Willemstad
Willemstad
Willemstad | |
|---|---|
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 Willemstad on Curaçao | |
  Willemstad | |
| Coordinates: 12°7′N 68°56′W / 12.117°N 68.933°WCoordinates: 12°7′N 68°56′W / 12.117°N 68.933°W | |
| State |  Kingdom of the Netherlands |
| Country |  Curaçao |
| Established | 1634 |
| Quarters | Punda, Otrobanda, Scharloo, Pietermaai Smal |
| Population (2013 Estimated) | |
| • Total | 150,000 |
| Official name | Historic Area of Willemstad, Inner City and Harbour, Curaçao |
| Criteria | Cultural: ii, iv, v |
| Reference | 819 |
| Inscription | 1997 (21st session) |
| Area | 86 ha |
| Buffer zone | 87 ha |
Willemstad (/ˈwɪləmstɑːt, ˈvɪl-/ WIL-əm-staht, VIL-, Dutch: [ˈʋɪləmstɑt] (
listen)) is the capital city of Curaçao, an island in the southern Caribbean Sea that forms a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Formerly the capital of the Netherlands Antilles prior to its dissolution in 2010, it has an estimated population of 150,000. The historic centre of the city consists of four quarters: the Punda and Otrobanda, which are separated by the Sint Anna Bay, an inlet that leads into the large natural harbour called the Schottegat, as well as the Scharloo and Pietermaai Smal quarters, which are across from each other on the smaller Waaigat harbour. Willemstad is home to the Curaçao synagogue, the oldest surviving synagogue in the Americas. The city centre, with its unique architecture and harbour entry, has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
History[edit]
Punda was established in 1634, when the Dutch captured the island from Spain. The original name of Punda was de punt in Dutch. Otrobanda, which was founded in 1707, is the newer section of the city and is considered to be the cultural centre of Willemstad. Its name originated from the Papiamentu otro banda, which means "the other side".[citation needed]
The Curaçao synagogue was built by Sephardic Portuguese Jews from Amsterdam and Recife, Brazil.
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Economy[edit]
Aviation[edit]
Jetair Caribbean is the national airline of Curaçao, has its corporate head office in Maduro Plaza.[1]
Tourism[edit]
Tourism is a major industry and the city has several casinos. The city centre of Willemstad has an array of colonial architecture that is influenced by Dutch styles. Archaeological research has also been developed there.[2]
Industry[edit]
Owing to its location near the Venezuelan oilfields, its political stability and its natural deep water harbour, Willemstad became the site of an important seaport and refinery. Willemstad's harbour is one of the largest oil handling ports in the Caribbean. The refinery, at one point the largest in the world, was originally built and owned by Royal Dutch Shell in 1915.[3]
The four companies comprising the Royal Dutch Shell[4] refining operation; the actual refinery, oil bunkering, the tugboat company (KTK) and the local distribution of refined products (CurOli/Gas) were each sold to the government of Curaçao in 1985[5] for the symbolic sum of one guilder per company, or a total of 1 guilder[6] and is now leased to PDVSA, the state owned Venezuelan oil company. Schlumberger, the world's largest oil field services company is incorporated in Willemstad.[7]
Financial services[edit]
Numerous financial institutions are incorporated in Willemstad due to Curaçao's favourable tax policies.
Education[edit]
The Avalon University School of Medicine is located in Willemstad. The Caribbean Medical University[8] is also located in Willemstad, close to the city centre.
Sports[edit]
Major League Baseball players Jair Jurrjens, Wladimir Balentien, Jurickson Profar, Andruw Jones, Ozzie Albies, Kenley Jansen and Jonathan Schoop are from Willemstad.
In 1985, Willemstad hosted the Curaçao Grand Prix for Formula 3000. The race was won by Danish racing driver John Nielsen. Pabao Little League has appeared in nine Little League World Series, winning in 2004. They were crowned the International Champions in 2005 and 2019. In 2008, another Pabao Little League team won the Junior League World Series, after winning the Latin America Region, then defeating the Asia-Pacific Region and Mexico Region champions to become the International champion, and finally defeating the U.S. champion (West Region), Hilo American/National LL (Hilo, Hawaii), 5–2.
Infrastructure[edit]
Airport[edit]
Willemstad is served by Curaçao International Airport, located 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) north of the city, which is annually used by about two million passengers.
Bridges[edit]
Punda and Otrobanda are connected by Queen Emma Bridge, a long pontoon bridge. Although it is still in use, these days most road traffic now uses the Queen Juliana Bridge built in 1967 (rebuilt 1974) which arches high over the bay further inland. Nearby is also the now non-functioning Queen Wilhelmina drawbridge.
