Curacao prides itself being as much an historic destination as a tropical escape. Most of that history lies in its capital city of Willemstad, which in 1997 was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list. Willemstad's architecture fuses Dutch and European Old-World style with splashes of color and other Caribbean touches. The city is home to the oldest continually used Jewish synagogue in the Western Hemisphere as well as the renowned 17th-century stone Waterfort Arches. There are also spots on Curacao, such as the Hato Caves, where ancient cave paintings are still visible. Around the island there are 18th-century plantation homes, a reminder of the days when slavery was one of Curacao's main trades.

Divers and snorkelers converge on this Caribbean locale, the largest island in the Netherlands Antilles, for its vibrant reef and abundance of sea creatures. Adventure seekers can get their fill of water sports while naturalists hike in Chris toffel Park and go bird-watching.

Curacao is also the largest of the ABC islands--which include Aruba and Bonaire--and easily the most cosmopolitan. While it retains its centuries-old past, Willemstad today brims with shops, restaurants, nightlife, and cultural museums. The country's population is diverse for such a small area. People of African descent comprise the largest group, in addition to strong Dutch Protestant and Jewish communities.

It is thought that Curacao's indigenous population first migrated from Venezuela around 2500 B.C. Another group, the Caiquetios, came from Venezuela in A.D. 500. In 1499 explorers Alonso de Ojeda and Amerigo Vespucci landed on Curacao in the name of Spain. Because of the island's dry climate, which did not foster agricultural development, they moved the Caiquetios to the island of Hispaniola to work as slaves on plantations. By 1526 the Spanish had established their rule over the ABC islands, with Curacao as the operational center. The Europeans brought in a large number of goats, which still cause damage to the island's ecosystem today, and also got rid of many of the island's original dwellers.

The Dutch took over the three islands in 1634 and turned Curacao into a naval base during Holland's war against Spain. Once the two countries signed a peace agreement, Curacao became a free port for trade. Despite repeated but brief takeovers by the British, Curacao remained mostly in Dutch hands. In the 1700s the Dutch-run West India Company played a key role in the slave trade from Africa, and the island grew into one of the main slave ports in the Caribbean. In August 1795, 50 slaves on the Kenepa plantation sparked the island's largest uprising, but slavery wasn't abolished until 1863.

The economy went into decline until the opening of Curacao's first oil refinery in 1918, which ushered in a period of prosperity that lasted until the 1980s. Today, oil still play s a large part in the economy. The area around Curacao's main harbor is a free zone, where buyers from abroad can purchase clothing, appliances, and other items.

The African community benefited from the civil rights movement in the '60s. Blacks have moved into leadership positions in government and the private sector, areas that previously had been dominated by whites, many of them Dutch immigrants. Today, Curacao is intent on promoting tourism and preserving its culture, namely its music. The tambu, a drum brought to the country by African slaves, is a main instrument and also refers to a rhythmic dance at one point banned by the slave owners and the Catholic Church. Curacao presents a number of music festivals throughout the year and is a party haven during Carnival.