ABC Islands (Lesser Antilles)
ABC Islands
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Location of ABC islands (Lesser Antilles) (dark green)
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| Capitals |
3 Capitals
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| Languages |
4 languages
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| Islands | |
| Area | |
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• Total
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925 km2 (357 sq mi) |
| Population | |
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• 2014 estimate
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275,650 |
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• Density
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298/km2 (771.8/sq mi) |
| GDP (PPP) | estimate |
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• Total
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$5.977 billion |
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• Per capita
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$21,683 |
| GDP (nominal) | estimate |
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• Total
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$8.852 billion |
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• Per capita
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$32,113 |
| HDI | 0.833 very high |
| Currency |
3 currencies
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The ABC islands are the three western-most islands of the Leeward Antilles in the Caribbean Sea that lie north of Falcón State, Venezuela. From west to east they are, in order Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire. All three islands are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, although they remain outside the European Union. Aruba and Curaçao are autonomous, self-governing constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, while Bonaire is a special municipality of the Netherlands proper.
Some think that the ABC islands were first explored by one of Christopher Columbus' captains, Alonso de Ojeda, who landed on Curaçao in May 1499. He is said to have called the islands Las islas de los Gigantes or Islands of the Giants due to the native inhabitants, the Caiquetio Indians. The first known European exploration was by Amerigo Vespucci, whose cartographer Juan de la Cosa first described the islands. The first Spanish colonists, unable to find any gold or silver, kidnapped most of the natives to work on plantations on the island of Hispaniola. By 1527 the Spanish had formed a government and established Catholicism on the islands.
In 1634, the Netherlands fought Spain over control of the islands. The Dutch won, and the islands were then administered by the Netherlands. The Dutch West India Company developed the areas, establishing a major port on Curaçao. The abolition of the slave trade in 1863 had a devastating impact on their economies, although the economy revived when oil was discovered in Venezuela during the early 20th century, and the islands became major oil refineries.
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Wikipedia