DISCOVER CURACAO

Curacao is an island in the southern part of the Caribbean Sea off the west coast of Venezuela.

The island is the largest and most populous of the three so-called ABC islands (for Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao) of the Lesser Antilles and belongs to the Netherlands Antilles, a self-governing part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Curacao's capital is Willemstad.

Curacao has a land area of 444 square kilometres (171 square miles). In 2004 the population was estimated at 133,644 inhabitants. It lies outside the hurricane belt.

Discover Curacao

GEOGRAPHY OR CURACAO

Like Aruba and Bonaire, Curacao is a transcontinental island that is geographically part of South America but is also considered to be part of West Indies and one of the Leeward Antilles. Curacao and the other ABC Islands are in terms of climate, geology, flora and fauna more akin to nearby Paraguana Peninsula, Isla Margarita and the nearby Venezuelan areas of the Coro region and Falcon State. Curacao has a semi-arid savanna-like climate and lies outside the hurricane belt with only a 0-3% chance of getting hit by a hurricane.

The flora of Curacao differs from the typical tropical island vegetation. Xeric scrublands are common, with various forms of cacti, thorny shrubs, and evergreens. Curacao's highest point is the 375 metre (1,230 ft) Mount Christoffel in the northwestern part of the island. This lies in the reserved wildlife park, Curacao Christoffelpark, and can be explored by car, bike or horse or on foot. Several trails have been laid out. Curacao has many places where one can hike. There are Salinas, salt marshes where flamingos fly out to rest and feed. 15 miles off the coast of Curacao, to the southeast, lies the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curacao ('Little Curacao').

Curacao is renowned for its coral reefs which make it an excellent spot for scuba diving. The beaches on the south side contain many popular diving spots. An unusual feature of Curacao diving is that the sea floor drops off steeply within a few hundred feet of the shore, and the reef can easily be reached without a boat. This drop-off is locally known as the 'blue edge'.

Strong currents and lack of beaches make the rocky northern coast dangerous for swimming and diving, but experienced divers sometimes dive there from boats when conditions permit. The southern coast is very different and offers remarkably calm waters. The coastline of Curacao features many bays and inlets, many of them suitable for mooring.

Some of the coral reefs have been affected by tourism. Porto Marie beach is experimenting with artificial coral reefs in order to improve the reef's condition. Hundreds of artificial coral blocks that have been placed are now home to a large array of tropical fish.

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PEOPLE OF CURACAO

Because of its history, the island's population comes from many ethnic backgrounds. There is an Afro-Caribbean majority, and also sizeable minorities of Dutch, East Asian, Portuguese and Levantine people. The Sephardic Jews that arrived from the Netherlands and then-Dutch Brazil since the 17th century have had a significant influence on the culture and economy of the island.

The years before and after World War II also saw an influx of Ashkenazi Jews from Eastern Europe. Many Portuguese and Lebanese also migrated to Curacao in the early 19th century due to the financial possibilities of the island. There are also many recent immigrants from neighbouring countries, most notably the Dominican Republic, Haiti, the Anglophone Caribbean and Colombia.

In recent years the influx of Dutch pensioners has increased significantly, dubbed locally as pensionados.

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ECONOMY OF CURACAO

Although a few plantations were established on the island by the Dutch, the first profitable industry established on Curaçao was salt mining. The mineral was an extremely lucrative export at the time and became one of the major factors responsible for drawing the island into international commerce. Curaçao also became a center for slave trade during the 17th and 18th centuries. In the 19th century, phosphate mining also became significant. All the while, Curaçao's fine deep water ports and ideal location in the Caribbean were crucial in making it a significant center of commerce.

Today, the main industries of the island include oil refining, tourism and financial services. Shipping and other activity related to the port of Willemstad also makes a considerable contribution to the economy.

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CUISINE OF CURACAO

Local food is called Krioyo (pronounced the same as criollo, the Spanish word for 'Creole') and boasts a blend of flavours and techniques best compared to Caribbean cuisine and Latin American cuisine. Dishes common in Curaçao are found in Aruba and Bonaire as well.

Popular dishes include: Stoba (a stew made with various ingredients such as papaya, beef or goat), Guiambo (soup made from okra and seafood), kadushi (cactus soup), sopi mondongo (intestine soup), funchi (cornmeal paste similar to fufu, ugali and polenta) and a lot of fish and other seafood. The ubiquitous side dish is fried plantain. Local bread rolls are made according to a Portuguese recipe.

All around the island, there are snek which serve local dishes as well as alcoholic drinks in a manner akin to the English pub. Around the holiday season special dishes are consumed, such as the hallaca and pekele, made out of salt cod. At weddings and other special occasions a variety of 'kos dushi' are served: 'kokada' (coconut sweets), 'ko'i lechi' (condensed milk and sugar sweet) and 'tentalaria' (peanut sweets).

The Curaçao liqueur was developed here, when a local experimented with the rinds of a locally grown variety of valencia oranges.

Asian and Dutch influences also abound. The island also has a lot of Chinese restaurants that serve mainly satay and lumpia. The Dutch kitchen is served at homes and restaurants.

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CURACAO AND LITERATURE

Despite the island's relatively small population, the diversity of languages and cultural influences on Curaçao have generated a remarkable literary tradition, primarily in Dutch and Papiamentu. The oral traditions of the Arawak indigenous peoples are lost. West African slaves brought the tales of Anansi, thus forming the basis of Papiamentu literature. The first published work in Papiamentu was a poem by Joesph Sickman Corsen entitled Atardi, published in the La Cruz newspaper in 1905.

Throughout Curaçaoan literature, narrative techniques and metaphors best characterized as magic realism tend to predominate. Novelists and poets from Curaçao have made an impressive contribution to Caribbean and Dutch literature. Best known are Cola Debrot, Frank Martinus Arion, Pierre Lauffer, Elis Juliana, Boeli van Leeuwen and Tip Marugg.

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