formerly Curaçao
Five islands (pop., 2002 est.: 197,000), in the Caribbean Sea .
An autonomous part of The Netherlands since 1954, they have a combined area of 309 sq mi (800 sq km). The Netherlands Antilles consists of two widely separated groups of islands: the northern group (St. Eustatius, the southern section of St. Martin , and Saba ) at the northern end of the Leeward Islands ; and the southern group, about 500 mi (800 km) to the southwest, off the coast of Venezuela ( Curaçao and Bonaire, Aruba until 1986). The capital, on Curaçao, is Willemstad . The islands were sighted by Christopher Columbus in 1493 and were claimed for Spain. In the 17th century the Dutch gained control, and in 1845 the islands became the Netherlands Antilles. In 1954 they became an integral part of The Netherlands, with full autonomy in domestic affairs. Aruba seceded from the group in 1986.