Simple directory > Regional > Netherlands Antilles

Country : Netherlands Antilles Official name: Nederlandse Antillen (The Netherlands Antilles) Head of State: Queen Beatrix of the Kingdom of The Netherlands (since 1980); represented by Governor General Frits Goedgedrag (from 1 Jul 2002) Head of government: Prime Minister Etienne Ys (sworn in 3 Jun 2004) Ruling party: Coalition government Area: 800 square km Population: 222,960 (2004) Capital: Willemstad (on Curaçao) Official language: Dutch, English and Papiamento Currency: Netherlands Antilles guilder (Naf) = 100 cents Exchange rate: Naf1.79 per US$ (Nov 2004) (official rate pegged to US$ since Jan 2000) GDP per capita: US$11,400 (2003) GDP real growth: 0.50% (2003) Labour force: 89,000 (2003) Unemployment: 15.00% (2003) Inflation: 2.00% (2003) Balance of trade: -US$877.00 million (2003) Foreign debt: US$1.35 billion (2003)

Historical profile

The islands of the Netherlands Antilles were first inhabited by Carib and Arawak Indians.

1493 Christopher Columbus was the first European to sight the islands.

1499 The Spanish explorer, Alonso de Ojedo, visited Curaçao but left without establishing a settlement.

1527 The islands were settled, mainly by Spanish and Portuguese Jews escaping persecution.

1634 The Dutch East India Company took over the islands, 'persuading' the settlers to depart.

1642–46 Peter Stuyvesant was governor (he later became governor of New Amsterdam, which became New York).

1816 After a number of changes in possession, the islands – Curaçao and Bonaire (known as the Leeward islands), St Eustatius, Saba and St Maarten (half of which is the French territory of St Martin) (which are known as the Windward Islands) – were confirmed as Dutch territory.

1863 Slavery was abolished.

1916 The first oil refinery was opened in Curaçao.

1954 Internal autonomy was granted to the Netherlands Antilles.

1986 Aruba separated from the other islands (Curaçao, Bonaire, St Maarten, St Eustatius and Saba), which became the Antilles of Five; both entities are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which is responsible for defence and foreign policy.

1998 The general election resulted in a six-party coalition government under Prime Minister Suzanne Camelia-Römer.

1999 The Partido Laboral Krusado Popular (PLKP) (Labour Party People's Crusade) left the coalition, to be replaced by the Partido Antiá Restrukturá (PAR) (Party for the Restructured Antilles), with Miguel Pourier becoming prime minister.

2000 In a referendum, St Maarten voted to become a separate country within the Kingdom of Netherlands, but by July 2004, there was no confirmation of this happening in the near future.

2002 The ruling coalition of six parties was returned to power in the elections to the Staten.

2003 In February, US-based Polar Cove, an enterprise information security consultant, established a security monitoring centre in Curaçao, providing security protection to on-line gaming companies. On 22 July, Ben Komproe succeeded Etienne Ys as prime minister. On 11 August, Mirna Louisa-Godett took office as prime minister.

2004 In January, the cabinet recovered from a coalition split due to a corruption crisis, but remained in power following an official offer of support from the Democratische Partij (DP) (Democratic Party) of Bonaire, giving the government a majority with 12 seats in the 22-seat national parliament. On 4 April, however, the coalition government collapsed when the National People's Party (PNP) left, having said it was no longer willing to work with Justice Minster Ben Komproe. On 6 April, Prime Minister Mirna Louisa-Godett resigned. Etienne Ys was sworn in as prime minister on 3 June.

In the autumn, Bonaire and Saba voted in a referendum to become part of The Netherlands.

There's no web links here.