The Netherlands Antilles is a nation of five islands and two islets located in the Caribbean. The islands of Netherlands Antilles are divided into two geographical groups: the Leeward Islands of the Venezuelan coast, which are made up of the islands of Bonaire, Curaçao, and the islets of Klein Bonaire and Klein Curaçao; the second group, located east of Puerto Rico, is known as the Windward Islands. It includes the islands of Saba, Sint Eustatius, and the southern part of Saint Martin.
Bonaire is a 111-square-mile island located approximately 30 miles from Curaçao and 50 miles from the coast of Venezuela. It’s friendly population, location and natural beauty makes it a prime tourist destination, and tourism makes up the bulk of the island’s economy.
Klein Bonaire is a flat, uninhabited island approximately 1/2 mile off the coast of Bonaire. The island sees a steady stream of snorkelers, boaters and other pleasure seekers.
At 171 square miles, Curaçao is the largest of the Leeward Antilles. Home to a variety of cultural traditions, the island is also the Antilles’ most populous, and tourism, along with oil refining and financial services, make up the core of the island’s economy. The island is also home to one of the Antilles’ chief institutions of higher education, the University of the Netherlands Antilles.
Klein Curaçao is a sparsely vegetated, uninhabited island off the coast of Curaçao. Like Klein Bonaire, though the island has virtually no permanent structures, it sees regular pleasure-seeking visitors.
At approximately 5 square miles, Saba is the smallest island in the Netherlands Antilles. Like all of the islands, tourism is the foundation of its economy, and Saba’s lush jungles, dramatic volcanic landscape and numerous marine attractions have made it known as the Caribbean’s “unspoiled queen.”
Known as “Statia” to its locals, 12-square-mile Sint Eustatius is located 38 miles south of Sint Maarten and 17 miles southeast of Saba. Like its Windward neighbors, tourism is the cornerstone of the economy, though the University of Sint Eustatius School of Medicine also plays a major role in the local economy.
The Netherlands Antilles shares the island of Saint Martin with France, making it the smallest inhabited island in the world to be divided between two nations. The Antilles-affiliated region is located on the southern portion of the island, and covers approximately 13 square miles. The most populous of the Windward Antilles, St. Maarten is known for its sightseeing, nightlife, shopping and culinary opportunities.
