NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Netherlands Antilles

The Netherlands Antilles (Dutch: Nederlandse Antillen), previously known as the Netherlands West Indies or Dutch Antilles/West Indies, are part of the Lesser Antilles and consist of two groups of islands in the Caribbean Sea: Curaçao and Bonaire, just off the Venezuelan coast, and Sint Eustatius, Saba and St. Maarten, located southeast of the Virgin Islands. The islands form an autonomous part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The islands' economy depends mostly upon tourism and petroleum. Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Netherlands_Antilles. ... Image File history File links Coat_of_arms_of_the_Netherlands_Antilles_1996. ... Flag ratio: ? The Flag of the Netherlands Antilles is white, with a horizontal blue stripe in the center superimposed on a vertical red band, also centered; five white, five-pointed stars are arranged in an oval pattern in the center of the blue band. ... The Coat of arms of the Netherlands Antilles consists of a shield, a crown and the motto. ... Many countries choose to include the national motto in the coat of arms. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that is evoking and eulogizing the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nations government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ... The anthem without a title is the national anthem of the Netherlands Antilles as of 2000. ... Location map for the Netherlands Antilles. ... This is a list of national capitals of the world in alphabetical order. ... Demographics of Netherlands Antilles, Data of FAO, year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in thousands. ... Willemstad Willemstad is the territorial capital of the Netherlands Antilles. ... An official language is a language that is given a privileged legal status in a state, or other legally-defined territory. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Papiamento or Papiamentu is the primary language spoken on the Caribbean islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and CuraÃ§ao (the so-called ABC islands). ... The Netherlands have been an independent monarchy since March 16, 1815, and have been governed by members of the House of Orange-Nassau since. ... Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands (born as Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard van Oranje-Nassau, Prinses der Nederlanden, Prinses van Oranje-Nassau, Prinses van Lippe-Biesterfeld) (born January 31, 1938) has been the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands since April 30, 1980. ... For other uses, see Governor (disambiguation). ... Frits Martinus de los Santos Goedgedrag (born 1 November 1951 in Aruba) is the current Governor of the Netherlands Antilles. ... List of Prime Ministers of the Netherlands Antilles: EfraÃ¯n Jonckheer (1954â€“1968, DP) Ciro Domenico Kroon (1968â€“1969, PNP) Gerald C. Sprockel (1969) Ernesto O. Petronia (1969â€“1971, DP) Ramez Jorge Isa (1971, DP) Otto R.A. Beaujon (1971â€“1973, PNP) Juan Miguel Gregorio Evertsz (1973â€“1977, PNP) Lucinda... Emily SaÃ¯dy de Jongh-Elhage (born December 7, 1946) has been Prime Minister of the Netherlands Antilles since 26 March 2006. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... To help compare different orders of magnitude and geographical regions, we list here areas between 100 kmÂ² and 1000 kmÂ². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ... This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (â‰ˆ1,609 m) in length. ... This is a list of sovereign states and other territories by population, using the most recently available official figures. ... Population density by country, 2006 Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. ... Population density by country, 2006 List of countries and dependencies by population density in inhabitants/kmÂ². The list includes sovereign states and self-governing dependent territories that are recognized by the United Nations. ... The Purchasing power parity (PPP) theory was developed by Gustav Cassel in 1920. ... Map of world GDP (PPP) by country using the IMF list for 2005 There are three lists of countries of the world sorted by their gross domestic product (GDP) (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year). ... Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head. ... Map of countries by GDP (PPP) per capita, based on the 2005 IMF data. ... World map indicating Human Development Index (2004). ... This is a list of countries by Human Development Index as included in the United Nations Development Programmes Human Development Report 2006, compiled on the basis of 2004 data. ... The gulden is the unit of currency in the Netherlands Antilles. ... ISO 4217 is the international standard describing three letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ... The following is a list of currently existing Internet Top-level domains (TLDs). ... .an is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Netherlands Antilles. ... This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E.164. ... Location of the Lesser Antilles (green) in relation to the rest of the Caribbean Islands of the Lesser Antilles The Lesser Antilles, also known as the Caribbees,[1] are part of the Antilles, which together with the Bahamas and Greater Antilles form the West Indies. ... An archipelago is a landform which consists of a chain or cluster of islands. ... Map of Central America and the Caribbean Caribbean Sea from space (top left). ... Anthem: Himno di KÃ²rsou Capital (and largest city) Willemstad Official languages Dutch Government See Politics of the Netherlands Antilles - Prime Minister of N.A. Emily de Jongh-Elhage - Governor of N.A. Frits Goedgedrag Constitutional monarchy part of the Netherlands Antilles Area - Total 444 kmÂ² 171. ... Anthem: Tera di Solo y suave biento Capital (and largest city) Kralendijk Official languages Dutch Government See Politics of the Netherlands Antilles - Bonaire Administrator - Governor of N.A. Frits Goedgedrag Constitutional monarchy part of the Netherlands Antilles Area - Total 288 kmÂ² 111 sq mi Population - 2001 census 10,791 - Density... Map showing location of Sint Eustatius relative to Saba and Sint Maarten/Saint Martin. ... Motto: Remis Velisque. ... Saint Martin - NASA NLT Landsat 7 (Visible Color) Satellite Image Saint Martin is a tropical island in the northeast Caribbean, approximately 150 miles east of Puerto Rico. ... Tourists on OÊ»ahu, Hawaii Tourism is travel for predominantly recreational or leisure purposes, and also refers to the provision of services in support of this act. ... Pumpjack pumping an oil well near Lubbock, Texas Ignacy Åukasiewicz - inventor of the refining of kerosene from crude oil. ...

