Netherlands Antilles (redirected from Dutch West India)

Netherlands Antilles, island group, an autonomous part of the Netherlands (2005 est. pop. 220,000), 371 sq mi (961 sq km), West Indies. Formerly known as the Dutch West Indies and Netherlands West Indies, they are divided into two groups. Lying off Venezuela are Bonaire and Curaçao; in the Leeward Islands, east of Puerto Rico, are Saba, St. Eustatius, and the southern half of Saint Martin. Willemstad, on Curaçao, is the capital of the Netherlands Antilles. The land is mainly hilly and semiarid; the climate is tropical with northeast trade winds.

The majority of the people are Christian and have a mixed African background. The official language of the Netherlands Antilles is Dutch, but Papiamento (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect) is the predominant tongue. English and Spanish are also spoken.

The economy is dependent on tourism, the refining and transshipment of Venezuelan petroleum, and offshore finance. The Netherlands Antilles have a higher per capita income and a more developed infrastructure than other nearby countries. Poor soil and scanty water resources hamper agricultural production, which is largely limited to aloes, sorghum, peanuts, fruits, and vegetables. There is also some light manufacturing.

When the Spanish arrived in the 16th cent., the region was inhabited by Arawaks and Caribs. The islands were captured by the Dutch in the 17th cent. and were worked by the many African slaves who were brought to their shores. Slavery was abolished in 1863 and the economy faltered until the oil industry began to flourish in the 20th cent. The Netherlands Antilles became autonomous in 1954, and Aruba was separated from the group in 1986. In 2004 a government commission recommended splitting up the Netherlands Antilles, giving St. Martin and Curaçao autonomy and establishing direct Dutch rule over the other islands. In a series of referendums islanders largely seconded this proposal, except on St. Eustatius, where they voted to preserve the status quo; the changes will come into effect in 2007.

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Netherlands Antilles

 formerly Curaçao

Nonmetropolitan island territory of The Netherlands (pop., 2005 est.: 183,000), in the Caribbean Sea. Area: 308 sq mi (800 sq km). It consists of two widely separated groups of islands: Sint Eustatius, the southern section of St. Martin, and Saba making up the northern group, at the northern end of the Leeward Islands; and Curaçao and Bonaire (and also Aruba until 1986) constituting the southern group, about 500 mi (800 km) to the southwest, off the coast of Venezuela. The capital, on Curaçao, is Willemstad. Originally inhabited by Arawak and Carib Indians, the islands were encountered in the late 15th century and 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 federation in 1986.

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Netherlands Antilles

Official name: Netherlands Antilles

Capital city: Willemstad (on Curacao)

Internet country code: .an

Flag description: 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 five stars represent the five main islands of Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten

Geographical description: Caribbean, two island groups in the Caribbean Sea - composed of five islands, Curacao and Bonaire located off the coast of Venezuela, and Sint Maarten, Saba, and St. Eustatius lie east of the United States Virgin Islands

Total area: 597 sq. mi. (960 sq. km.)

Climate: tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds

Nationality: noun: Dutch Antillean(s); adjective: Dutch Antillean

Population: 223,652 (July 2007 CIA est.)

Ethnic groups: Mixed African-Amerindian-European 85%, other 15% (includes Carib Amerindian, European, East Asian) 15%

Languages spoken: Papiamento (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect) 65,4%, English 15.9%, Dutch 7.3% (official), Spanish 6.1%, Creole 1.6%, other 1.9%, unspeci­fied 1.8%

Religions: Roman Catholic 72%, Pentecostal 4.9%, Protes­tant 3.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.1%, Methodist 2.9%, Jehovah’s Witnesses 1.7%, other Christian 4.2%, Jewish 1.3%, other or unspecified 1.2%, none 5.2%

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Netherlands Antilles 

(also Dutch West Indies), the official name of a possession of the Netherlands in the West Indies. Situated in the Lesser Antilles, the Netherlands Antilles comprise Curaçao, Aruba, Bonaire (known as the Leeward Islands group) and Saba, St. Eustatius, and the southern part of St. Martin (Windward Islands). Total area, 961 sq km. Population, 225,000 (1971). The administrative center is Willemstad on Curaçao. Dutch is the official language. About 95 percent of the population is concentrated on Curaçao and Aruba.

The economy is based on the refining of petroleum from Venezuela. The petroleum refineries on Curaçao and Aruba belong to the Anglo-Dutch company Royal Dutch Shell and the US company Standard Oil of New Jersey and have an annual capacity of more than 40 million tons. Other industries include the production of petrochemicals, tobacco products, and electrical and radio equipment. Guano is extracted on Curaçao; 109,000 tons were exported in 1970. Near Willemstad there is suburban farming (dairying and fruit and vegetable growing). An important source of revenue is tourism. There are about 800 km of paved roads. The chief ports are Willemstad and Oranjestad on Aruba. Petroleum and foodstuffs are imported, and petroleum products are exported. The principal trading partners are the USA, Great Britain, and the South American countries.