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Curacao

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Summary

The Netherlands Antilles, founded in the 1600’s, were a collection of Dutch territories made up of six islands: Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, (northern) Sint Eustatius, Saba, and Sint Maarten (southern). Aruba seceded from the Antilles in 1986 and became a separate, independent Dutch territory. In 2010, the Netherlands and the islands dissolved the Antilles, although none of the five islands chose total independence. Curacao and Sint Maarten became autonomous countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, while Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba retained closer ties to the government as central municipalities. Three-fourths of all inhabitants live on Curacao, but Sint Maarten has the highest population density. The ethnicity of the citizens is mainly black, with a small white minority. The biggest city among the islands is Willemstad, Curacao.1 The main languages vary between islands—citizens on Bonaire speak a local dialect called Papiamento, people on Saba and Sint Eustatius speak English, and Dutch is primarily spoke on Curacao and Sint Maarten.2 1 https://www.britannica.com/place/Netherlands-Antilles
2 https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/nl.html

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Curacao Demographics

Causes in Curacao

Learn more about specific causes in Curacao that you can get involved in.

Environment
Family
Human Rights
Education
Poverty
Religion
Clean Water
Economy
Government
Health
Children
Animals

Environment

Curacao is known for its coral reefs, igneous rocks, and tropical climate. It is made up of mainly volcanic rock, but it has a wide variety of flora and fauna because it receives lots of precipitation. Hurricanes and tropical storms are also common.1 The Dutch government is involved in efforts to preserve the diverse marine life and coral reefs around the island.2

Family

Nearly half of Dutch Caribbean households consist of only one person. Single-parent households are 12% of households, and married couples make up 26%. Dutch Caribbean households are different from Dutch households in the Netherlands in that 13% of families live with extended family members, as compared to only 1.4% in the Netherlands.1

Human Rights

In 2016, representatives attended a convention to discuss the improvement of women’s rights in the Dutch Caribbean.1 Like many other Caribbean countries, Curacao was a common transit stop for drug trade until the Dutch government cracked down on drug trade in the early 2000’s.2

Education

Since 1992, education in the Netherlands Antilles has been compulsory from age 6 to age 17, and the literacy rate is nearly on a par with that of the metropolitan Netherlands.1,2 Since the dissolution of the Antilles in 2010, schools in the Dutch Caribbean have officially been a part of the Netherlands education system and receive all of their funding from the Netherlands.3

Poverty

In the 1990’s, the Caribbean islands of the Netherlands struggled with a declining economy, high crime, and many of its citizens living below the poverty line. The dissolution of the Antilles in 2010 allowed each island to decide about the state of their government. The Netherlands assumed 70% of the Antillean debt in 2010.1

Religion

Three-fourths of Dutch islanders identify as Roman Catholic, one-sixth are Protestant, and the remaining percentages follow other religions, such as Buddhism and Judaism.1

Clean Water

There is no fresh water source on Bonaire. They often make drinking water by distilling seawater.1

Economy

For years after World War II, Bonaire feared the economic consequences of independence from the Netherlands. Tourism and hospitality services are the main parts of the economy.1 Curacao is a center for banking and finance, and along with its oil refinery business, has become the basis of the island’s economy. The opening of an oil refinery in 1920 greatly improved economic conditions on the island.1

Government

Government Although the Netherlands Antilles was dissolved in 2010, all six islands retain ties to the government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.1 Aruba, Curacao, and Sint Maarten became autonomous countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.1 There is a single representation with branches on each of three islands that communicates with the Netherlands on the state of affairs on the islands.2 Curacao split from the government of the Netherlands in the hope to grow its tourist-heavy economy, but the lack of structure has led to a spike in street crime and unemployment in poor neighborhoods. The murder of a government official in 2013 led to months of instability in the country.3

Health

Mosquito-borne illnesses, including Zika, are a risk in the Dutch Caribbean islands.1 All citizens who legally work or reside in the Caribbean Netherlands receive government health insurance, regardless of income.2

Children

The central Dutch government is involved in the most serious cases of child services and family guardianship in the Caribbean islands.1

Animals

Curacao contains the greatest diversity of wildlife, including a large population of flamingoes. The island is commonly home to geckos, lizards, sea turtles, and an abundance of marine life.1,2
Curacao

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