History

Both the leeward (Alonso de Ojeda, 1499) and windward (Christopher Columbus, 1493) 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 the slave trade. Slavery was not abolished until 1863. The Netherlands Antilles were colonized by the Netherlands in the 17th century. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Dutch Empire. ... Alonso de Ojeda (Cuenca, Spain, 1466? _ Santo Domingo, Spanish conquistador and explorer in the Americas. ... 1499 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Christopher Columbus (1451 â€“ May 20, 1506) was a navigator and maritime explorer credited as the discoverer of the Americas. ... 1493 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... (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. ... Year 1863 (MDCCCLXIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

In 1954, the status of islands was promoted from that of a colonial territory to part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands as an associated state within a federacy. The island of Aruba was part of the Netherlands Antilles until 1986, when it was granted a "status apart", and became a separate part of the kingdom. 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... An associated state is used to describe a free relationship between a territory and a larger nation. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Federation. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

From 2000 to 2005 referendums were held on each island of the Netherlands Antilles to determine their future status. On June 22, 2000, 68.9% of the voters on Sint Maarten voted for status aparte.^[1] On September 10, 2004, Bonaire voted for closer links to the Netherlands. This option received 59.0% of the vote, while status aparte got 24.1% of the vote. Staying in the Netherlands Antilles got 15.9% of the vote; independence got less than one percent.^[2] On November 5, 2004, 86.05% of the population in Saba also voted for closer links to the Netherlands; remaining a part of the Netherlands Antilles got 13.18% of the vote. Independence got less than one percent of the vote.^[3] On April 8, 2005, 68% of people on Curaçao voted for status aparte. Closer ties with the Netherlands got 23% and independence got 5% of the vote.^[4] On the same day, 76% of voters on Sint Eustatius voted to remain within the Netherlands Antilles. 20% voted for closer ties with the Netherlands and one percent voted for independence.^[4] June 22 is the 173rd day of the year (174th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 192 days remaining. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... September 10 is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 5 is the 309th day of the year (310th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 56 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 8 is the 98th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (99th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On October 12, 2006, the Netherlands reached an agreement with Saba, Bonaire, and Sint Eustatius; this agreement would make these islands special municipalities.^[6] On November 3, 2006, Curaçao and Sint Maarten were granted autonomy in an agreement,^[7] but this agreement was rejected by Curaçao on November 28.^[8] October 12 is the 285th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (286th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... November 3 is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 58 days remaining. ... November 28 is the 332nd day (333rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

On February 12, 2007, an agreement was signed between the Netherlands and every island except Curaçao. This agreement would end the Netherlands Antilles by December 15, 2008 and make available for the islands more than 1,000,000,000 guilders for debt payment and other purposes.^[9] February 12 is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... December 15 is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Politics

The 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. 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... The executive is the branch of a government charged with implementing, or executing, the law and running the day-to-day affairs of the government or state. ...

