Curacao Day: July 2, 2010
Curacao celebrates Curacao Flag Day as a public holiday.
The local inhabitants of the island of Curacao commemorate the founding of the island by the Spanish sailor Alonso de Ojeda in 1499.
History of Curacao Flag Day
The Arawak Amerindians were the original inhabitants of Curacao. The Spanish were first Europeans to see the island under the leadership of Alonso de Ojeda on this day in 1499. The indigenous populations were exported to other colonies where the Spaniards needed workers. In 1634, the Dutch occupied the island. The Dutch West India Company on the banks of an inlet called the ‘Schottegat’ founded the capital of Willemstad. Colonists previously ignored Curacao because it lacked gold deposits. The natural harbor of Willemstad, however, proved quickly to be an ideal spot for trade.
With the discovery of oil in 1914, the fortune of the island was drastically changed. Royal Dutch Shell and the Dutch Government built extensive oil refinery facilities, thereby creating an abundant source of employment for the local populace and energizing a wave of immigration from neighboring countries. Away from the social and civil unrest of the South American mainland, Curacao was an ideal site for the refinery but near enough to the Maracaibo Basin oil fields. The excellent natural harbor provided excellent accommodation for large oil tankers. The company brought affluence to the island. Large housing projects were provided and Willemstad was able to develop its own infrastructure.
Curacao joined the rest of the Caribbean in a loud clamor for independence after World War II. Instead, what it got was a status of autonomy as an entity within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Curacao, along with, Bonaire, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten, they became to be known as the Netherlands Antilles. The administrative center is in Willemstad, where it remains today. Aruba separated later from the other five islands. The kingdom today has only three partners left: The Netherlands, the five islands of the Netherlands Antilles, and Aruba.
In recent years, the island had capitalized on its unique history and heritage to develop its tourism industry.
Curacao Flag Day Traditions, Customs and Activities
Every year the island of Curacao come alive with various folklore activities and cultural events on Curacao Day.
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