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The Netherlands Antilles (also known as the
Netherlands West Indies, and mistakenly called the Dutch Antilles or
the Dutch West Indies) were, until 10 October 2010, an autonomous
State formed by five islands of the Caribbean Sea (which until 1986
included to Aruba), belonging to the Kingdom of the Netherlands,
together with the Netherlands themselves. Given the new status of
the 6 islands (including Aruba), the area known as "Netherlands
Antilles and Aruba" has since been called the Dutch Caribbean
(Karibe Neerlandès, in Papiamento, Nederlandse Caribische, in
Dutch), formed by the island of Aruba and the old Netherlands
Antilles (Curaçao, Bonaire, Sint Maarten, Saint Eustatius and Saba).
The Netherlands Antilles were inhabited for several centuries by
the Arawaks from the Orinoco Valley. In recent centuries they
received attacks and invasions by the Caribs. In 1493, Christopher
Columbus arrived at the Windward Islands and in 1499, Alonso de
Ojeda arrived at the Leeward Islands (the major islands of Curaçao,
Bonaire and Aruba). Since then the islands remained under the power
of the Spanish conquerors. During the seventeenth century, the
Netherlands drove the Spaniards and annexed the islands to their
kingdom. In 1954, the islands changed their status as "colony", to
become a "state" within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In 1986,
Aruba voted for its separation from the Netherlands Antilles.
Between 2000 and 2005 a series of referendums were held to
decide the future political status of each island. Curaçao and the
Dutch part of Sint Maarten voted for a separation status, similar to
that of Aruba. The islands of Bonaire and Saba voted to terminate
the current status of the Netherlands Antilles. Saint Eustace was
the only one who voted to keep the Netherlands Antilles. After
negotiating a new status, the government of the Netherlands and each
of the islands reached an agreement to dissolve the Netherlands
Antilles: Saba, Bonaire and St. Eustatius will be special
municipalities; whereas Curaçao and Sint Maarten would become
different political entities, as was already Aruba; however, they
all remained within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In 2009, the
referendum was held that led to the decision to give Curaçao
autonomy.
Saba National Marine Park is a protected marine reserve off the coast of Saba in Leeward Islands. It covers a total sea area of 5 sq mi (13 sq km).
The Spaniards arrived on the islands at the end of the 15th century.
The island of Saint Martin (Sint Maarten) was first discovered by
Christopher Columbus in 1493. In 1499, the Spaniard Alonso de Ojeda
discovered the southern islands inhabited by the Arawak and Carib
Indians. However, the Spaniards did not find precious metals there, and
they did not begin to develop these islands.
In the period
1630-1640, the islands were occupied by the Dutch, then repeatedly
occupied by the Spaniards, the British and the French. These islands
also served as bases for pirates.
Finally passed to the
Netherlands in 1816. Until the abolition of slavery in 1863, the
territory was the center of the slave trade in the Caribbean.
After the discovery of oil fields in Venezuela at the beginning of the
20th century, the Anglo-Dutch company Royal Dutch-Shell built a large
oil refinery on the island of Curaçao in 1916. The processing of
Venezuelan oil became the basis for the economic development of the
Netherlands Antilles.
Since December 15, 1954 - a self-governing
part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Previously, the ownership
included the island of Aruba (since January 1, 1986 - a separate
self-governing territory within the Kingdom of the Netherlands).
According to referendums held from 2000 to 2006, the population of
Curaçao and Sint Maarten agreed to status aparte (the status of Aruba).
The population of the islands of Bonaire and Saba decided to obtain the
status of an overseas province (similar to the overseas departments of
France). The population of Sint Eustatius was in favor of maintaining
the island's membership in the Netherlands Antilles, but it was the only
island that spoke in favor of this.
On September 10, 2010, the
Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Netherlands Antilles (Curaçao,
Bonaire, Saba, Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten) in The Hague signed the
Final Declaration (hereinafter referred to as the Agreement), which put
an end to the constitutional reform of the Caribbean territories of the
Kingdom.
