NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Islands of the Netherlands Antilles

The Netherlands Antilles (Dutch: Nederlandse Antillen), previously known as the Netherlands West Indies, are part of the Lesser Antilles and consist of two groups of islands in the Caribbean Sea that form an autonomous part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (none of the other Antilles use this term in their name). The islands' economy is dependent mostly upon tourism and oil, though a large amount of money is also made through illegal drug trafficking. Note: This page contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ... The Lesser Antilles are part of the Antilles, which together with the Greater Antilles form the West Indies. ... Central America and the Caribbean The Caribbean Sea is a body of water adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean, south of the Gulf of Mexico. ... The Kingdom of the Netherlands currently consists of the three constituent parts: the mainland European Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles and Aruba. ... The Antilles now generally refers to the islands of the Caribbean or West Indies, except the Bahamas. ... A tourist boat travels the River Seine in Paris, France Tourism can be defined as the act of travel for the purpose of recreation, and the provision of services for this act. ... Oil is a generic term for organic liquids that are not miscible with water. ...

The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland) is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden). ... The guilder (Dutch gulden), represented by the symbol ƒ, was the name of the currency used in the Netherlands from the 15th century until 1999, when it was replaced by the euro (coins and notes were not introduced until 2002). ... -1... UTC also stands for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Coordinated Universal Time or UTC, also sometimes referred to as Zulu time, is an atomic realization of Universal Time or Greenwich mean time, the astronomical basis for civil time. ... The National Anthem is the name of a song by the band Radiohead. ... The anthem without a title is the national anthem of the Netherlands Antilles as of 2000. ... A top-level domain (TLD) is the last part of which Internet domain names consist of. ... .an is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Netherlands Antilles. ...

History

Main article: History of the Netherlands Antilles The Netherlands Antilles were colonized by the Netherlands in the 17th century. ...

Both the Leeward (Christopher Columbus, 1493) and Windward (Alonso de Ojeda, 1499) island groups were discovered and initially settled by the Spanish. In the 17th century, the islands were conquered by the Dutch West India Company and were used as bases for slave trade. Only in 1863 was slavery abolished. No authentic contemporary portrait of Columbus has been found; this late 19th-century engraving is one of many conjectural images For information about the director, see the article on Chris Columbus. ... Events January 4 - Christopher Columbus leaves the New World, ending his first journey. ... Alonso de Ojeda (Cuenca, Spain, 1466? _ Santo Domingo, Spanish conquistador and explorer in the Americas. ... Events July 22 - Battle of Dornach - The Swiss decisively defeat the Imperial army of Emperor Maximilian I. July 28 - First Battle of Lepanto - The Turkish navy wins a decisive victory over the Venetians. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... Dutch West India Company (Dutch: West-Indische Compagnie or WIC) was a company of Dutch merchants. ... 1863 is a common year starting on Thursday. ...

In 1954, the islands were promoted from colony to a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The island of Aruba was part of the Netherlands Antilles until 1986, when it was granted a "status aparte", and became a separate part of the kingdom. Some of the other islands have indicated that they wish to obtain the same status, but no agreements on this have yet been reached. Other options sometimes considered are independence or together becoming a province of the Netherlands. 1954 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Kingdom of the Netherlands currently consists of the three constituent parts: the mainland European Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles and Aruba. ... Aruba is an island in the Caribbean Sea, just a short distance north of the Venezuelan Paraguaná Peninsula, and it forms a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. ...

Politics

Main article: Politics of the Netherlands Antilles Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Netherlands Antilles local long form: none local short form: Nederlandse Antillen Data code: NT Dependency status: part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954 Government type: parliamentary Capital: Willemstad Administrative divisions: none (part of...

Head of state is the ruling monarch of the Netherlands, who is represented in the Netherlands Antilles by a governor. The governor is also head of the local government, and forms, together with the council of ministers, the executive branch of the government. The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland) is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden). ... Under the doctrine of the separation of powers, the executive is the branch of a government charged with implementing, or executing, the law. ...

The legislative branch is two-layered. Delegates of the islands are represented in the government of the Netherlands Antilles, but each island has its own government that takes care of the daily tasks on the island. Chamber of the Estates-General, the Dutch legislature. ...

