Curacao is a Caribbean island located just 44 miles north of South America. The island is a part of the ABC, Aruba Bonaire Curacao and belongs to the Dutch Caribbean. Since years Curacao has been a very popular holiday destination because of its beautiful beaches and several resorts on the island offer Curacao all inclusive packages to tourists, which makes it a much affordable place to travel to.
Even though it is so popular, not many people are aware of its history and its background. The first people to settle on the island were the native Indian tribe of the Arawaks. For centuries before 1500 AD these natives have been believed to have stayed on the island. The first Europeans to set foot on the island was in the 1500s when several groups of people had set out in search of islands around South America. However, the Spanish people quickly lost their interest in the island.
In 1634 the Dutch West India Company first claimed the island as their own and began setting up colonies on the island. Plantations were set up on the island and the native farmers here began growing several different types of produce here including peanuts and corn. The salt water ponds on the island began to be used for salt mining and exports. The geographical location of the island and the natural barriers in the water around proved to be quite advantageous for trading and the main port of the island quickly became a host to most shipping companies.
During the 17th and the 18th century most trade that was done here was for slaves. Curacao became the center point where the slaves were brought in from Africa and from here were sent to their respective destination in Europe and America. Some of the slaves were made to stay back on the island and work on the plantations here. Due to the slaves and the cheap labor the agriculture here flourished because of the low overall costs.
Between Netherlands and China, Curacao became an important destination for international trade. The economy of the island began to flourish quickly until slavery was abolished in 1863. When slavery came to an end the economy of Curacao suffered quite badly for a few years. At the beginning of the 19th century, the island changed hands several times from the British to Dutch and a few other European nations.
In 1815, Curacao was legally handed over to the Dutch because of the Paris treaty. In 1920, oil was discovered on the island and then very soon its economy began to flourish again, with which several people immigrated here from South America and other parts of the world. Curacao has remained to be an important center for trade since then.
Apart from trade, in the recent years tourism has also become a very important industry for Curacao with people coming on the island from all parts of the world with Curacao all inclusive holidays, to enjoy its beautiful beaches and its pleasant climate.