UNIVERSIDADES ISLA DE CURAZAO ORGANIZACION POLITICA Poder Ejecutivo Poder Legislativo Curazao Economía Narcotráfico Turismo Comercio MONEDA La moneda local es el florín holandés de las antillas abreviado “Nafl.” O “Ang”. The currency is the Netherlands Antillean guilder or florin. It was first visited by Europeans in 1499 and was settled by the Spanish and, later, by the Dutch, who established it as a major centre of trade for the Dutch West India Company. It has remained continuously in Dutch hands since 1816. In spite of having scant rainfall or little fertile soil, the island developed a major sugarcane-plantation economy under Dutch colonial rule. Completing the CAPTCHA proves you are a human and gives you temporary access to the web property. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Colourful houses of Punda, Willemstad, Curaçao. Those dependencies were reorganized as the Netherlands Antilles in 1954 and granted autonomy in internal affairs. The Spanish deported the entire indigenous population as slaves to Hispaniola in 1515. The harbour can accommodate large tankers, and the island is located at the junction of trade routes that pass through the Panama Canal. La estación de lluvias comienza en octubre y termina en diciembre. Curaçao was settled by Arawak people from the South American mainland. The island provided one special advantage for the Dutch—one of the finest natural harbours in the West Indies. The judiciary consists of a Court of First Instance and a Common Court of Justice of Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba. Noticias de Curazao en Español Visita www.NoticiasCurazao.com In spite of the government’s attempts to diversify the economy by encouraging light industry, there are only a few manufacturing firms, and all consumer goods and food must be imported. In 2006 the people of Curaçao, along with those of the other islands and the Dutch government, agreed to dissolve the Netherlands Antilles. Is Portugese the official language of Brazil? En la isla de Curazao, el clima es soleado y seco durante casi todo el año. • Las temperaturas se mantienen constantes todo el año (28ºC), gracias a los vientos alisios que refrescan el clima permanentemente. In 1845 Curaçao was one of the six Dutch dependencies in the West Indies that were brought under collective administration. The Supreme Court of the Netherlands is the court of final appeal. Curaçao was settled by Arawak people from the South American mainland. The Dutch found oil in Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela, but, because the lake was too shallow for oceangoing ships, the oil was transported in smaller vessels to Curaçao for refining and transshipment. The decline of phosphate mining and automation in the oil industry aggravated problems of unemployment. It was first visited by Europeans in 1499 and was settled by the Spanish and, later, by the Dutch, who established it as a major centre of trade for the Dutch West India Company. The need for salt to preserve herring initially drove the Dutch to the Caribbean. If you are on a personal connection, like at home, you can run an anti-virus scan on your device to make sure it is not infected with malware. Está fijado al dólar US$ a un cambio estable de US$1 = Another way to prevent getting this page in the future is to use Privacy Pass. At the southeastern end of the island, a channel, Sint Anna Bay, passes through reefs to a large, deep, virtually enclosed bay called Schottegat, the site of the capital town, Willemstad. The head of state is the Dutch monarch, represented by a governor, and the head of government is the prime minister. Although physiographically part of the South American continental shelf, Curaçao and neighbouring islands off the northern coast of South America are usually considered to constitute the southwestern arc of the Lesser Antilles. • Corrections? On October 10, 2010, Curaçao and Sint Maarten became—like Aruba, which had separated from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986—countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Both courts handle civil and criminal cases. A minister plenipotentiary from Curaçao resides in the Netherlands and represents the country there at meetings of the Netherlands Council of Ministers. Curaçao has a unicameral Parliament (Staten), with 21 members elected on the basis of proportional representation for a term of no more than five years. Llueve generalmente durante la noche. In addition, Willemstad is an important Caribbean banking centre. Save 50% off a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Cloudflare Ray ID: 5fa1f3b9c86f04d4 Voting is open to all residents of Curaçao with Dutch nationality who are at least 18 years old. Start planning your trip today, and Feel It For Yourself. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The expanding tourist sector is key to the island’s economy. The Spanish deported the entire indigenous population as slaves to Hispaniola in 1515. Curaçao is the home of the oldest continuously inhabited Jewish community in the Western Hemisphere, originally formed by Sephardic Jews who emigrated from Portugal in the 1500s. Updates? It is situated some 37 miles (60 km) north of the coast of Venezuela. The island was subjected to frequent invasions from competing privateers and suffered during the wars between the English and Dutch. Curaçao developed large modern dry-docking and bunkering facilities and became one of the largest ports in the world in terms of total tonnage handled. Curaçao is independent in internal affairs, but the government of the Netherlands is responsible for defense, foreign relations, and similar matters. A Council of Ministers, presided over by the prime minister, forms government policy. During the period 1660 to 1700, the Dutch West India Company flourished; the slave trade boomed, and the port of Curaçao was opened to all countries both to receive the incoming food supplies and to dispose of products from the plantations of South America. Aloes, which had originally been imported from Africa, do not require irrigation and are still exported for pharmaceutical uses. It now produces oranges, the dried peel of which is the base for the famous Curaçao liqueur that is distilled there. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Premium Membership is now 50% off! Black Friday Sale! Omissions? The economy of Curaçao depends heavily on petroleum refining, using crude oil imported from Venezuela. All fresh water used on the island is distilled from seawater. Curaçao, island in the Caribbean Sea and a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The capital is Willemstad. We promote a sound financial system by operating in an innovative, efficient, effective and reliable manner. Your IP: 138.201.174.52 Performance & security by Cloudflare, Please complete the security check to access. Here in Curacao, you're free to explore every inch of our Caribbean paradise. Sort fact from fiction, and test your fluency in this quiz of official languages. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Is Spanish the official language of Andorra? You may need to download version 2.0 now from the Chrome Web Store. 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