LocationCaribbean, 56km (35 miles) north of Venezuela.
Area444 sq km (171 sq miles).
Population224,000 (UN estimate 2005).
Population Density504 per sq km.
CapitalWillemstad.
Population: 125,000 (UN estimate 2001, including suburbs).
GovernmentPart of the Netherlands Antilles; dependency of The Netherlands. The Netherlands Antilles consist of Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St Eustatius and St Maarten. The capital of the island group is Willemstad, Curaçao. The Netherlands Antilles, Aruba
and The Netherlands each have equal status within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, as regions autonomous in internal affairs. The Dutch monarch is locally represented by a governor, while the Netherlands Antilles are represented in the government of the Kingdom by a minister plenipotentiary. Foreign policy and defense matters are decided by a Council of Ministers of the Kingdom, including the Plenipotentiary, and executed under the authority of the governor. The internal affairs of the islands are administered by the Central Government of the Netherlands Antilles, which is based in Willemstad, Curaçao.
LanguageDutch is the official language. Papiamentu (a mixture of Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, English, Arawak Indian and several African languages) is the
lingua franca; English and Spanish are also widely spoken. There are 55 different nationalities.
ReligionThe majority of the population is Roman Catholic, with Protestant minorities, both evangelical and other low-church denominations. There is also a Baha’i temple and a synagogue.
TimeGMT - 4.
Electricity110/130 volts AC, 50Hz.
Head of GovernmentPrime Minister Etienne Ys since 2002.
Head of StateHM Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands, represented locally by Governor Frits Goedgedrag since 2002.
Recent HistoryIsland rivalries are at least as important as ideological ones in Netherlands Antilles politics. The present government is a six-party coalition led by the FOL under the premiership of Mirna Louisa-Godett. Of the main parties, only the PAR, still led by the veteran politician and former Premier Miguel Fournier, is excluded. In the referendum held in April 2005 on Curaçao, the citizens of the island expressed themselves in favor of an autonomous status for Curaçao in the Dutch Kingdom. The Island Council of the Island Territory of Curaçao formally ratified the results of the referendum a week later. Efforts will be made to realise the status of an autonomous state for Curaçao by July 2007.
TelephoneCountry code: 599.
Mobile TelephoneRoaming agreements exist with international mobile phone companies. Handsets can be hired at the airport post office. There is a 5% tax.
InternetThere is an Internet cafe in Willemstad.
Media
PostAirmail to Western Europe takes four to six days.
Press• Newspapers include
La Prensa (daily)
and
Amigoe (daily in Dutch).
• English-language newspapers include the
Bonaire Reporter (weekly),
Business Curaçao and
The Daily Herald (Sint Maarten)
.Radio• Radio stations include
Radio Hoyer, Easy FM and
Dolfijn FM.
Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2009-December 2010 period.
2009
1 Jan New Year's Day.
23 Feb Carnival Monday.
10-13 Apr Easter.
30 Apr Queen's Birthday.
1 May Labor Day.
21 May Ascension.
2 Jul Curaçao Flag Day.
21 Oct Antillean Day.
25-26 Dec Christmas.
2010
1 Jan New Year's Day.
4 Feb Carnival Monday.
2-5 Apr Easter.
30 Apr Queen's Birthday.
1 May Labor Day.
13 May Ascension.
2 Jul Curaçao Flag Day.
21 Oct Antillean Day.
25-26 Dec Christmas.
Contact Information:Diplomatic representationCuraçao is part of the Netherlands Antilles, represented abroad by Royal Netherlands embassies (see
The Netherlands section).
Office of the Minister Plenipotentiary of the Netherlands AntillesPO Box 90706, Badhuisweg 173-175, 2597 JP The Hague, The Netherlands
Tel: (70) 306 6111.
E-mail:
serphos@kymna.nlCuraçao Tourism Development Bureau in the UKc/o Axis Sales & Marketing Ltd, 4212 Finchley Road, London NW3 6HJ, UK
Tel: (020) 7431 4045.
Website:
www.curacao-tourism.com Caribbean Tourism Organization in the UK22 The Quadrant, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1BP, UK
Tel: (020) 8948 0057.
Website:
www.doitcaribbean.com Curaçao Tourist Bureau in the USA5810 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, Florida 33137 USA
Tel: (305) 285 0511
or 1 800 328 7222.
Website:
www.curacao.com
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