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.

The Netherlands Antilles are not part of the European Union. Since 2006 the Islands have given rise to diplomatic disputes between Venezuela and the Netherlands. Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez claims that the Netherlands may allow the United States to install military bases that would be necessary for a planned U.S. invasion of Venezuela. On May 23, 2006 an international military manoeuver known as Joint Caribbean Lion 2006, including forces of the U.S. Navy, began. Hugo Rafael ChÃ¡vez FrÃas (IPA: ) (born July 28, 1954) is the current President of Venezuela. ... May 23 is the 143rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (144th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ...

Future status

The Netherlands Antilles is to be disbanded on December 15, 2008.^[9] The idea of the Netherlands Antilles as a state never enjoyed full support of all islands. Political relations between islands were often strained. After a long struggle, Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986, to form its own state within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The desire for secession has also been strong in Sint Maarten. December 15 is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... St. ...

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 a revision of the Statute of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in order to dissolve the Netherlands Antilles. 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands (in Dutch: Statuut voor het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden; in Papiamentu: Statuut pa e Reino di Hulanda) describes the political relationship between the three different countries that form the Kingdom of the Netherlands: the Netherlands in Europe and the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba...

Two new associated states within the Kingdom of the Netherlands would be formed, Curaçao and Sint Maarten. Meanwhile, Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius would become a direct part of the Netherlands as special municipalities (bijzondere gemeente), a form of "public body" (openbaar lichaam) as outlined in article 134 of the Dutch Constitution. These municipalities will resemble ordinary Dutch municipalities in most ways (they will have a mayor, aldermen and a municipal council, for example) and will have to introduce most Dutch law. Residents of these three islands will also be able to vote in Dutch national and European elections. There are, however, some derogations for these islands. Social security, for example, will not be on the same level as it is in the Netherlands, and the islands are not obliged to introduce the euro; they may retain the Antillean guilder pending further negotiations. Also, it is unknown whether prostitution and same-sex marriage will become legal in these islands, which are legal on the mainland of the Netherlands. All five of the island territories may also continue to access the Common Court of Justice of Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles (with the Joint Court probably receiving a new name). The three islands will also have to involve the Dutch Minister of Foreign Relations before they can make agreements with countries in the region. An associated state is used to describe a free relationship between a territory and a larger nation. ... Anthem: Himno di KÃ²rsou Capital (and largest city) Willemstad Official languages Dutch Government See Politics of the Netherlands Antilles - Prime Minister of N.A. Emily de Jongh-Elhage - Governor of N.A. Frits Goedgedrag Constitutional monarchy part of the Netherlands Antilles Area - Total 444 kmÂ² 171. ... St. ... Anthem: Tera di Solo y suave biento Capital (and largest city) Kralendijk Official languages Dutch Government See Politics of the Netherlands Antilles - Bonaire Administrator - Governor of N.A. Frits Goedgedrag Constitutional monarchy part of the Netherlands Antilles Area - Total 288 kmÂ² 111 sq mi Population - 2001 census 10,791 - Density... Motto: Remis Velisque. ... Map showing location of Sint Eustatius relative to Saba and Sint Maarten/Saint Martin. ... The present constitution of the Netherlands dates back to 1815. ... All provinces of the Netherlands are divided into municipalities (gemeenten), together 458 (2006); among these we can distinguish: those comprising one main city, town or village with the same name as the municipality, and possibly some additional villages; for example Utrecht, comprising the city Utrecht and the villages De Meern... see also Ponzi Scheme Social security primarily refers to a field of social welfare service concerned with social protection, or protection against socially recognized conditions, including poverty, old age, disability, unemployment, families with children and others. ... ISO 4217 Code EUR User(s) Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Luxembourg, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain, Vatican City Inflation 1. ... The gulden is the unit of currency in the Netherlands Antilles. ... Whore redirects here. ... Same-sex marriage is a term for a governmentally, socially, or religiously recognized marriage in which two people of the same sex live together as a family. ...

Originally the term used for Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius to describe their expected association with the Netherlands was "Kingdom Islands" (Koninkrijkseilanden).

