Curaçao
Curaçao
is one of the five islands of the Netherlands Antilles in the Caribbean. It is
located 40 miles (64 km) from southeast to northwest,off the
coast of Venezuela, 42 miles east of Aruba, and 30 miles west of Bonaire (Aruba
to the west and bonaire
to the east). Curaçao is the largest of the five islands and the
government of the Netherlands Antilles is located here. The island is about 62
km long and 14 km wide (4 km at its narrowest point in the middle of the island).
About 150.000 people live on the island. The local language is Papiamentu (or Papiamento), the official language is
Dutch, and English and Spanish are
widely spoken. Curaçao is an island with many small and beautiful beaches
surrounded by clear and refreshing water.
On August 23, 1996, Attila
moved to Curaçao and lived there for about two years, leaving the island on
July 18, 1998. Although I'm not there anymore in a physical sense, feel free to
ask any question you may have.
The
coastline along the south is irregular, peppered with small bays and inlets,
including the spectacular bays and beaches
at the west end of the island. The largest bays are located along the
central-east and east end of the island, where you'll find the capital and major
port of Willemstad. Most of Curacao's
170,00 residents
live in and around this historic town.
The long north coast of the island, buffeted by constant northeast trade winds,
is characterized by a rough coasthne, limestone cliff formations set on top of
eons-old volcanic rock, and weather-beaten terrain. It is generally less
inhabited than the south coast, but you will find smaller villages and many of
the island's famous landhuis, or old plantation house, structures here.
The west end of the island is also characterized by expansive, hilly terrain,
most of it encompassed by Christoffel Park. The 4,500-acre
(1,820-hectare) park contains Mt. Christoffel, at 1,239 feet (377 meters) the
highest elevation on Curacao. The east end of the island comprises flat and
mostly barren plain, with few settlements and some secondary roads weaving to
and from its coastal inlets.
With an average 20 inches (510 mm) of
rainfall vearly,
Curacao is generally a dry island. There are few standing bodies of water save
some saline ponds, and most of the island's water is provided by a large
desalinization plant found on the south coast.