In accordance with the terms of the Agreement, from
October 10, 2010, Curaçao and Sint Maarten became self-governing states
with significant autonomy (status aparte) within the Kingdom of the
Netherlands, while Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius received the status
of special communities of the Netherlands (status close to to the
overseas departments of France).
On October 10, 2010, the
Netherlands Antilles ceased to exist.
The fundamental document regulating the state structure of the
Kingdom of the Netherlands is the Statute, the priority of which is
higher than the Constitution. It was in the Statute (adopted in 1954)
that relations between the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles and
Aruba were defined. According to him, the Netherlands, the Netherlands
Antilles and Aruba were equal partner countries within the Kingdom.
Since 1954, each of the parts of the Kingdom has enjoyed internal
autonomy within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The head of state was
the queen, represented on the islands by a governor. Questions of
foreign policy and defense were the competence of the Dutch authorities.
Executive power was exercised by the Governor through an Advisory
Council and a Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister, who
usually appointed the leader of the party or coalition that won the last
election. At the same time, each island had its own authorities:
vice-governors, local councils and governments.
The unicameral
Legislative Assembly, or States, regulated matters of internal
government. Parliament was elected by general election for a period of 4
years and consisted of 22 members, including 14 from the island of
Curacao, 3 from the island of Bonaire, 3 from the island of Sint Maarten
and one each from the islands of Saba and Sint Eustatius. All laws
passed by parliament and government had to be approved by the governor.
The parliament also elected, and the governor-general approved the
leader of the parliamentary majority as prime minister. Parliament also
elected the cabinet of ministers.
There were many political
parties active in the Netherlands Antilles. Each of the five islands had
its own parties - 15 parties on Curaçao, 6 on St. Maarten, 3 on St.
Eustatius, and 2 each on Bonaire and Saba.
Administrative
division
The administrative division was not fixed in the laws,
however, each island had its own executive and legislative power. The
territory of the Netherlands Antilles after the withdrawal of Aruba
consisted of the following parts:
the island of Curacao;
the
island of Bonaire;
the island of Saba;
the island of Saint
Eustatius;
Sint Maarten (southern part of the island of St. Martin).
The property was located in the Lesser Antilles. The Netherlands
Antilles included islands from the Leeward Islands archipelago: Curaçao,
Bonaire - the southern group - and the northern group from the Windward:
Saba, Sint Eustatius and the southern part of the island of St. Martin
(the northern part of the island is controlled by France). The total
area is 800 km². The island of Aruba, also part of the southern group,
left the federation of the Antilles in 1986 and received the status of a
territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands with internal
self-government.
The length of the coastline is 364 km. Land
border with Guadeloupe (after the withdrawal of Saint-Martin from
Guadeloupe from February 22, 2007 - with Saint-Martin) 10.5 km on the
island of Saint Martin. Maritime borders at the islands of the northern
group with Antigua and Barbuda in the southeast and Saint Kitts and
Nevis in the south, at the islands of the southern group with Venezuela
in the south and east and with Aruba in the west.
The low islands
of the southern group (Curaçao - 375 m, Bonaire - 241 m) are the peaks
of the underwater heights of the continental shelf framing the South
American continent. Almost the entire surface of the islands is
overgrown with lush tropical vegetation (mainly secondary forests),
interrupted only by settlements, agricultural land and long beaches. The
islands of the northern group are formed by the tops of ancient
underwater volcanoes (Quill), they are mostly round in shape and have a
rather elevated relief.
The flora and fauna of the southern group
of islands is quite poor. In addition to domestic animals brought by
Europeans, only a huge number of lizards and birds can be found here.
Small evergreen forests, found here and there along the coasts of the
islands, are formed by thickets of milkweed, cacti and other thorny
shrubs. Around the resort areas, extensive green belts are formed from
imported decorative forms of vegetation.
The northern group has a
slightly larger set of representatives of wildlife. On the western
slopes of the mountainous regions, rows of palm trees rise, forming real
forests in some places. The eastern slopes have retained slightly more
natural forms of native vegetation and are mainly occupied by tropical
forests, shrublands and relatively small areas of farmland.