Future status

In 2004 a commission of the governments of the Netherlands Antilles and the Netherlands reported on a future status for the Netherlands Antilles. The commission advised to revise the Statute of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in order to dissolve the Netherlands Antilles. Two new countries inside the Kingdom of the Netherlands would be formed, Curaçao and Sint Maarten. Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius would become directly part of the Netherlands as Kingdom Islands. The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland) is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden). ... The Kingdom of the Netherlands currently consists of the three constituent parts: the mainland European Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles and Aruba. ... Curaçao and Bonaire are two Caribbean islands Curaçao [pronounced koo-rah-sow] (population 150,000) is an island in the southern part of the Caribbean Sea, one of the Windward Islands of the Netherlands Antilles, a self-governing part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. ... St. ... Curaçao and Bonaire are two Caribbean islands Bonaire (pop. ... View of Saba from the sea Iguana - Booby Hill Storm coming - view from Booby Hill Saba (pronounced SAY-ba) is a small (13 sq. ... Map showing location of Sint Eustatius relative to Saba and Sint Maarten/Saint Martin Sint Eustatius (also Saint Eustace and Statia), pop. ... The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland) is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden). ...

Islands

The Netherland Antilles have no major administrative divisions, although each island has its own local government.

The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish: República Bolivariana de Venezuela)1 is a country in northern South America. ... Aruba is an island in the Caribbean Sea, just a short distance north of the Venezuelan Paraguaná Peninsula, and it forms a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. ... Curaçao and Bonaire are two Caribbean islands Bonaire (pop. ... Curaçao and Bonaire are two Caribbean islands Bonaire (pop. ... Curaçao and Bonaire are two Caribbean islands Curaçao [pronounced koo-rah-sow] (population 150,000) is an island in the southern part of the Caribbean Sea, one of the Windward Islands of the Netherlands Antilles, a self-governing part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. ... This article is about Puerto Rico, the territory of the United States. ... Map of the Virgin Islands The Virgin Islands are an archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. ... This article is about the Caribbean island group. ... View of Saba from the sea Iguana - Booby Hill Storm coming - view from Booby Hill Saba (pronounced SAY-ba) is a small (13 sq. ... Map showing location of Sint Eustatius relative to Saba and Sint Maarten/Saint Martin Sint Eustatius (also Saint Eustace and Statia), pop. ... St. ... St. ... St. ... The French Republic or France (French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. ... Guadeloupe,Island of beautiful water,is in the Caribbean Sea, is an archipelago with a total area of 1,704 km² located in the Eastern Caribbean. ...

Geography

The islands are all of volcanic origin and hilly, leaving little ground suitable for agriculture. The highest point is Mount Scenery, 862 m, on Saba (also the highest point in all the Netherlands). Map of the Netherlands Antilles. ... Farming, ploughing rice paddy, in Indonesia Agriculture is the process of producing food, feed, fiber and other desired products by cultivation of certain plants and the raising of domesticated animals ( livestock). ... View of Saba from the sea Iguana - Booby Hill Storm coming - view from Booby Hill Saba (pronounced SAY-ba) is a small (13 sq. ...

The Netherlands Antilles have a tropic climate, with warm weather all year round. The Leeward Islands are subject to hurricanes in the summer months. A tropic is either of two circles of latitude: Tropic of Cancer, at 23½°N Tropic of Capricorn, at 23½°S Tropic is also the name of a town in Utah, United States. ... Map of the climate of the Earth The climate (ancient Greek: κλίμα) is the weather averaged over a long period of time. ... This article is about weather phenomena. ...

Economy

Main article: Economy of the Netherlands Antilles Tourism, petroleum transhipment, and offshore finance are the mainstays of the Netherlands Antillean economy, which is closely tied to the outside world. ...