Geography[edit]
Climate[edit]
Willemstad has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification: BSh) with very hot temperatures year round with very warm nights. Sunshine is plentiful year round. Precipitation peaks from October to December. Temperatures have little variation over the course of the year, with temperatures over 34° C (93.2° F) and under 23° C (73.4° F) being very rare.
| Climate data for Willemstad (Hato Airport) 1981–2010 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 33.3 (91.9) | 33.2 (91.8) | 33.0 (91.4) | 34.7 (94.5) | 36.0 (96.8) | 37.5 (99.5) | 35.0 (95.0) | 37.4 (99.3) | 38.3 (100.9) | 36.0 (96.8) | 35.6 (96.1) | 33.3 (91.9) | 38.3 (100.9) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 29.9 (85.8) | 30.1 (86.2) | 30.7 (87.3) | 31.4 (88.5) | 32.0 (89.6) | 32.1 (89.8) | 32.1 (89.8) | 32.7 (90.9) | 32.8 (91.0) | 32.1 (89.8) | 31.1 (88.0) | 30.3 (86.5) | 31.4 (88.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 26.6 (79.9) | 26.7 (80.1) | 27.2 (81.0) | 27.8 (82.0) | 28.4 (83.1) | 28.6 (83.5) | 28.5 (83.3) | 28.9 (84.0) | 29.1 (84.4) | 28.6 (83.5) | 28.0 (82.4) | 27.2 (81.0) | 28.0 (82.4) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 24.4 (75.9) | 24.5 (76.1) | 24.9 (76.8) | 25.6 (78.1) | 26.3 (79.3) | 26.5 (79.7) | 26.1 (79.0) | 26.5 (79.7) | 26.6 (79.9) | 26.2 (79.2) | 25.6 (78.1) | 24.9 (76.8) | 25.7 (78.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 21.5 (70.7) | 20.6 (69.1) | 21.3 (70.3) | 22.0 (71.6) | 21.6 (70.9) | 22.4 (72.3) | 22.3 (72.1) | 21.3 (70.3) | 21.7 (71.1) | 21.9 (71.4) | 22.0 (71.6) | 21.6 (70.9) | 20.6 (69.1) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 46.0 (1.81) | 28.8 (1.13) | 14.1 (0.56) | 19.4 (0.76) | 21.3 (0.84) | 22.4 (0.88) | 41.3 (1.63) | 39.7 (1.56) | 49.1 (1.93) | 102.0 (4.02) | 122.4 (4.82) | 95.5 (3.76) | 602.0 (23.70) |
| Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 8.5 | 5.5 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 6.3 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 8.1 | 10.9 | 11.4 | 70.4 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 78.5 | 78.2 | 77.3 | 78.2 | 77.9 | 77.5 | 78.1 | 77.8 | 78.1 | 79.6 | 80.6 | 79.5 | 78.4 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 264.7 | 249.6 | 271.8 | 249.4 | 266.3 | 266.7 | 290.4 | 302.5 | 261.7 | 247.8 | 234.7 | 247.1 | 3,152.7 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 73.8 | 75.2 | 72.8 | 67.0 | 67.9 | 70.8 | 73.3 | 78.2 | 71.6 | 67.4 | 67.6 | 69.8 | 71.3 |
| Source: Meteorological Department Curaçao[9] | |||||||||||||
Notable residents[edit]
- Kemy Agustien, footballer[10]
- Tahith Chong, footballer
- Rebecca Cohen Henriquez, activist[11]
- Jan Helenus Ferguson, Colonial governor of the Dutch Gold Coast[12]
- Elson Hooi, footballer[13]
- Andruw Jones, baseball player[14]
- George Maduro, World War II resistance member and recipient of the Military Order of William
- Manuel Piar, General-in-Chief of the army during the Venezuelan War of Independence.
- Jean-Julien Rojer, tennis player
- Gerrit Schotte, first Prime Minister of Curaçao
- Jonathan Schoop, baseball player[15]
Gallery[edit]
Colorful historic part of Willemstad
Buildings in historic area of Willemstad
Banco di Caribe
Historic Area of Willemstad, Inner City and Harbour was declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997
Queen Emma floating bridge in Willemstad
Queen Emma Bridge by night
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References[edit]
- ^ "General conditions" (Archive) Insel Air. Retrieved on 21 March 2014. "Our Registered Address is Dokweg 19, Maduro Plaza, Willemstad, Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles."
- ^ "Willemstad : a road to a methodical way of conducting archaeological research for Curaçao by Amy Victorina". Manioc.org. 2011-07-25. Retrieved 2012-06-16.
- ^ "Curaçao Investment Corp page describing the refinery". Retrieved 1 April 2008.
- ^ Shell, Willemstad page.
- ^ "Refinery deal in Curaçao". New York Times. 1985-09-26.
- ^ Op 23 september van dat jaar deed Shell, na maandenlange onderhandelingen met de Antilliaanse en Nederlandse regeringen, de raffinaderij aan de Buscabaai alsmede de tankopslag, het sleepbootbedrijf en de lokale verkoopmaatschappij voor een gulden per bedrijf, dus in totaal vier gulden, 'met alle lusten en lasten' over aan de Nederlandse Antillen en Curaçao. nrc.ln/nieuws
- ^ "Schlumberger N.V. - Company Information".
- ^ Caribbean Medical University, official website.
- ^ "Summary of Climatological Data, Period 1981-2010" (PDF). Meteorological Department Curaçao. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
- ^ "K. Agustien". Soccerway. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
- ^ Goldish 2002, p. 15.
- ^ Bruns, Peter. "Een Antilliaans jurist van de wereld". Retrieved 28 May 2020.
- ^ "Hooi, Elson". National Football Teams. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
- ^ "Andruw Jones Stats, Fantasy & News MLB.com".
- ^ https://www.mlb.com/player/jonathan-schoop-570731. Missing or empty
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External links[edit]
 | Wikimedia Commons has media related to Willemstad. |
 | Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Willemstad. |
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