Dutch West Indies

The Dutch West Indies , in Dutch De Nederlandse Antillen , were until June 30th, 2007 a whole of five island S principal located in the Caribbean Sea : Bonaire, Curaçao, Sheba, Saint-Eustace ( Sint-Eustatius or Statia ) and the southernmost part of the island of Saint Martin's day ( Sint-Maarten ).

It is a territory depend on the Netherlands juridically forming one of the 3 current States of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Fédération of the Dutch West Indies (which included also Aruba until January 1st 1986, date on which the island was detached from the Dutch West Indies to constitute another autonomous State within the kingdom).

Since July 1st 2007, the autonomous Federal state of the Dutch West Indies started her progressive dissolution, which will be effective the December 15th 2008 after the complete transfer of competences of the autonomous Federal state towards those of the two new autonomous territories of Curaçao and Sint-Maarten (which will then form two future autonomous States within the Kingdom of the Netherlands) or towards the State of the Netherlands for the 3 new Dutchwomen communes to particular status (Bonaire, Sheba and Saint-Eustace).

History

The “islands Under-the-Wind” were discovered by Christophe Colomb in 1493 and “Windward Islands” by Alonso de Ojeda in 1499. After a beginning of Colonization by the Spaniards, the islands are conquered at the 17th century by the Compagnie Dutchwoman of the Western Indies. The Dutch West Indies are used then as place of transit and exploitation of the slaves come from Africa until in 1863, date of the abolition of the Esclavage in these islands.

In 1954, the islands pass from the statute of colonies to that of territory associated with the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the form with a federation. The island of Aruba separates from the federation to remain associated with the Kingdom of the Netherlands under the statute of territory associated with whole share on January 1st 1986.

Geography

The islands of the Dutch West Indies are classified in two groups according to their situation géographique :

the Windward Islands ( Bovenwindse Eilanden ) with Sint-Maarten, Saint-Eustace and Sheba which are located at the North of the Lesser Antilles and in the East of Puerto Rico ;
the Leeward Islands ( Benedenwindse Eilanden ) with Bonaire, Curaçao, Klein Bonaire and Klein Curaçao (to which one attaches Aruba although it does not form part of the Dutch West Indies) which are located off the coasts of the Venezuela.

The Islands with the Wind are very of ic origin Volcan and have a broken relief, leaving only little space to the Agriculture. Leeward Islands have an at the same time volcanic origin and coral because having been submerged with many reprises ; their relief is marked less.

The culminating point of the Dutch West Indies, and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, is the Mont Scenery in Sheba with 862 meters of altitude.

The climate is tropical but the Islands with the wind are wetter and undergo the passage of the Cyclone S contrary to Leeward Islands.

There do not exist administrative divisions although each has its own government.

Policy

The Head of State of the Dutch West Indies is the sovereign of the Netherlands. Since 1980, it acts of Beatrix of the Netherlands. The monarch is represented in the islands by a governor who forms the executive branch of the government with the Council of Ministers.

The “Staten” (States), the legislative branch, consists of delegated various islands. Each island forms a “eilandgebied” (insular territory) with a local government which is entitled to regulate the go concern.

Contrary to the others Provinces of the Netherlands, the Prostitution, the marijuana and the homosexual marriages are not authorized (although the latter are recognized if they were carried out in a jurisdiction which allows it).

New statute

In 2004, a commission of the government of the Dutch West Indies and Netherlands gave a report on a future statute for this territory.

All the islands are favorable to a change of status and none chose the Indépendance. Two new autonomous territories will be created (Curaçao and Sint-Maarten) and the islands of Bonaire, Sheba and Saint-Eustace would have become “Islands of the Kingdom”, a new statute which still remained to be defined.

The November 28th 2005, an agreement was signed between the governments of Aruba, the Dutch West Indies and the Netherlands to apply the Commission Report in July 2007.

