NETHERLANDS ANTILLES

Dutch Nederlandse Antillen, five islands in the Caribbean Sea, an autonomous part of The Netherlands since 1954. The islands are in two widely separated groups: the northern group lies at the northern end of the Lesser Antilles and consists of Sint Eustatius, the southern part of Saint Martin (Dutch: Sint Maarten), and Saba; the southern islands lie about 500 miles (800 km) to the southwest, off the coast of Venezuela, and consist of Bonaire and Curaao (until 1986 the island of Aruba was also included). The capital, on Curaao, is Willemstad. Area 309 square miles (800 square km). Pop. (1994 est.) 197,069. The land. The southern islands, less than 50 miles (80 km) off the Venezuelan coast, are rather low-lying, rocky, and dry. The larger of the islands is Curaao (171 square miles [444 square km]), with the highest elevations, rising to 1,230 feet (375 m). Bonaire, the smaller island (111 square miles [288 square km]), about 20 miles (32 km) east of Curaao, has elevations of up to 787 feet (240 m). The southern islands have a dry tropical climate, annual rainfall often falling below 22 inches (550 mm) per year. The average temperature of 81 F (27 C) varies little year-round, and the easterly trade winds offer moderating breezes. The sparse vegetation includes a variety of cacti and other drought-resistant plants. The islands are out of the general path of Caribbean hurricanes. The northern islands consist of volcanic rock, and elevations are higher than in the southern group, reaching 2,910 feet (887 m) on Saba. The northern islands are also smaller, the largest being Saint Martin (33 square miles [85 square km]), only the southern portion (13 square miles [34 square km]) of which is part of the Netherlands Antilles. The rainfall and vegetation are heavier in the northern islands than in the southern. Dutch Nederlandse Antillen, five islands in the Caribbean Sea, an autonomous part of the Kingdom of The Netherlands. The group is composed of two widely separated groups approximately 500 miles (800 kilometres) apart. The area of the islands is 309 square miles (800 square kilometres). The southern group, of which Aruba is geographically a part, includes Curaao and Bonaire, which lie less than 50 miles off the Venezuelan coast. The northern group includes Sint Eustatius, Saba, and the southern part of Saint Martin (called Sint Maarten), the other part being administered by the French territory of Guadeloupe. Although the northern islands are referred to as Windward by locals, geographically this group lies within the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles. The capital and largest city is Willemstad, on Curaao. Since 1954 the Netherlands Antilles have been an integral part of The Netherlands, with full autonomy in internal affairs. The island of Aruba was formerly a part of the Netherlands Antilles, but in 1986 it seceded from the federation to become a separate entity. Additional reading Although independent, Aruba is often treated in the literature with the Netherlands Antilles. Geographic information is given in J.H. Westermann and J.I.S. Zonneveld, Photo-Geological Observations and Land Capability & Land Use Survey of the Island of Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles (1956); Ren Rmer, Curaao (1981; originally published in Dutch, 1977); John Y. Keur and Dorothy L. Keur, Windward Children: A Study in Human Ecology of the Three Dutch Windward Islands in the Caribbean (1960); H. Hoetink, Het patroon van de oude Curaaose samenleving (1958), a sociological study, including a discussion of race; Folkert Steenmeijer, Food and Nutrition of Arubans (1957); Vera M. Green, Migrants in Aruba: Interethnic Integration (1974); Julia G. Crane, Educated to Emigrate: The Social Organization of Saba (1971); and Anke Klomp, Politics on Bonaire (1987; originally published in Dutch, 1983).A comprehensive history of the Netherlands Antilles, including Aruba, is Johannes Hartog, Geschiedenis van de Nederlandse Antillen, 5 vol. (195481). One-volume treatments are Cornelis C. Goslinga, The Dutch in the Caribbean and on the Wild Coast, 15801680 (1971), The Dutch in the Caribbean and in the Guianas, 16801791 (1985), and A Short History of the Netherlands Antilles and Surinam (1979), a concise survey. An overview of historical sources is given in M.A.P. Meilink-Roelofsz (ed.), Dutch Authors on West Indian History: A Historiographical Selection, trans. from Dutch (1982). A special history is Isaac S. Emmanuel and Suzanne A. Emmanuel, History of the Jews of the Netherlands Antilles, 2 vol. (1970). History The islands known as the Netherlands Antilles originally were inhabited by Arawak and Carib Indians; the arrival in the early 16th century of the Spanish caused the decimation of the native population. The Dutch, attracted by salt deposits, occupied the islands in the early part of the 17th century, and, except for brief periods of British occupation, the islands have remained Dutch possessions. Through much of the 17th and 18th centuries the islands prospered from Dutch trade in slaves, plantation products, and contraband, but the economy declined from 1816 until 1914. Colonial rule Curaao Curaao was discovered by Alonso de Ojeda and Amerigo Vespucci in 1499 and settled in 1527 by the Spanish, who used it mainly for livestock raising. In 1634 Johannes van Walbeeck of the Dutch West India Company occupied and fortified the island, which became the base for a rich entrept trade flourishing through the 18th century. During the colonial period Curaao was a major centre of Caribbean slave trade. There were two short periods during the Napoleonic Wars when Curaao was held by the British, but it was returned to The Netherlands by the Treaty of Paris in 1815. The 19th century was a period of economic decline partially alleviated by the cultivation of aloes and oranges. Only after the construction of the Schottegat oil refinery, however, did economic conditions greatly improve.