Additionally, the Kingdom government would consist of the government of the Netherlands and one mandated minister per Caribbean country. The special municipalities would be represented in the Kingdom Government by the Netherlands, as they can vote for the Dutch parliament. The Estates-General (Staten-Generaal) is the parliament of the Netherlands. ...

The Netherlands has proposed that the new EU constitution allow the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba to opt for the status of Outermost Region (OMR) also called Ultra Peripheral Region (UPR), if they wish. Two parts of the Treaty of Rome deal with special relationships: Article 299 which sets out the territories to which the treaty applies, supplemented by the accession treaties; and Articles 182-188 and Annex II on association with the non-European countries and territories which have special relations with the...

Islands

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

The Leeward Antilles are a chain of islands in the Caribbean â€“ specifically, the southerly islands of the Lesser Antilles (and, in turn, the West Indies) along the southeastern fringe of the Caribbean Sea, just north of the Venezuelan coast of the South American mainland. ... Anthem: Tera di Solo y suave biento Capital (and largest city) Kralendijk Official languages Dutch Government See Politics of the Netherlands Antilles - Bonaire Administrator - Governor of N.A. Frits Goedgedrag Constitutional monarchy part of the Netherlands Antilles Area - Total 288 kmÂ² 111 sq mi Population - 2001 census 10,791 - Density... All of Klein Bonaire is visible from the leeward side of Bonaire. ... Anthem: Himno di KÃ²rsou Capital (and largest city) Willemstad Official languages Dutch Government See Politics of the Netherlands Antilles - Prime Minister of N.A. Emily de Jongh-Elhage - Governor of N.A. Frits Goedgedrag Constitutional monarchy part of the Netherlands Antilles Area - Total 444 kmÂ² 171. ... Klein CuraÃ§ao (Dutch for small CuraÃ§ao) is a small uninhabited island south-east of CuraÃ§ao. ... The Leeward Islands are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles. ... Motto: Remis Velisque. ... Map showing location of Sint Eustatius relative to Saba and Sint Maarten/Saint Martin. ... St. ... St. ... NASA NLT Landsat 7 (visible color) satellite image of Saint Martin. ...

Geography

The windward islands are all of volcanic origin and hilly, leaving little ground suitable for agriculture. The leeward islands have a mixed volcanic and coral origin. The highest point is Mount Scenery, 862 metres (2,828 ft), on Saba (also the highest point in all the Netherlands). The Netherlands Antilles are in the Caribbean Sea. ... Image File history File links Netherlands_Antilles-CIA_WFB_Map. ... Mount Scenery is a lava dome feature of the Saba Island volcano. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, â€² â€“ a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... Motto: Remis Velisque. ...

The Netherlands Antilles have a tropical climate, with warm weather all year round. The windward Islands are subject to hurricanes in the summer months. The tropics are the geographic region of the Earth centered on the equator and limited in latitude by the two tropics: the Tropic of Cancer in the north and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere. ... This article is about weather phenomena. ...

Economy

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. Tourism, petroleum transhipment, and offshore finance are the mainstays of the Netherlands Antillean economy, which is closely tied to the outside world. ... Sabas economy has always been limited by its small land mass (five square miles) and low population (currently about 1500 people). ... Tourists on OÊ»ahu, Hawaii Tourism is travel for predominantly recreational or leisure purposes, and also refers to the provision of services in support of this act. ... It has been suggested that Official Development Assistance, Foreign aid, Tied aid, Aid effectiveness, Output-based aid be merged into this article or section. ... The gulden is the unit of currency in the Netherlands Antilles. ... ISO 4217 Code USD User(s) the United States, the British Indian Ocean Territory,[1] the British Virgin Islands, Cambodia, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Panama, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the insular areas of the United States Inflation 2. ...

Demographics

A large part of the Netherlands Antilleans descends from European colonists and African slaves that were brought and traded here from the 17th to 19th century. The rest of the population originates from other Caribbean islands, Latin America, East Asia and elsewhere in the world. Population: 210,134 (July 2000 est. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... Slave redirects here. ... (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. ... 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. ... East Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms. ...

