Place details
Place nameNetherlands Antilles
Other namesDutch West Indies, Nederlandse Antillen, Antillas Holandesas, Antillas Neerlandeses, Antilles holandaise, Antilles néerlandaises, Niederländische Antillen, Antilhas Holandesas, ANT, AN, ISO530, NT00, Curaçao
Latitude12.167
Longitude-69
SourceThesaurus of Geographic Names
Overview
Comprises several islands off the coast of Venezuela & others to the N in Leeward Islands; S islands inhabited by Arawaks, N islands by Caribs when Spanish arrived in late 15th cen.; in Dutch hands since 17th cen.; Africans were brought here as slaves; official language is Dutch, though English & Papiamento (a local patois) are widely spoken.