Forgotten World (145): Netherlands Antilles
It was the 17th century when the Dutch colonised the present five far-flung Caribbean islands that make up the Netherlands Antilles, alongside Aruba. The territory, once called the Dutch West Indies, became self-governing in 1954. Aruba then pulled out of the federation in 1986 to become an autonomous Dutch territory.
The other five, with a total population of only 200,000, are currently a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, but are set to go it alone as individual territories. Under a new political structure, agreed between the islands’ leaders and the Dutch government in late 2005, the federation will be dissolved in December 2008. Curacao and Sint Maarten will become autonomous territories of the Netherlands. The less-populated islands of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba will be given city status within the Netherlands.