Papiamentu is predominant on Curaçao and Bonaire (as well as the neighboring island of Aruba). This Romance creole descends from Portuguese with a strong Spanish admixture plus subsequent lexical contributions from Dutch and, latterly, English. Papiamento or Papiamentu is the primary language spoken on the Caribbean islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and CuraÃ§ao (the so-called ABC islands). ... The Romance languages, a major branch of the Indo-European language family, comprise all languages that descended from Latin, the language of the Roman Empire. ... A creole language, or simply a creole, is a well-defined and stable language that originated from a non-trivial combination of two or more languages, typically with many distinctive features that are not inherited from either parent. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

After a decades-long debate, English and Papiamentu have been made official languages alongside Dutch in early March 2007. Legislation is produced in Dutch but parliamentary debate is in Papiamentu or English, depending on the island. Due to the islands' closeness to South America, Spanish is becoming increasingly known and used throughout the archipelago.

The majority of the population are followers of the Christian faith, mostly Roman Catholic. Curaçao also hosts a sizeable group of followers of the Jewish faith, descendants of a Portuguese group of Sephardic Jews that arrived from Amsterdam and Brazil in 1654. Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... 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... 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... Events April 5 - Signing of the Treaty of Westminster, ending the First Anglo-Dutch War. ...

Most Netherlands Antilleans are Dutch citizens and this status permits and encourages the young and university-educated to emigrate to the Netherlands. This exodus is considered to be to the islands' detriment as it creates a brain drain. On the other hand, immigrants from the Dominican Republic, Haiti, the Anglophone Caribbean and Colombia have increased their presence in the last years. Dutch citizenship is based primarily on the principle of Jus sanguinis. ... A brain drain or human capital flight is an emigration of trained and talented individuals (human capital) to other nations or jurisdictions, due to conflicts, lack of opportunity, or health hazards where they are living. ... The term Anglophone Caribbean is used to refer to the independent English-speaking countries of the Caribbean region. ...

Culture

The origins of the population and location of the islands give the Netherlands Antilles a mixed culture.

Tourism and overwhelming media presence from the United States has increased the regional United States influence. On all the islands, the holiday of Carnival is, like in many Caribbean and Latin American countries, an important one. Carnival or Carnivale is an annual Christian festival season. ... West Indian redirects here. ... 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. ...

Aruba and the five main islands of the Netherlands Antilles are part of the Lesser Antilles island chain. ... The culture of St. ... Sabas culture bears the influence of its early settlers, among them the English, Scottish, Africans, and Dutch. ...

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. Also unlike the mainland, prostitution and marijuana are also illegal. Capital Middelburg Queens Commissioner drs. ... Same-sex marriage is a term for a governmentally, socially, or religiously recognized marriage in which two people of the same sex live together as a family. ...

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... The only international disputes that the Netherlands Antilles is involved in is its role in the illicit drug trade. ... 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. ... This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of the Netherlands Antilles. ... Railways: 0 km Highways: total: 600 km paved: 300 km unpaved: 300 km (1992 est. ... The Netherlands Antilles is served by two Scout associations, Scouting Antiano (Antillean Scouting, in the Papiamento dialect), and the Katolische Verkenners Nederlandse Antillen (KVNA, the Catholic Scouts of the Netherlands Antilles). ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...

References

id="External_links"> 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... February 2 is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... February 2 is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... February 2 is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... February 2 is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... February 2 is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... November 3 is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 58 days remaining. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... February 24 is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... February 2 is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... February 13 is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... February 24 is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

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Outlying territories of European countries

