Curaçao - Adventure Guide to Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao - page 213

began, and the island welcomed new business-minded immigrants.
Jews fleeing persecution in Brazil, Spain, and Portugal, found religious
freedom among the Dutch on Curaçao, and put their knowledge of trade
and the Spanish language to work to become leaders of the business
community.
In 1915, when oil was discovered off the coast of Venezuela, Curaçao's pro-
tected harbor was the logical location for a refinery and transportation
center. Workers from China and South America flooded onto the island
to take newly created jobs that could not be filled by local residents.
When Allied forces arrived during World War II to protect the fuel supply
from Nazi submarine attacks, they found a diverse blend of races and
nationalities. When peace returned, Curaçao and the other Dutch islands
began to consider independence, and the six-island Netherlands Antilles
became an autonomous part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1954.
An economic boom followed, bringing the island up-to-date with a new
highway system, a desalination plant, and a floating pontoon bridge to
link Willemstad's two major districts. Wealthy North and South Ameri-
cans pumped money into the economy by putting their savings into the
island's tax-sheltered financial holdings and buying its European imports.
All along, the oil refinery was adding new energy-efficient machinery and
decreasing its dependence on human labor. The inevitable layoffs caused
economic distress throughout the island. However, Curaçao survived the
economic, political, and social changes that rocked its foundations
throughout the 1970s and early 1980s.
Curaçao Today
The island still draws most of its economic strength from its harbor, which
is one of the busiest in the Caribbean. Container ships and oil tankers vie
with cruise ships for passage through St. Anna Bay, and the surrounding
capital city of Willemstad bustles with tourists and business executives.
The refinery, now owned by the Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA,
continues to process and export oil. Small manufacturing plants operate in
an industrial park northeast of Willemstad, and international wholesalers
keep the city's international Free Zone busy.
So, unlike most Caribbean islands, Curaçao does not depend on tourism
for survival. The island does, however, recognize the importance of
tourism, and has plans for cautious development. While high-rise resorts
and mass-appeal tourist attractions aren't part of that plan, controlled
building and mindful solicitation of select markets is.
While the official position may appear elitist and opinionated, the Curaçao
people are not. They are Dutch, remember, and they welcome visitors
unconditionally. They simply want to maintain their island's vivid culture,
determined nonconformity, and entrepreneurial spirit.