Tourism, petroleum transshipment and oil refinement (on Curaçao), as well as offshore finance are the mainstays of this small economy, which is closely tied to the outside world. The islands enjoy a high per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure as compared with other countries in the region. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, with Venezuela, the United States, and Mexico being the major suppliers, as well as the Dutch government which supports the islands with substantial development aid. Poor soils and inadequate water supplies hamper the development of agriculture. The Antillean guilder has a fixed exchange rate with the United States dollar of 1.79:1. A tourist boat travels the River Seine in Paris, France Tourism can be defined as the act of travel for the purpose of recreation, and the provision of services for this act. ... The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish: República Bolivariana de Venezuela)1 is a country in northern South America. ... The United Mexican States or Mexico (Spanish: Estados Unidos Mexicanos or México; regarding the use of the variant spelling Méjico, see section The name below) is a country located in North America, bordered to the north by the United States of America, to the southeast by Guatemala and Belize, to... There is a disputed proposal that this article should be merged with foreign aid Development aid (also development assistance, international aid, overseas aid or - especially in the US - foreign aid) is aid given by developed countries to support economic development in developing countries. ... Farming, ploughing rice paddy, in Indonesia Agriculture is the process of producing food, feed, fiber and other desired products by cultivation of certain plants and the raising of domesticated animals ( livestock). ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ...

Demographics

The largest part of the Netherlands Antilleans - about 85% - descends from the African slaves that were brought and traded here from the 17th to 19th century. The rest of the population consists of Caribbean Indians, Europeans and Asians. The word slave has at least two meanings: People who are owned by others, and live to serve them without pay. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Caribbean or the West Indies is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. ... World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... World map showing location of Asia A satellite composite image of Asia Asia is the central and eastern part of the continent of Eurasia, defined by subtracting the European peninsula from Eurasia. ...

Although the official language is Dutch, Papiamento is predominant on Curaçao and Bonaire (as well as the neighboring Dutch island of Aruba). This creole language is formed from elements of Dutch, English, Spanish and Portuguese. Spanish and English are also spoken. The latter has become the chief language of Sint Maarten, Saba and Sint Eustatius. Note: This page contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ... Papiamento or Papiamentu is the primary language spoken on the Caribbean islands of Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire. ... A creole is a language descended from a pidgin that has become the native language of a group of people. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... This article is about the international language known as Spanish. ... Portuguese (português) is a Romance language predominantly spoken in Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, and East Timor. ...

The majority of the population are followers of the Christian belief, mostly Roman Catholic. Curaçao also hosts a sizeable group of Jews, descendants of a Portuguese group of Sephardic Jews that arrived from Brazil in 1654. The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination of these attributes. ... In the strictest sense, a Sephardi (ספרדי, Standard Hebrew Səfardi, Tiberian Hebrew Səp̄ardî; plural Sephardim: ספרדים, Standard Hebrew Səfardim, Tiberian Hebrew Səp̄ardîm) is a Jew original to the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal: ספרד, Standard Hebrew Səfárad, Tiberian Hebrew Səp̄áraḏ / Səp̄āraḏ), or whose ancestors were among the Jews expelled from... The Federative Republic of Brazil (República Federativa do Brasil in Portuguese) is the largest and most populous country in South America, and fifth largest in the world. ... Events April 5 - Signing of the Treaty of Westminster, ending the First Anglo-Dutch War. ...

A large group of young and/or highly educated Antilleans have emigrated to the Netherlands over the past decades, which leaves the islands with substantial social and economic problems.

Culture

The origins of the population and location of the islands give the Netherlands Antilles a mixed culture. Dutch influence can still be seen, even though not much of the population is of Dutch origin. Tourism from the United States has recently also increased the importance of American culture.

The holiday of Carnival is, like in many Caribbean and Latin American countries, an important one. See also: Carnival Corporation, Carnival Cruise Lines, Carnivàle Swabian-Alemannic carnival clowns in Wolfach, Germany A carnival parade is a public celebration, combining some elements of a circus and public street party, generally during the Carnival Season. ... The Caribbean or the West Indies is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. ... Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ...

Miscellaneous topics

Both the land area and population of the Netherlands Antilles are just more than half that of Zeeland, a mainland province. Unlike the metropolitan Netherlands, same-sex marriages cannot be performed here, but those performed in other jurisdictions are recognized. For the U.S. towns of the same name see Zeeland, Michigan and Zeeland, North Dakota respectively. ... Same-sex marriage (also called gay marriage, and—less frequently—homosexual marriage) refers to marriage between partners of the same gender (for other forms of same-sex unions that are different from marriages, see the articles linked in that section). ...