Territories under European sovereignty but closer to or on continents other than Europe (see inclusion criteria for further information)
Denmark	Greenland
France	Clipperton Island · French Guiana · French Polynesia · French Southern and Antarctic Lands (Amsterdam • Saint-Paul • Crozet • Kerguelen • Adélie Land¹ • Scattered islands in the Indian Ocean: Bassas da India • Europa Island • Glorioso Islands • Juan de Nova Island • Tromelin Island) · Guadeloupe · Martinique · Mayotte · New Caledonia · Réunion · Saint-Barthélemy · Saint Martin · Saint Pierre and Miquelon · Wallis and Futuna A map showing the territory that the Netherlands held at various points in history. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... Arguin is an island off the west coast of Mauritania in the Bay of Arguin, at 20Â° 36 N., 16Â° 27 W. It is 6 km long by 2 broad. ... Anthem: God Save the Queen Cape Colony Capital Cape Town Language(s) English and Dutch1 Religion Dutch Reformed Church, Anglican Government Constitutional monarchy Last Monarch King George VI Last Prime Minister - 1908 â€“ 1910 John X. Merriman Last Governor - 1901 - 1910 Walter Hely-Hutchinson Historical era 19th century - Dutch East India... Maputo Bay from space, January 1990 Maputo Bay (Baia de Maputo), formerly Delagoa Bay (Port. ... The Dutch Gold Coast, or Dutch Guinea, was a part of the sector of Guinea (coastal West Africa) known in the colonial era as the Gold Coast (in present Ghana), gradually colonized by the Dutch since 1598. ... ÃŽle de GorÃ©e (i. ... 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. ... Berbice is the Second largest of the three counties in Guyana and is known as the ancient county. ... Dutch Brazil was the northern portion of Brazil, seized by the Dutch during the Dutch colonization of the Americas. ... // The Age of Exploration The discovery of Brazil was preceded by a series of treaties between the kings of Portugal and Castille, the last of them is the Treaty of Tordesillas, signed in 1494, creating the Tordesillas Meridian, that divided the world between that two kingdoms. ... // Native American period The history of Suriname dates from 3000 BCE, when Native Americans first inhabited the area. ... Demerara was one of the original British colonies that was joined into the colony of British Guiana, now Guyana. ... Essequibo is the name of a Dutch colony founded in 1616 and located in the region of the Essequibo River. ... River in Guyana, South America. ... Map based on Adriaen Blocks 1614 expedition to New Netherland, featuring the first use of the name. ... New Amsterdam (Dutch: Nieuw Amsterdam) was the name of the 17th century town which grew outside of Fort Amsterdam on Manhattan Island in the New Netherland territory (1614â€“1674) which was situated between 38 and 42 degrees latitude as a provincial extension of the Dutch Republic since 1624. ... New Sweden, or Nya Sverige, was a small Swedish settlement along the Delaware River on the Mid-Atlantic coast of North America. ... Castara village beach looking south, Tobago Tobago is the smaller of the two main islands that make up the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... Look up Oceania in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Dutch India refers to the Dutch colonial possessions on the Indian subcontinent, while Dutch Indies refers to the far wider notions of the Dutch West Indies (in the Americas) and especially the Dutch East Indies (mainly present Indonesia, the colonial jewel in the Dutch crown, confusingly often informally called Indi... Dutch India refers to the Dutch colonial possessions on the Indian subcontinent, while Dutch Indies refers to the far wider notions of the Dutch West Indies (in the Americas) and especially the Dutch East Indies (mainly present Indonesia, the colonial jewel in the Dutch crown, confusingly often informally called Indi... The Coromandel Coast is the name given to the southeastern coast of the Indian peninsula. ... Malabar Coast, Kerala Bekal Fort Beach, Kerala The Malabar Coast also known as the Malabarian Coast, is a long and narrow south-western shore line of the mainland Indian subcontinent. ... Dejima, also Deshima (å‡ºå³¶, literally protruding island) in modern Japanese, Desjima in Dutch, often latinised as Decima, was a fan-shaped artificial island in the bay of Nagasaki that was a Dutch trading post during Japans self-imposed isolation (sakoku) of the Edo period, from 1641 until 1853. ... The Dutch East Indies, or Netherlands East Indies, (Dutch: Nederlands-IndiÃ«) was