an island of the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, off the northern coast of South America. Curaçao belongs to the Netherlands. Area, 472 sq km. Population, 150,000 (1972), mostly Negroes. Willemstad is the main city and also the capital of the Netherlands Antilles.
The island’s topography is hilly (elevations to 372 m). The shores in the west and south are surrounded by coral reefs and have convenient harbors. The climate is subequatorial, with up to 500 mm of precipitation per year. Vegetation is xerophilous shrubs. There are large oil refineries based on Venezuelan oil; petroleum products are exported. Curaçao was discovered in 1499 by the Spanish navigator A. de Ojeda.