The October 11th 2006, an agreement was signed between the government of the Netherlands and the representatives of the islands of Bonaire, Sheba and Saint-Eustace on the new statute of these islands. They would become common Dutchwomen with special statute. The laws Dutchwomen will be adapted with exceptions in agreement with the geographical position of the islands. For example the social security will not be the same one as in the Netherlands.

In February 2007, the dissolution of the Federation of the Dutch West Indies was approved by a constitionnelle revision of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, adopted following a referendum of self-determination which took place in 2006. All the islands of the Dutch West Indies chose the dissolution of the Federation. However, if the majority of them wanted rather massively one rapprechement with the State of the Netherlands, in fact the case for the most not populated (Curaçao) wished on the contrary a statute of stronger autonomy, nearer to that of its neighbor Aruba, nor for Sint-Maarten because of the statute geopolitical and historical particular of the island of Saint Martin's day under Franco-Dutch largely concerted administration (the two nations are bound there by an international treaty) and having a population more largely cosmopolitan with various nationalities.

July 1st 2007, the Dutch West Indies started their progressive dissolution, and were divided into distinct territorial collectivities, and the Federation functions only with one transitory statute intended to equip its various components with the legislation adapted to their new constitutional statutes within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The December 15th 2008, the autonomous State of the Federation of the Dutch West Indies will be completely dissolves: Curaçao and Sint-Maarten will form two new State autonomous (in addition to that of Aruba and the State of the Netherlands) within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the three other islands (much less populated) will be integrated into the State of the Netherlands as “common Dutchwomen with particular status. ”

There will be thus juridically four distinct States in the kingdom (instead of three still today until in at the end of 2008), the two new autonomous territories being able to take the autonomous designation of State only after the complete transfer of competences between the current territorial collectivities to transitory statute or the State of the Netherlands, and the total and effective dissolution of the current federation of the Dutch West Indies.

Economy

The economy of the Dutch West Indies is based on the Tourisme (on all the islands), the refining of the Pétrole Venezuelan (on Curaçao) and the lodging of bank accounts (especially Sint-Maarten). The inhabitants profit from a good Standard of living and developed infrastructures (ports, Aéroport S, Route S, hospital, Université S, etc). Almost all the consumer goods are imported, mainly Venezuela, Mexico and the United States. The Netherlands provide as for them many development assistances. The Agriculture is developed little because not profiting from rich grounds and irrigated.

The Foreign exchange rate between the Guilder of the Dutch West Indies and the US Dollar is of 1,79 against 1 and is indexed on this currency.

Demography

The Dutch West Indies count approximately 255 500 inhabitants (of which 173 400 in Curaçao), blacks or Mongrel for the majority, a territory of 960 km ². The capital of the territory is Willemstad, on the island of Curaçao. The Dutch West Indies have known strong a Immigration for a few years, primarily coming from Dominican Republic, of Haiti, Colombia, the anglophone islands of the Antilles,…

The spoken languages are mainly the Papiamento (creole), the English, the Dutch (official language) and the Spanish .

The Religion the most represented is the Catholicisme but there exists many religions : Judaism, Protestantism, Voodoo, evangelism,…

Culture

The varied origins of the inhabitants of the Dutch West Indies created a very rich local culture. But the proximity of the United States and the big number of tourists coming from this country somewhat influenced it.

As in the majority of the countries of Latin America, the Carnival revêt an particular importance and the inhabitants review honor in it to be taken part.

Philately

In 1949, the first stamps of the Dutch West Indies are born and replace those of Curaçao.

The legend of these stamps is initially Nederlandse Antillen Curaçao (three values) then Ned. Antillen (24 values) and finally Nederlandse Antillen until today.

In 2004, the Dutch West Indies had emitted approximately 1 200 postal stamps, five stamps for the Airmail, 61 block-layers and 17 postage-due stamps.

In 1986, Aruba, which used the stamps of the Dutch West Indies, separates from the federation to form a territory associated with the Kingdom of the Netherlands and uses since its own stamps with for legend Aruba .

See too

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