ABOUT CURACAO
About Curacao, the largest island of the Kingdom of The Netherlands is a multifaceted and cosmopolitan country unlike any other. It has a multilingual community; many of its residents, to various degrees, are fluent in four languages: Papiamentu, the vernacular; Dutch, the official; and Spanish and English, the two foreign languages of primary local importance.
ABOUT CURACAO HISTORY
Curaçao’s history begins with the arrival of the Arawaks, an Amerindian tribe from the South American peninsula. They are said to have lived on the island for hundreds of years before Europeans arrived.
On July 26, 1499, Alonso de Ojeda found Curaçao. On the island at the time, there were around 2,000 Caquetios. By 1515, virtually all Caquetios had been enslaved and sent to Hispaniola.
In 1527, the Spanish arrived on the island and ruled it from one of the Spanish-Venezuelan towns. Many non-native animals and plants were brought to Curaçao by the Spanish. Horses, sheep, goats, pigs, and cattle came from Europe or other Spanish colonies. The Spaniards also planted a variety of non-native trees and plants.
CURACAO’S NAME ORIGIN
According to a persistent but unsubstantiated myth, sailors on long journeys in the 16th and 17th centuries -the early years of European exploration- were said to get scurvy from a shortage of vitamin C.
According to some legends, sick Portuguese or Spanish seamen were abandoned on the island that is today known as Curaçao. When their ship returned, several of them had recovered, having been healed of scurvy by eating vitamin C-rich fruit. From then on, the Portuguese allegedly referred to this as Ilha da Curaço (Island of Healing).
Another theory is that it is derived from the Portuguese term for the heart, referencing the island’s role as a trading center.
COLONIZATION
After the Netherlands gained independence from Spain in 1634, the Dutch West India Company led by Admiral Johann van Walbeeck attacked the island, and the Spaniards surrendered in August in San Juan. Hence, around 30 Spaniards and numerous indigenous people were transported to Venezuela’s Santa Ana de Coro.
On the island, around 30 Tano families were permitted to dwell. It was taken over by Dutch colonists. The WIC established the city of Willemstad on the banks of the Schottegat, a natural harbor that proved excellent for commerce. Curaçao’s most major economic activities became commerce, seafaring, and piracy.
Grote Knip Beach Curacao
ABOUT CURACAO SLAVERY
Slavery was abolished in the Netherlands in 1863, bringing about a transformation in the economy with the move to wage labor. This was an established system under which a former slave rented a property from his former owner in exchange for pledging to give up most of his produce for rent. This arrangement lasted until the turn of the twentieth century.
LANGUAGES
Outside of colonial government, Dutch was not commonly used on the island; its use grew in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Students in Curaçao, Aruba, and Bonaire were mostly educated in Spanish until the late 17th century.
INDEPENDENCE
Curaçao gained self-government as an island territory of the Netherlands Antilles in 1954, and on the 30th anniversary of the first elected Island Council in 1984, a national flag and anthem were unveiled; then, 21 years later, islanders voted in favor of separate status, which was finally confirmed by the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles and the creation of Curaçao as a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands on 10 October 2010.
Enjoy its beautiful beaches, amazing sunsets, traditional food, swimming with the turtles, and many more things together with us in Beach Hopping Curacao. The Caribbean-style atmosphere and our brimming with joy Tour Guide will make your vacation an unforgettable experience.
