World Atlas: Curacao. On this page you can see the map, country flag and many detailed information about the people, history and economy of Curacao.
Here you can find online selected information about the geography, inhabitants, government, economy and history of Curacao. Included are selected statistics, an overview map and the detailed map of Curacao. But let's start with the flag of Curacao here:
Curacao - Overview:
What you should know about Curacao? Let's start with this: Originally settled by Arawak Indians, Curacao was seized by the Dutch in 1634 along with the neighboring island of Bonaire. Once the center of the Caribbean slave trade, Curacao was hard hit economically by the abolition of slavery in 1863. Its prosperity (and that of neighboring Aruba) was restored in the early 20th century with the construction of the Isla Refineria to service the newly discovered Venezuelan oil fields. In 1954, Curacao and several other Dutch Caribbean possessions were reorganized as the Netherlands Antilles, part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In referenda in 2005 and 2009, the citizens of Curacao voted to become a self-governing country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The change in status became effective in October 2010 with the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles.
Geography of Curacao
Where on the globe is Curacao? The location of this country is Caribbean, an island in the Caribbean Sea, 55 km off the coast of Venezuela. Total area of Curacao is 444 sq km, of which 444 sq km is land. So this is quite a small country. How could we describe the terrain of the country? This way: generally low, hilly terrain. The lowest point of Curacao is Caribbean Sea 0 m, the highest point Mt. Christoffel 372 m. And the climate is tropical marine climate, ameliorated by northeast trade winds, results in mild temperatures; semiarid with average rainfall of 60 cm/yea.
Inhabitants of Curacao
Let's take a look how many people live in Curacao. The number is: 149,648 (July 2017 est.). So not so many people live here. Who lives here? Afro-Caribbean majority; Dutch, French, Latin American, East Asian, South Asian, Jewish minorities. What are the languages in Curacao? Papiamento (official) (a creole language that is a mixture of Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, English, and, to a lesser extent, French, as well as elements of African languages and the language of the Arawak) 81.2%, Dutch (official) 8%, Spanish 4%, English (official) 2.9%, other 3.9% (2001 census). And the religions: Roman Catholic 72.8%, Pentecostal 6.6%, Protestant 3.2%, Adventist 3%, Jehovah's Witness 2%, Evangelical 1.9%, other 3.8%, none 6%, unspecified 0.6% (2011 est.). How old are the people in average? 36.1 years. We have to add that this number is the median - so one half of the people is older than this, one half is younger. And what is their life expectancy (at birth)? This: 78.5 years. Where the people live in Curacao? Here: largest concentration on the island is Willemstad; smaller settlements near the coast can be found throughout the island, particularly in the northwest. The major urban areas of Curacao are: Willemstad (capital) 145,000 (2014).
Government and Economy of Curacao
The capital of Curacao is Willemstad and the government type parliamentary democracy. Let's take a look at the administrative divisions - none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands). Regarding the economy of Curacao, important industrial products are tourism, petroleum refining, petroleum transshipment, light manufacturing, financial and business services. Important agricultural products are aloe, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit. The most important export commodities are petroleum products and the most important export partners are unknown. The most important import commodities are crude petroleum, food, manufactures and the most important import partners are unknown. How rich is Curacao and how rich are people in this country? The most important number here is GDP per capita (PPP): $15,000 (2004 est.). This is quite good. Let's add that this means Gross Domestic Product per person, which is recalculated with respect to the relative cost of local goods and services. And one more important number - population below poverty line: unknown.