Introduction - Adventure Guide to Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao - page 7

Since Curaçao is the largest and most powerful member of the NA, resi-
dents periodically consider the benefits of Aruba-like separate status. The
other four islands also occasionally discuss withdrawal from the NA. But,
for now, residents of all five islands continue to vote for status quo with ties
to Holland and its current reigning monarch, Queen Beatrix.
The ABCs rely heavily on tourism to fuel their economies, but each island
maintains tight control to avoid the over-development seen in other areas
of the Caribbean. Unemployment is low. Literacy is high. Health care and
other public services are good. Residents understand that their high stan-
dard of living is financed by tourism and warmly welcome travelers. This
has resulted in increasing numbers of cruise-ship and stay-over visitors.
Did You Know? Citizens of the ABC Islands are
Dutch nationals and carry passports issued by the
European Union.
Land & Sea
Location & Layout
Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire line up west-to-east just off the
north coast of Venezuela, safely south of the Caribbean hurri-
cane belt. Of the three, Aruba is closest to South America (15
miles), and smallest (approximately 110 square miles).
Curaçao, 40 miles east of Aruba and 44 miles north of Vene-
zuela, is the largest, at 182 square miles. Bonaire encompasses 112 square
miles and lies 30 miles east of Curaçao and 50 north of Venezuela.
Geography & Topography
First-time visitors are surprised by the arid landscape of the
ABCs. Each of the islands has somewhat varied topography,
but all are basically flat, dry, and rugged - more like the
southwestern United States than a typical Caribbean Island.
What makes the islands compellingly attractive to travelers
is their leeward beaches and their spectacular underwater reefs. The
three islands are irregular scraps of land that broke away from South
America sometime before the Cretaceous period (when dinosaurs van-