this regulation remained in force until the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles in 2010.<ref>Oostindie and Klinkers 2001: 41–44</ref><ref>Overheid.nl – [http://decentrale.regelgeving.overheid.nl/cvdr/XHTMLoutput/Historie/Nederlandse%20Antillen/7402/7402_1.html KONINKLIJK BESLUIT van 3 maart 1951, houdende de eilandenregeling Nederlandse Antillen] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202212251/http://decentrale.regelgeving.overheid.nl/cvdr/xhtmloutput/Historie/Nederlandse |date=2 February 2019 }}</ref>

The new constitution was only deemed an interim arrangement, as negotiations for a [[Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands|Charter for the Kingdom]] were already under way. On 15 December 1954 the Netherlands Antilles, [[Suriname]] and the Netherlands acceded as equal partners to an overarching Kingdom of the Netherlands, established by the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands. With this move, the United Nations deemed decolonization of the territory complete and removed the Netherlands Antilles from the [[United Nations list of non-self-governing territories]].<ref>Oostindie and Klinkers 2001: 47–56</ref>
[[File:Driedaags bezoek premier Den Uyl Weeknummer 74-36 - Open Beelden - 58221.ogv|thumb|Dutch prime minister Den Uyl visiting the Antilles, 1974]]
Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles on 1 January 1986 after a 30 year-long political battle for separation, paving the way for a series of referendums among the remaining islands on the future of the Netherlands Antilles. Whereas the ruling parties campaigned for the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles, the people voted for a restructuring of the Netherlands Antilles. The coalition campaigning for this option became the [[Party for the Restructured Antilles]], which ruled the Netherlands Antilles for much of the time until its dissolution on 10 October 2010.

=== Dissolution ===
{{main|Dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles}}
[[File:Flag of the Netherlands Antilles (1959–1986).svg|thumb|right|Flag of the Netherlands Antilles before Aruba seceded in 1986]]

Even though the referendums held in the early 1990s resulted in a vote in favour of retaining the Netherlands Antilles, the arrangement continued to be an unhappy one. Between June 2000 and April 2005, each island of the Netherlands Antilles had a new referendum on its future status. The four options that could be voted on were the following:
* closer ties with the Netherlands
* remaining within the Netherlands Antilles
* autonomy as a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands (''[[status aparte]]'')
* independence

Of the five islands, Sint Maarten and Curaçao voted for ''status aparte'', Saba and Bonaire voted for closer ties with the Netherlands, and Sint Eustatius voted to stay within the Netherlands Antilles.

On 26 November 2005, a Round Table Conference (RTC) was held between the governments of the Netherlands, Aruba, the Netherlands Antilles, and each island in the Netherlands Antilles. The final statement to emerge from the RTC stated that autonomy for Curaçao and Sint Maarten, plus a new status for Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba (BES) would come into effect by 1 July 2007.<ref name="bzk2">{{cite web |publisher=Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations |title=Closing statement of the first Round Table Conference |url=http://english.minbzk.nl//subjects/aruba-and-the/publications/@70051/closing_statement_of |date=26 November 2005 |access-date=19 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111121171959/http://english.minbzk.nl//subjects/aruba-and-the/publications/@70051/closing_statement_of |archive-date=21 November 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
On 12 October 2006, the Netherlands reached an agreement with Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba: this agreement would make these islands special municipalities.<ref>{{cite web |author=Radio Netherlands |title=Caribbean islands become Dutch municipalities |url=http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/ant061012mc |date=12 October 2006 |access-date=2 February 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20061213212643/http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/ant061012mc |archive-date=13 December 2006 }}</ref>

On 3 November 2006, Curaçao and Sint Maarten were granted autonomy in an agreement,<ref>{{cite news |title=Curaçao and St Maarten to have country status |url=http://www.government.nl/News/Press_releases_and_news_items/2006/November/Cura_ao_and_St_Maarten_to_have_country_status |publisher=Government.nl |date=3 November 2006 |access-date=21 January 2008}}</ref> but this agreement was rejected by the then island council of Curaçao on 28 November.<ref name="bzk">{{cite web |publisher=Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations |title=Curacao rejects final agreement |url=http://www.minbzk.nl/bzk2006uk/subjects?ActItmIdt=103621 |date=29 November 2006 |access-date=2 February 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930183633/http://www.minbzk.nl/bzk2006uk/subjects?ActItmIdt=103621 |archive-date=30 September 2007}}</ref> The Curaçao government was not sufficiently convinced that the agreement would provide enough autonomy for Curaçao.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nu.nl/news/901903/11/Cura%E7ao_verwerpt_slotakkoord.html |title=Curaçao verwerpt slotakkoord |date=29 November 2006 |publisher=Nu.nl |access-date=2010-10-10 |archive-date=16 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191016105827/https://www.nu.nl/algemeen/901903/curaao-verwerpt-slotakkoord.html?redirect=1 |url-status=dead }}</ref> On 9 July 2007 the new island council of Curaçao approved the agreement previously rejected in November 2006.<ref name="approved">{{cite web |author=The Daily Herald St. Maarten |title=Curaçao IC ratifies November 2 accord |url=http://www.thedailyherald.com/news/daily/k045/ratify045.html |date=9 July 2007 |access-date=13 July 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070711181904/http://www.thedailyherald.com/news/daily/k045/ratify045.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=11 July 2007}}</ref> A [[Curaçao status referendum, 2009|subsequent referendum]] approved the agreement as well.

The acts of parliament integrating the [[Caribbean Netherlands|"BES" islands]] ('''B'''onaire, Sint '''E'''ustatius and '''S'''aba) into the Netherlands were given royal assent on 17 May 2010. After ratification by the Netherlands (6 July), the Netherlands Antilles (20 August), and Aruba (4 September), the ''Kingdom act amending the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands with regard to the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles'' was signed by the three countries in the closing Round Table Conference on 9 September 2010 in [[The Hague]].