other · Mesoamerica and the Caribbean
Curaçao
Origins
When the Netherlands Antilles were dissolved on 10 October 2010, Curaçao became an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, after a referendum in 2005 had favoured separate status. Gerrit Schotte became its first prime minister, governing from Willemstad.
Rule and society
Curaçao has its own parliament, constitution and government, while the kingdom handles defence and foreign affairs, and a shared central bank issues the guilder with Sint Maarten. The economy rests on tourism, the port, offshore finance and the Isla oil refinery, which was operated by Venezuela's state oil company until 2019 and has stood idle since. Papiamentu, Dutch and English are official languages. The murder of politician Helmin Wiels in 2013 shook public life.
To the present
Curaçao remains a country within the kingdom, with Gilmar Pisas as prime minister since 2021. Willemstad's colourful colonial harbour is a World Heritage Site, and the crisis in neighbouring Venezuela has strained its economy and borders.
Lineage
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- Curaçao was part of Kingdom of the Netherlands2010 CE – 2030 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Curaçao. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/curacao
- MLA
- “Curaçao.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/curacao. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Curaçao.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/curacao.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Curaçao’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/curacao (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