Telephones - main lines in use: 75,000 (1995) Telephones - mobile cellular: 11,727 (1995) Telephone system: generally adequate facilities domestic: extensive interisland microwave radio relay links international: 2 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) Radio broadcast stations: AM 9, FM 4 (1998), shortwave 1 (Radio Netherlands transmits... Railways: 0 km Highways: total: 600 km paved: 300 km unpaved: 300 km (1992 est. ... Military branches: Royal Netherlands Navy, Marine Corps, Royal Netherlands Air Force, National Guard, Police Force Military manpower - military age: 20 years of age Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 53,766 (2000 est. ... The only international disputes that the Netherlands Antilles is involved in is its role in the illicit drug trade. ... This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of the Netherlands Antilles. ...

External link

The Caribbean Community and Common Market or CARICOM was established by the Treaty of Chaguaramas [1] which came into effect on August 1, 1973. ... The Caribbean Community and Common Market or CARICOM was established by the Treaty of Chaguaramas [1] which came into effect on August 1, 1973. ... General info: Large flag of CARICOM (the Caribbean Community and Common Market) Dimensions: 453x302 pixels Source: public domain License: Originally public domain, modifications under GFDL Most of the flags have had their colours improved and many have been resized to the proper ratios. ... National motto: Each Endeavouring, All Achieving Official language English Capital - Population: Saint Johns 24,226 (2000) Head of State Elizabeth II, Queen represented by Sir James Carlisle, Governor General Head of Government Baldwin Spencer, Prime Minister Area - Total: - % water: Ranked 180th 442 km² Negligible Population - Total: - Density Ranked 185th... National motto Forward Upward Onward Together Location of Bahamas Official language English Capital Nassau Queen Elizabeth II Governor General Dame Ivy Dumont Prime Minister Perry Christie Area - Total - % water Ranked 155th 13,940 km² 28% Population - Total - Density Ranked 168th 303,611 22/km² Independence - Date From the United Kingdom... Barbados is an island nation located towards the east of the Caribbean Sea and the west of the Atlantic Ocean, part of the eastern islands of the Lesser Antilles, with the nations of Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines being its closest neighbors. ... Belize is a small nation on the eastern coast of Central America, on the Caribbean Sea bordering Mexico to the northwest and Guatemala to the west and south. ... The Commonwealth of Dominica is an island nation and borderless country in the Caribbean. ... Grenada is an island nation in the southeastern Caribbean Sea including the southern Grenadines. ... The Co-operative Republic of Guyana is a nation along the northern coastline of South America. ... Haiti is a country situated on the western third of the island of Hispaniola and the smaller islands of La Gonâve, La Tortue (Tortuga), Grande Caye, and Ile a Vache in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba; the Dominican Republic shares Hispaniola with Haiti. ... Jamaica is a country in the Caribbean Sea, located south of Cuba and to the west of Hispaniola, on which Haiti and the Dominican Republic are situated. ... National motto: Montserrat Nice Official language English Political status Non-sovereign, Overseas territory of the U.K Capital Plymouth (now uninhabited) Governor Deborah Barnes Jones Chief Minister John Osborne Area - Total - % water Ranked n/a 91 km² Negligible Population - Total (2003) - Density Ranked n/a - 9,000 - 102/km² Currency... Saint Kitts and Nevis is an island nation in the Caribbean. ... This article is about the country in the Caribbean; for the Catholic saint, see Saint Lucy Saint Lucia is an island nation in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. ... Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an independent sovereign state of the Caribbean, part of the Commonwealth of Nations. ... -1... For other uses of the word Trinidad, see Trinidad (disambiguation) The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is a nation located in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the coast of Venezuela. ... National motto: Each Endeavouring, All Achieving Official language English Political status Non-sovereign, Overseas territory of the U.K Capital The Valley Governor Alan Huckle Chief Minister Osbourne Fleming Area - Total - % water Ranked n/a 91 km² Negligible Population - Total (2002) - Density 12,800 140/km² Currency East Caribbean dollar... Bermuda is an internally self-governing island Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom, situated in the Atlantic Ocean. ... National motto: He hath founded it upon the seas Official language English Capital George Town Capitals coordinates 19. ... The British Virgin Islands are a group of over 50 islands and Cays located in the northeast Caribbean. ... The Turks and Caicos Islands is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom consisting of two groups of tropical islands in the Caribbean, southeast of the Bahamas, at 21°45N, 71°35W. The thirty islands total 166 sq. ... Aruba is an island in the Caribbean Sea, just a short distance north of the Venezuelan Paraguaná Peninsula, and it forms a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. ... The Republic of Colombia is a country in north-western South America. ... The Dominican Republic is a Spanish-speaking representative democracy located on the eastern portion of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, bordering Haiti. ... The United Mexican States or Mexico (Spanish: Estados Unidos Mexicanos or México; regarding the use of the variant spelling Méjico, see section The name below) is a country located in North America, bordered to the north by the United States of America, to the southeast by Guatemala and Belize, to... This article is about Puerto Rico, the territory of the United States. ... The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish: República Bolivariana de Venezuela)1 is a country in northern South America. ...

