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 Netherlands Antilles| Facts & Figures |
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| Status: Part of the Kingdom of the
Netherlands Governor: Frits Goedgedrag (2002) Prime Minister: Emily de Jongh-Elhage
(2006)
Current government officials
Total area: 371 sq mi (961 sq km) Population (2008 est.): 225,369 (growth
rate: 0.7%); birth rate: 14.3/1000; infant mortality rate: 9.3/1000;
life expectancy: 76.4; density per sq mi: 234 Capital and largest city (2003 est.):
Willemstad, 60,100 Monetary unit: Netherlands Antillean
guilder More Facts & Figures |
The Netherlands Antilles are composed of two groups of Caribbean islands 500 mi (805 km) apart: the first group, composed of Curacao (173 sq mi; 448 sq km) and Bonaire
(95 sq mi; 246 sq km), is located about 40 mi (64 km) off the Venezuelan
coast. Originally inhabited by Arawak Indians, these two islands
as well as Aruba were claimed by Spain in 1527 and then by the
Dutch in 1643. The Dutch Lesser Antilles to the north-Saint Eustatius,
the southern part of St. Martin (Dutch: Sint Maarten), and Saba-make up
the remainder of the island federation. First inhabited by the Carib Indians,
St. Martin was explored by Columbus in 1493. In 1845, the six islands
(then including Aruba) officially formed the Netherlands Antilles. In 1994, the islands
voted to preserve their federation with the Netherlands.
The Netherlands Antilles was dissolved on October 10, 2010. Sint Maarten
and Curacao became constituent countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands,
like Aruba, which separated from the Netherlands Antilles in 1896.
The islands of Bonaire, Saba, and Saint Eustatius became special
municipalities of the Netherlands proper.
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