The Netherlands Antilles was a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The country consisted of several island territories located in the Caribbean Sea. The islands were also informally known as the Dutch Antilles. The country came into being in 1954 as the autonomous successor of the Dutch colony of Curaçao and Dependencies, and was dissolved in 2010. The former Dutch colony of Surinam, although it was relatively close by on the continent of South America, did not become part of Netherlands Antilles but became a separate autonomous country in 1954. All the island territories that belonged to the Netherlands Antilles remain part of the kingdom today, although the legal status of each differs. As a group they are still commonly called the Dutch Caribbean, regardless of their legal status.
Willemstad is the capital city of Curaçao, an island in the southern Caribbean Sea that forms a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Formerly the capital of the Netherlands Antilles prior to its dissolution in 2010, it has an estimated population of 150,000. The historic centre of the city consists of four quarters: the Punda and Otrobanda, which are separated by the Sint Anna Bay, an inlet that leads into the large natural harbour called the Schottegat, as well as the Scharloo and Pietermaai Smal quarters, which are across from each other on the smaller Waaigat harbour. Willemstad is home to the Curaçao synagogue, the oldest surviving synagogue in the Americas. The city centre, with its unique architecture and harbour entry, has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Patrick Stephan Kluivert is a former Dutch footballer, coach and former director of football for Paris Saint-Germain in France. Kluivert is the assistant manager of Cameroon. He played as a striker, most notably for AFC Ajax, FC Barcelona and the Netherlands national team.
The 2004 Little League World Series took place between August 20 and August 29 in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The Pabao Little League of Willemstad, Curaçao, defeated Conejo Valley Little League of Thousand Oaks, California, in the championship game of the 58th Little League World Series. This was the first LLWS title for the Caribbean island of Curaçao.
The Netherlands Antilles national football team was the national team of the former Netherlands Antilles and was controlled by the Nederlands Antilliaanse Voetbal Unie. The NAVU consisted of Curaçao and Bonaire. Aruba split in 1986 and has its own team.
Curaçao is a liqueur flavored with the dried peel of the Laraha citrus fruit, grown on the island of Curaçao.
Same-sex marriages are not performed in Aruba, Curaçao, or Sint Maarten, which are constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The islands were, however, obliged after several court rulings to register any marriage registered in the Kingdom, but they don't have to give same-sex marriages the same legal effect as opposite-sex marriages. As marriage in the European territory of the Netherlands, as well as in the Caribbean Netherlands is open to any two people, marriages performed there have to be registered in the islands.
Miss Curaçao is a national beauty pageant in Curaçao. This pageant is unrelated to the Señorita Curaçao or Miss International Curaçao pageant.
The Promé Divishon also known as Liga MCB 1st Division for sponsorship reason, is the top association football league and only semi-professional league in Curaçao, constituent country of the Netherlands. Up to 2010 the top two teams in this competition got to compete in the Kopa Antiano, the Netherlands Antilles Championship. After the dissolution of the country, Curaçao became the successor of the Netherlands Antilles in CONCACAF and the teams competing can qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League, by placing in the top final three positions of the CFU Club Championship. The teams who finish at the bottom of the league table, have to compete with the top two teams of the Sekshon Amatùr, the 2nd tier of football in Curaçao for placement in Sekshon Pagá the following season.
The Kingdom of the Netherlands, commonly known as the Netherlands, is a sovereign state and constitutional monarchy with the large majority of its territory in Western Europe and with several small island territories in the Caribbean Sea, in the West Indies islands.
The Curaçao national football team represents Curaçao in International association football and is controlled by the Curaçao Football Federation.
Unicomer Group, is a multinational retailing group headquartered in San Salvador, El Salvador. It operates several chains of retail brands in the consumer durables sector, specializing in furniture, audio & video, appliances, and electronics in over 1,000 stores in Central America, the Caribbean, South America, and the United States, employing over 15,000 associates.
Curacao, formerly La Curacao, is a large-format retail store chain. Founded in 1978, Curacao is headquartered in Los Angeles with retail locations in California, Arizona and Nevada.
The Caribbean Region is a region that competes in the Little League World Series. The Caribbean region was first given an automatic berth in 2001. Prior to 2001, Caribbean teams competed for a berth in the LLWS in the Latin American region.
Remko Bicentini is a Dutch-Curaçaoan football manager and former professional player. He currently coaches the Curaçao national side, having previously been as an assistant manager with the national team and headcoach of Dutch amateur side SV AWC.
Curaçao has one of the highest standards of living in the Caribbean, ranking 46th in the world in terms of GDP (PPP) per capita and 28th in the world in terms of nominal GDP per capita. It possesses a high income economy, as defined by the World Bank. The island has a well-developed infrastructure with strong tourism and financial services sectors. Shipping, international trade, oil refining, and other activities related to the port of Willemstad also make a significant contribution to the economy. To achieve the government's aim to make its economy more diverse, efforts are being made to attract more foreign investment. This policy, called the 'Open Arms' policy, features a heavy focus on information technology companies.
The sport of association football in Curaçao is run by the Curaçao Football Federation. The association administers the national football team, as well as the Curaçao League. The main annual football tournament is the Chippie Polar Cup,an annual friendly event held since 2004 which has involved clubs from the Netherlands, Brazil, Suriname, Aruba and Curaçao.
Adèle Pauline van der Pluijm-Vrede served as Acting Governor of Curaçao from October 10, 2010, to November 4, 2013. When Governor of Curaçao, Frits Goedgedrag, laid down his position on 24 November 2012 due to health reasons, Van der Pluijm-Vrede took over his tasks while remaining acting governor until on 4 November 2013 Lucille George-Wout was sworn in as governor.
Señorita Curaçao is a national beauty pageant in Curaçao. This pageant is unrelated to the Miss Curaçao or Miss International Curaçao pageant.
