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Country Guide > Caribbean > Curaçao | |
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General Information Area 444 sq km (171 sq miles). Population 224,000 (UN 2005). Population Density 504 per sq km. Capital Willemstad. Population: 125,000 (UN estimate 2001, including the suburbs). Geography Curaçao, the largest island in the Netherlands Antilles, is geographically part of the Dutch Leeward Islands, also known as the Dutch Antilles. It is flat, rocky and fairly barren owing to its low rainfall. There are many excellent beaches. Government Part 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. Head of State: HM Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, represented locally by Governor Frits Goedgedrag since 2002. Head of Government: Prime Minister Etienne Ys since 2002. Language Dutch is the official language. Papiamento (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. Religion The 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. Electricity 110/130 volts AC, 50Hz. |