Protected areas: Sint Christoffel National Park (Curaçao), Washington
Slagbay National Park (Bonaire), Bonaire Marine Park (a long coral reef
surrounding the island of Bonaire), Saba Marine Park.
The
coastline of all the islands is framed by a series of small coral reefs
(the most extensive near the northern and western shores), and between
them and the coast stretches a strip of shallow lagoons.
The
climate is tropical maritime, trade winds. Most of the year there is
warm and comfortable weather with a minimum temperature difference
between seasons. The average temperature in summer (June-September) is
about +27 °C, in winter (December-February) - +25 °C, while daily
temperature differences are extremely small - the temperature at night
rarely drops below +20 °C, even in winter .
The northeast trade
winds blowing from the Atlantic Ocean bring frequent and powerful rains.
Precipitation varies from 280 mm on the western coasts of the islands to
1000 mm on the northeastern slopes of the coastal highlands. The average
annual rainfall in Bonaire is 550 mm (65% of the rain falls between
October and January), in Curaçao - about 500 mm, in Saba and Sint
Eustatius - up to 700 mm (the maximum occurs from May to
October-November) . Relative humidity is fairly constant throughout the
year, averaging 76%.
Curacao and Bonaire are located south of the
"Caribbean hurricane belt" and are almost not affected by the elements,
Saba, St. Eustatius and St. Maarten are located on the southeastern
periphery of this zone and can be affected by hurricanes, most likely
from July-August to October.
The volume of GDP is 2.4 billion dollars (1998), per capita - 11,800
dollars. Agriculture produces 1% of GDP, industry - 15%, services - 84%.
The main industries are tourism, offshore financial services, oil
refining and transportation (Venezuela), ship repair.
Poor soils
and lack of water do not contribute to the development of agriculture,
although its level is high. Arable land makes up approximately 10% of
the total area (1993). Near Willemstad there is a suburban economy
(dairy farming, fruit growing, vegetable growing). The economic policy
is aimed at the further development of various sectors, including the
manufacturing industry.
The length of paved roads is over 800 km.
Willemstad has a seaport and an international airport.
Foreign
economic relations are focused on Venezuela and other Latin American
countries, the USA and EU countries. Merchandise exports ($303 million
in 1998) consist almost predominantly of petroleum products, partly of
agricultural goods and finished goods. External debt is high - $1.35
billion.
The Netherlands Antilles are one of the oldest and most
respectable offshore centers in the world: since the mid-60s. they
specialized in offshore banks, as well as holding, financial, insurance,
management, shipping and other offshore companies. In particular, George
Soros' Quantum Fund NV hedge fund was registered in the Antilles. Until
2002, the tax on the profits of offshore companies here ranged from 2.4
to 3%.
The new tax regime and amendments to the tax treaty with
the Netherlands, which came into effect under pressure from the OECD on
January 1, 2002, significantly changed the rules for taxing companies
registered in the Antilles.
Population
The population is 225
thousand (July 2008 estimate).
In terms of ethnic composition,
the inhabitants of the islands are mainly descendants of mixed marriages
between various ethnic groups of the Old World. These are mainly blacks
and mulattos (up to 85%), representatives of Indian peoples and mestizos
(up to 5%), Dutch, Spaniards, Portuguese and other immigrants from the
European mainland (up to 6%), as well as emigrants from East Asia and
the Middle East .
The official languages are Dutch, English and
Papiamento (a Creole language close to Portuguese). About 85% of the
population belongs to the Roman Catholic Church, about 8% are
Protestants. Also on many islands Islam, Hinduism, Confucianism, Judaism
and other religious movements are practiced.
The urban population
is 70%, rural - 30%. According to UN forecasts, by 2025 the population
would be 258, and by 2050 - 267 thousand people. In 2003, there were
15.76 births per 1,000 people and 6.40 deaths. The annual population
growth was 0.9%, the fertility rate was 2.0. There were 924 men for
every 1,000 women.