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Willemstad, Curaçao

Willemstad
Willemstad Harbour
Willemstad Harbour
Willemstad on Curaçao
Willemstad on Curaçao
Willemstad is located in Caribbean
Willemstad
Willemstad
Coordinates: 12°7′N 68°56′W / 12.117°N 68.933°W / 12.117; -68.933Coordinates: 12°7′N 68°56′W / 12.117°N 68.933°W / 12.117; -68.933
State  Kingdom of the Netherlands
Country  Curaçao
Established 1634
Quarters Punda, Otrobanda, Scharloo, Pietermaai Smal
Population
 • Total 150,000
  2013 Estimated
Official name Historic Area of Willemstad, Inner City and Harbour, Curaçao
Type Cultural
Criteria ii, iv, v
Designated 1997 (21st session)
Reference no. 819
State Party Netherlands
Region Europe and North America

Willemstad (/wɪləmˌstɑːt/; Dutch pronunciation: [ˈʋɪləmstɑt]) is the capital city of Curaçao, an island in the southern Caribbean Sea that forms a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Formerly the capital of the Netherlands Antilles prior to its dissolution in 2010, it has an estimated population of 150,000. The historic centre of the city consists of four quarters: the Punda and Otrobanda, which are separated by the Sint Anna Bay, an inlet that leads into the large natural harbour called the Schottegat, as well as the Scharloo and Pietermaai Smal quarters, which are across from each other on the smaller Waaigat harbour. Willemstad is home to the Curaçao synagogue, the oldest surviving synagogue in the Americas. The city centre, with its unique architecture and harbour entry, has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Punda was established in 1634, when the Dutch captured the island from Spain. The original name of Punda was de punt in Dutch. Otrobanda, which was founded in 1707, is the newer section of the city and is considered to be the cultural centre of Willemstad. Its name originated from the Papiamentu otro banda, which means "the other side."


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