History of the Netherlands Antilles

The Netherlands Antilles were discovered by Spain, the Windward Islands by Christopher Columbus in 1493, and the Leeward Islands by Alonso de Ojeda in 1499.

In the 17th century the islands were conquered by the Dutch East India Company, and used as a base for the slave trade.

In 1863 Curaçao abolished slavery, with the majority of the current population being descendants of those African slaves.

In 1954, the islands abandoned their colony status to become an state integrated into the kingdom of the Netherlands.

The island of Aruba, initially belonging to the Netherlands Antilles, acquired its own status in 1986, a situation that several islands of the archipelago currently claim.

Between 2000 and 2005 a series of referendums were held to decide the future political status of each island, the four options that could be voted on were the following:

• Terminate the Current Status of the Netherlands Antilles with the Netherlands.
• Stay with the Netherlands Antilles.
• Get autonomy as a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands (State Apart) as that of Aruba.
• Independence of the Netherlands.

Each island voted by majority vote as follows:

• Curacao on 8 April 2005 and the Dutch part of San Martín on 22 June 2000 voted for a separate status similar to that currently enjoyed by Aruba.

• The Bonaire Islands on 10 September 2004 and Saba on 5 November 2004 voted to end the current status of the Netherlands Antilles.

• San Eustaquio on April 8, 2005 was the only one to vote for keeping the Netherlands Antilles.

After negotiating a new status, the government of the Netherlands and each of the islands reached an agreement, which will dissolve the Netherlands Antilles as of December 15, 2008, Saba, Bonaire and Saint Eustatius will be special municipalities, and Curaçao and Saint Martin will get separate status like Aruba, all staying within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.