the name of the colonies set up by the Dutch East India Company, which came under administration of the Netherlands during the 19th century (see Indonesia). ... State motto: Bersatu Teguh State anthem: Melaka Maju Jaya Capital Malacca Ruling party Barisan Nasional - Yang di-Pertua Negeri Mohd Khalil Yaakob - Ketua Menteri Mohd Ali Mohd Rustam History - Malacca Sultanate 13th century - Portuguese control 24 August 1511 - Dutch control 1641 - British control 17 March 1824 - Japanese Occupation 1942-1946... Dutch New Guinea was a common name of western New Guinea while it was a colonial possession of the Netherlands. ... The red line indicates the 10Â°C isotherm in July, commonly used to define the Arctic region border Satellite image of the Arctic surface The Arctic is the region around the Earths North Pole, opposite the Antarctic region around the South Pole. ... The settlement of Smeerenburg on Amsterdam Island in north-west Svalbard, originated with Dutch whalers before 1620: one of Europes northernmost outposts. ... Official language Norwegian Capital Longyearbyen King Harald V Governor Per Sefland Area - Total Ranked 122nd 62,049 kmÂ² Population - Total (2004) - Density Ranked 230th 2,756 0. ... Dutch colonial possessions, with the Dutch East India Company possessions marked in a paler green, surrounding the Indian Ocean plus Saint Helena in the mid-Atlantic. ... Dutch West India Company (Dutch: West-Indische Compagnie or WIC) was a company of Dutch merchants. ... Anthem: Wilhelmus van Nassouwe (national and royal anthem) Capital Amsterdam (not the seat of the government) 1 Largest city Amsterdam Official languages Dutch 2 Government Parliamentary democracy Constitutional monarchy - Queen Beatrix - Prime Minister of the Netherlands Jan Peter Balkenende - Prime Minister of Aruba Nelson O. Oduber - Prime Minister of the... Types of political territories include: A legally administered territory, which is a non-sovereign geographic area that has come under the authority of another government. ... This article is 150 kilobytes or more in size. ... Sovereignty is the exclusive right to exercise supreme political (e. ... The French Southern Territories (long name: Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands, French: Territoire des Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises or TAAF) are antarctic, volcanic islands in the southern Indian Ocean, south of Africa and about equidistant between Africa, Antarctica, and Australia. ... ÃŽle Amsterdam IPA: (meaning Amsterdam island, after the Dutch capital) is a French island in the Indian Ocean located at . ... Map of St. ... Orthographic projection centred over the Iles Crozet The Crozet Islands (French: ÃŽles Crozet or officially Archipel Crozet) are a sub-antarctic archipelago of small islands in the southern Indian Ocean, part of the French Southern Territories. ... Basic data Administrative status: district Country: French Southern and Antarctic Lands Capital: Port-aux-FranÃ§ais Population: ca. ... AdÃ©lie Land is the portion of the Antarctic coast between Pourquoi Pas Point at 66Â°12S, 136Â°11E and Point Alden at 66Â°48S, 142Â°02E, with a shore length of 350 km and with its hinterland extending as a sector about 2600 km toward... Location of the Scattered islands in the Indian Ocean: â€¢ 1 : Bassas da India â€¢ 2 : Europa Island â€¢ 3 : Glorioso Islands â€¢ 4 : Juan de Nova Island â€¢ 5 : Tromelin Island (KM : Comoros, MG : Madagascar, MU : Mauritius, MZ : Mozambique, RE : RÃ©union, YT : Mayotte) The Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean (French: ÃŽles Ã‰parses... Gustavia Harbour, St. ... Anthem: La Marseillaise Capital (and largest city) Marigot Official languages French Government - President of France Jacques Chirac - Prefect Dominique Lacroix - President of the Territorial Council none yet; however Albert Fleming is the mayor of Saint-Martin Overseas Collectivity of France - Island divided between France and the Netherlands 23 March 1648... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...
Netherlands	Aruba · Netherlands Antilles (Bonaire • Curaçao • Saba • Sint Maarten • Sint Eustatius)
Norway	Bouvet Island · Peter I Island¹ · Queen Maud Land¹
Portugal	Azores · Madeira
Spain	Canary Islands · Plazas de soberanía (Ceuta • Melilla)
