The majority of the people are of African descent and belong to the Roman Catholic or other Christian churches. Papiamento (a Spanish-based creole with Portuguese, Dutch, and English elements) is the predominant tongue, and English is also widely spoken.
The economy is dependent on tourism, the refining and transshipment of Venezuelan petroleum, and offshore financial services. The Netherlands Antilles have a higher per capita income and a more developed infrastructure than neighboring countries. Poor soil and scanty water resources hamper agricultural production, which is largely limited to aloes, sorghum, peanuts, fruits, and vegetables. There is also some light manufacturing. The monarch of the Netherlands is the titular head of state and is represented by a governor-general. There is a 22-seat popularly elected legislature headed by a prime minister.
When the Spanish arrived in the 16th cent., the region was inhabited by Arawaks and Caribs. The islands were captured by the Dutch in the 17th cent. and were worked by the many African slaves who were brought to their shores. Slavery was abolished in 1863 and the economy faltered until the oil industry began to flourish in the 20th cent. The Netherlands Antilles became autonomous in 1954, and Aruba was separated from the group in 1986. In 2004 a government commission recommended splitting up the Netherlands Antilles, giving St. Martin and Curaçao autonomy and establishing direct Dutch rule over the other islands. In a series of referendums islanders largely seconded this proposal, which has yet to take effect.
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- Saba, island, Netherlands Antilles
Saba, island (1990 est. pop. 1,100), 5 sq mi (13 sq km), Netherlands Antilles, one of the NW Leeward Islands. The rugged island is actually the cone of an extinct volcano rising to c.2,800 ft ...
- Netherlands
Netherlands, Du. Nederland or Koninkrijk der Nederlanden, officially Kingdom of the Netherlands, constitutional monarchy (2005 est. pop. 16,407,000), 15,963 sq mi (41,344 sq km), NW Europe. It...
- Willemstad
Willemstad, city (1992 pop. 24,235), Curaçao, capital of the Netherlands Antilles. The city is the commercial and industrial center of the Netherlands Antilles as well as a free port and touri...
- Bonaire
Bonaire, island (1990 est. pop. 11,000), 112 sq mi (290 sq km), in the Netherlands Antilles, West Indies. Kralendijk is the chief town. Tourism is the economic mainstay, though salt mining is ...
- Saint Eustatius
Saint Eustatius, island (1989 pop. 1,861), 8 sq mi (20.7 sq km), Netherlands Antilles, one of the Leeward Islands. The mountainous island is not very prosperous, although there is a developing...
- Curaçao
Curaçao, island (1989 est. pop. 146,100), 178 sq mi (461 sq km), largest and most populous of the Netherlands Antilles, West Indies. Curaçao is semiarid; most of the plant life is of desert ch...
- Aruba
Aruba, island, autonomous part of the Netherlands (2005 est. pop. 71,600), 69 sq mi (179 sq km), in the Lesser Antilles off the coast of Venezuela. Oranjestad is the capital and main port. The...
- Saint Martin
Saint Martin, Du. Sint Maarten, island, 37 sq mi (96 sq km), West Indies, one of the Leeward Islands. Since its occupation in 1648 by the Dutch and the French, it has been divided; the norther...
- West Indies
West Indies, archipelago, between North and South America, curving c.2,500 mi (4,020 km) from Florida to the coast of Venezuela and separating the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico from the...
- Venezuela
Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, republic (2005 est. pop. 25,375,000), 352,143 sq mi (912,050 sq km), N South America. Venezuela has a coastline 1,750 mi (2,816 km) ...
