Netherlands Antilles

Introduction & Quick Facts
Land
- Relief
- Drainage and soils
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
People
Economy
Government and society
Cultural life
History
- Colonial rule
  - Curaçao
  - Bonaire
  - Sint Maarten
  - Sint Eustatius
  - Saba
- Political developments since World War II

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images

Regional map of the West Indies showing the islands of the Greater and Lesser Antilles, including Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), Puerto Rico, and numerous smaller islands. The map uses color shading to indicate elevation, with higher elevations in orange and yellow, and labels major cities and territories, including those administered by the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, and the United States. Surrounding bodies of water such as the Caribbean Sea, Gulf o

Beach at Cupecoy Bay, Sint Maarten, Lesser Antilles.

Cacti on Bonaire, Lesser Antilles, Caribbean Sea.

Dutch-style architecture of Willemstad, Curaçao.

Gotto Lake on Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles

At a Glance

Netherlands Antilles summary

Quizzes

Islands and Archipelagos

Related Questions

How did Curaçao’s political status change after the Netherlands Antilles dissolved?
How did Dutch trade shape the economy of the Netherlands Antilles during the 1600s and 1700s?
How did Sint Maarten become an important port for Caribbean cruise ships?
How did Sint Maarten’s political status change after the Netherlands Antilles dissolved?
How did Spanish arrival in the early 1500s affect the Indigenous population of the Netherlands Antilles?
How did oil refining become important to Curaçao’s economy?
How did salt production support Bonaire’s economy?
How did the Netherlands Antilles flag change after Aruba left the federation?
How did the status of a special municipality differ from that of Curaçao and Sint Maarten after 2010?
How far apart were the northern and southern island groups of the Netherlands Antilles?
What are Curaçao’s landhuizen, and when were they built?
What did the 1993 investigation of Sint Maarten’s government uncover?
What political issues dominated the Netherlands Antilles in the late 20th century?
When was the Netherlands Antilles dissolved?
Where were the southern islands of the Netherlands Antilles located in relation to Venezuela?
Which crops were grown on Saba, and where were they sold?
Which five islands made up the Netherlands Antilles after Aruba left the federation?
Which island contained most of the Netherlands Antilles population?
Which island had the highest population density in the Netherlands Antilles?
Which island was home to Willemstad, the capital of the Netherlands Antilles?
Which island was the largest in the Netherlands Antilles?
Which islands formed the northern group of the Netherlands Antilles?
Which language was most commonly spoken on the northern islands of the Netherlands Antilles?
Which languages were official in the Netherlands Antilles?
Which mountain was the highest point in the Netherlands Antilles?
Which products were major exports from Curaçao?
Which religious group made up most of the population of the Netherlands Antilles?
Why could plantation crops such as sugar not grow well on the larger Netherlands Antilles islands?
Why did Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius become special municipalities of the Netherlands?
Why did Saba have limited economic importance during Dutch colonial rule?
Why did many residents of the Netherlands Antilles fear independence in the 1970s?
Why did migration to Curaçao increase after the oil refinery opened in 1918?
Why did the islands of the Netherlands Antilles not choose full independence in 2010?
Why did tourism become important to the Netherlands Antilles islands?
Why is the Sephardic Jewish community of Curaçao historically important?
Why was Schottegat harbor important to Willemstad and Curaçao?
Why was the Netherlands Antilles flag retired in 2010?
Why were the Dutch attracted to the islands of the Netherlands Antilles in the 1600s?
What is the path of Hurricane Melissa?
What are the strongest hurricanes to hit Jamaica?
How can people help Jamaica recover from Hurricane Melissa?
What islands make up Guadeloupe?
What is the climate in Guadeloupe?
Why did Cuba lose electrical power in 2026?
Are U.S. citizens allowed to travel to Cuba?
Why is the United States blocking aid to Cuba?
Is Cuba a Rich or Poor Country?
Why are there fuel shortages in Cuba?

Geography & Travel Physical Geography of Land Islands & Archipelagos

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External Websites

CRW Flags - Flag of Netherlands Antilles
International Monetary Fund - Kingdom of the Netherlandsï¿½Netherlands Antilles: Selected Issues and Statistical Appendix (PDF)
Pan American Health Organization - Netherlands Antilles (PDF)
University of Prince Edward Island - Institute of Island Studies - Netherlands Antilles (PDF)
Economic Commission for Latin America - The Netherlands Antilles: trade and integration with CARICOM

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

Netherlands Antilles - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
Netherlands Antilles - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Netherlands Antilles

islands, Caribbean Sea

Also known as: Antianan Hulandes, Nederlandse Antillen, Papiamentu(Show More)

Written by

Harmannus Hoetink

Emeritus Professor of Cultural Anthropology and Comparative Sociology of Latin America and the Caribbean, Institute of Cultural Anthropology, State University of Utrecht, The Netherlands. Author of Slavery...

Harmannus HoetinkAll

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

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....

Britannica Editors

History

Netherlands Antilles, group of five islands in the Caribbean Sea that formerly constituted an autonomous part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The group is composed of two widely separated subgroups approximately 500 miles (800 km) apart. The southern group comprises Curaçao and Bonaire, which lie less than 50 miles (80 km) off the Venezuelan coast. The northern group is made up of Sint Eustatius, Saba, and Sint Maarten (the southern part of the island...

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