United Kingdom	Anguilla · Ascension Island · Bermuda · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Falkland Islands · Montserrat · Saint Helena · Tristan da Cunha · Turks and Caicos Islands · British Antarctic Territory¹ · British Indian Ocean Territory · Pitcairn Islands · South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Anthem: Wilhelmus van Nassouwe (national and royal anthem) Capital Amsterdam (not the seat of the government) 1 Largest city Amsterdam Official languages Dutch 2 Government Parliamentary democracy Constitutional monarchy - Queen Beatrix - Prime Minister of the Netherlands Jan Peter Balkenende - Prime Minister of Aruba Nelson O. Oduber - Prime Minister of the... Anthem: Tera di Solo y suave biento Capital (and largest city) Kralendijk Official languages Dutch Government See Politics of the Netherlands Antilles - Bonaire Administrator - Governor of N.A. Frits Goedgedrag Constitutional monarchy part of the Netherlands Antilles Area - Total 288 kmÂ² 111 sq mi Population - 2001 census 10,791 - Density... Anthem: Himno di KÃ²rsou Capital (and largest city) Willemstad Official languages Dutch Government See Politics of the Netherlands Antilles - Prime Minister of N.A. Emily de Jongh-Elhage - Governor of N.A. Frits Goedgedrag Constitutional monarchy part of the Netherlands Antilles Area - Total 444 kmÂ² 171. ... Motto: Remis Velisque. ... Flag of Sint Maarten. ... Map showing location of Sint Eustatius relative to Saba and Sint Maarten/Saint Martin. ... Fabian von Bellingshausen discovered Peter I Island (in Norwegian ) off West Antarctica on January 21, 1821. ... Queen Maud Land (Norwegian: Dronning Maud Land) is the part of Antarctica lying between the terminus of Stancomb-Wills Glacier, at 20Â°W, and Shinnan Glacier, at 44Â° 38E. It has a land area of approximately 2,500,000 kmÂ², mostly covered by the Antarctic ice sheet. ... Motto: Antes morrer livres que em paz sujeitos Rather die free than in peace subjugated Anthem: A Portuguesa (national) Hino dos AÃ§ores (local) Capital Ponta Delgada1 Angra do HeroÃsmo2 Horta3 Largest city Ponta Delgada Official languages Portuguese Government Autonomous region - President Carlos CÃ©sar Establishment - Settled 1439 - Autonomy... Motto: Das ilhas, as mais belas e livres (Of all islands, the most beautiful and free) Anthem: A Portuguesa (national) Hino da RegiÃ£o AutÃ³noma da Madeira (local) Capital (and largest city) Funchal Official languages Portuguese Government Autonomous region - President Alberto JoÃ£o Jardim Independence - Settled 1420 - Autonomy July... The Canaries is the nickname of Norwich City FC. The Canaries is also the nickname of Hitchin Town F.C.. Capital Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife Official language(s) Spanish Area â€“ Total â€“ % of Spain Ranked 13th 7,447 kmÂ² 1. ... In addition to its autonomous communities, Spain has five plazas de soberanÃa (places of sovereignty) near Morocco administrated directly by Madrids Government. ... Area â€“ Total 28 kmÂ² Population â€“ Total (2005) â€“ Density 75,276 2688. ... Spain Area â€“ Total 20 kmÂ² (8 miÂ²) Population â€“ Total (2006) â€“ Density 66,871 3,343. ... Anthem: God Save the Queen Capital Georgetown Largest city Georgetown Official languages English Government Dependency of St. ... Motto: Our faith is our strength Anthem: God Save the Queen Capital Edinburgh of the Seven Seas Status Dependency of Saint Helena Official language(s) English Governor Michael Clancy Administrator Mike Hentley Area 201 kmÂ²(120. ... The Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) are a British Overseas Territory consisting of two groups of tropical islands in the West Indies. ... Motto: Research and Discovery Anthem: God Save the Queen Status Overseas territory of the United Kingdom Official language(s) - Commissioner Tony Crombie Administrator Michael Richardson Area 1,395,000 kmÂ² Population c. ... Motto: In tutela nostra Limuria(Latin) Limuria is in our charge Anthem: God Save the Queen Capital (and largest city) n/a Official languages English Government UK overseas territory - Commissioner Leigh Turner - Administrator Tony Humphries Created 1965 Area - Total 60 kmÂ² (n/a) 23. ... Motto: Leo Terram Propriam Protegat (Latin: Let the Lion protect his own land or May the Lion protect his own land) Official language English Capital Grytviken Commissioner Alan Huckle Area - Total - % water not ranked 3,903 kmÂ² - Population - Total (2006 E) - Density not ranked ~20 n/a; Currency GBP Time...

¹ Sovereignity over territories in Antarctica currently suspended under the Antarctic Treaty System. The Antarctic Treaty and related agreements, collectively called the Antarctic Treaty System or ATS, regulate international relations with respect to Antarctica, Earths only uninhabited continent. ...