Categories: Dutch colonies | Netherlands Antilles | Special territories of the EU The Netherlands followed Spain and Portugual in establishing a colonial empire outside of continental Europe. ... Aruba is an island in the Caribbean Sea, just a short distance north of the Venezuelan Paraguaná Peninsula, and it forms a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. ... The Kingdom of the Netherlands currently consists of the three constituent parts: the mainland European Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles and Aruba. ... The Age of Exploration The discovery of Brazil was preceded by a series of treaties between the kings of Spain and Portugal, the last of them is the Treaty of Tordesilhas, signed in 1494, creating the Tordesilhas Meridian, that divided the world between that two kingdoms. ... Map of European presence in 1652 The Cape Colony was a part of South Africa under British occupation during the 19th century. ... The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (ශ්රී ලංකා in Sinhala / இலங்கை in Tamil) (known as Ceylon before 1972) is a tropical island nation off the southeast coast of the Indian subcontinent. ... Demerara was one of the original British colonies that was joined into the colony of British Guiana, now Guyana. ... View of Dejima in Nagasaki Bay Scale model of Dutch trading post on display in Dejima (2003) Edo-era boundaries of Dejima island (outlined in red) within the modern city of Nagasaki. ... The Dutch East Indies, or Netherlands East Indies, (Dutch: Nederlands Indië) was the name of the colonies colonised by the Dutch East India Company which came under administration of the Netherlands during the ninteenth century (see Indonesia). ... The history of Suriname dates from 3000 BCE, when Native Americans first inhabited the area. ... The Essequibo River is the longest river in Guyana, and the largest river between the Orinoco and Amazon. ... The Kingdom of the Netherlands currently consists of the three constituent parts: the mainland European Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles and Aruba. ... Dutch New Guinea was a common name of western New Guinea while it was a colonial possession of the Netherlands. ... New Netherland (Dutch Nieuw-Nederland, Latin: Nova Belgica) was the territory claimed by the Netherlands on the eastern coast of North America in the 17th century. ... This article is about the settlement in present-day New York City. ... New Sweden, or Nya Sverige, was a Swedish colony in North America corresponding roughly to todays state of Delaware, but also containing settlements elsewhere, such as New Stockholm (now Bridgeport) and Swedesboro in New Jersey, as well as others in Pennsylvania and Maryland. ... The settlement of Smeerenburg on Amsterdam Island in north-west Svalbard, originated with Dutch whalers before 1620: one of Europes northernmost outposts. ... The Island Formosa and the Pescadores/ Johannes Vingboons/ ca. ... Tobago is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, part of the nation of Trinidad and Tobago. ... Travancore (originally called Thiruvithaamcoore, in Malayalam) was a princely state in India. ... This is the history of the British Virgin Islands. ... During the 17th century, Dutch traders established trade posts and plantations throughout the Americas; actual colonization, with Dutch settling in the new lands was not as common as with settlements of other European nations. ... This article is about the trading company. ... Dutch West India Company (Dutch: West-Indische Compagnie or WIC) was a company of Dutch merchants. ... New Holland could refer to several things: Several former Dutch colonies were known as New Holland: northeast coast Brazil, capital Mauritsstad (now Recife), see Dutch West India Company. ...

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