It is a Lesser Antilles Island nation in the Caribbean Sea and the Dutch Caribbean region, located north of the Venezuelan coast. The island is a constituent territory under the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It, Aruba, and Bonaire form the ABC islands. They and other Dutch islands located in the Caribbean are sometimes known as the Dutch Caribbean. Along with Sint Maarten, it uses the Netherlands Antillean guilder as its currency. The economy is well-developed, and with a high standard of living, it ranks 46th in the world in terms of GDP (PPP) per capita. Activities connected to the port of Willemstad like the Free Trade Zone have a significant impact on the economy. Thus, to achieve more economic diversification, the government increases all efforts to attract more foreign investment.
If you are an expat residing here or you are interested in knowing about the foreign relations of the country, this article provides information on the foreign diplomatic relations of this island and other bilateral relations.
About the country
The island nation used to be a part of the Curaçao and Dependencies colony from 1815 to 1954 then the Netherlands Antilles from then till 2010, as the Island Territory of Curaçao. It is now formally recognized as the Country of Curaçao consisting of the main island of Curaçao and the smaller, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao. With a population of 158,665 residents on a land mass of 444 km2, its capital city is Willemstad. The King of the Netherlands is in charge of the state, represented by a governor and the Prime Minister of Curaçao as head of government. Power is exercised by the government and vested in both the government and parliament. The island has full autonomy over most of its affairs but there are few exceptions in the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands. With an open economy, the prominent sectors are tourism, international trade, shipping services, oil refining, oil storage and bunkering, and international financial services. Schlumberger, the largest oil field services company in the world, is located on the island. Due to the Isla oil refinery, the country is among the top five highest per capita CO2 emission-producing nations in the world.
Bilateral relations of the country
Since 2016, exports have declined because of a decrease in foreign demand for commodities as a result of continued turmoil and political uncertainty in Venezuela. On the other hand, local demand for goods and services has surged. The building, finance, and utility industries all experienced expansion even though many other economic subsectors experienced contraction. The island’s economy is less dependent on tourism than the economies of other Caribbean countries, even though tourism is a key contributor to the country’s overall GDP. According to Cruise Critic, the island is the best place to go on a cruise in the Caribbean’s southernmost region.
Diplomatic relations with the Island
Foreign relations of the nation with other countries are managed by the Kingdom of the Netherlands as the island nation is a constituent and subject to the Charter outlined for the Kingdom. It is however in charge of its government, education, and laws, excluding its foreign matters which are handled by the government of the Kingdom. The Minister Plenipotentiary of the island is a part of the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom. This council holds monthly meetings to discuss affairs regarding the Kingdom including all foreign relations. The island nation is an observer at CARICOM, it applied for associate membership in 2018. The following nations have their consulates located in Willemstad, the capital city:
- Colombia
- Haiti
- Russia
- Dominican Republic
- Germany
- Suriname
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Venezuela
- China
