ABC islands (Leeward Antilles): Difference between revisions

{{Short description|Aruba,Three BonaireDutch-ruled andislands Curaçaoin the Leeward Antilles}}

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The '''ABC islands''' is the physical group of '''[[Aruba|'''A'''ruba]], [[Bonaire|'''B'''onaire]], and [[Curaçao]]|'''C'''uraçao]], the three westernmost islands of the [[Leeward Antilles]] in the [[Caribbean Sea]]. These have a shared political history and a status of Dutch underlying ownership, since the [[Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814]] ceded them back to the [[Kingdom of the Netherlands]], as [[Curaçao and Dependencies]] from 1815. They are a short distance north of the [[Falcón|Falcón State]], [[Venezuela]].<ref>{{cite book|publisher = Lonely Planet|last=Miller|first=Debra|year=2005|title=Caribbean Islands ([[Lonely Planet]])|edition= 4th|page=723|isbn=978-1-74104-055-5}}</ref> Aruba and Curaçao are autonomous, self- governing [[constituentKingdom stateof the Netherlands#Constituent countries|constituent countries]] of the [[Kingdom of the Netherlands]], while Bonaire is a [[Caribbean Netherlands|special municipality]] of the [[Netherlands]]. Territories of the [[Kingdom of the Netherlands]], the countries, and its special municipalities, are outside the [[European Union]]; citizens have Dutch nationality and the former colonial power benefits from preferential trade, mineral and natural resource rights, particularly offshore.

[[Arawakan]] people such as the [[Caquetio]] are indigenous to the ABC islands.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uCigiQGl1fwC&dq=caquetio+aruba+bonaire+curacao&pg=PA34 | title=Aruba, Bonaire & Curacao Alive! | isbn=9781588432599 | last1=Brushaber | first1=Susan | last2=Greenberg | first2=Arnold | date=October 2001 }}</ref> According to the disputed letters of [[Amerigo Vespucci]], the first European to explore the ABC islands was one of [[Christopher Columbus]]' captains, [[Alonso de Ojeda]], who landed on Curaçao in 1499.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Entdecker und Eroberer Amerikas ; von Christoph Kolumbus bis Hernán Cortés|last=Konetzke|first=Richard|publisher=Fischer Bücherei|year=1963|location=Frankfurt am Main|pages= 54–55}}</ref> He is said to have called the islands ''Las islas de los Gigantes'' or ''Islands of the Giants'' due to the native inhabitants, the [[Caquetio people|Caiquetio Indians]]. The first known European exploration was by Amerigo Vespucci, whose cartographer [[Juan de la Cosa]] first described the islands. By 1527 the Spanish had formed a government and established [[Catholicism]] on the islands.

== Geography and climate==

The ABC islands are part of the [[Leeward Antilles]], which is the westernmost area of the [[Lesser Antilles]]. They lie immediately to the north of [[Falcón|Falcón State]], Venezuela. Due to their political history, they are sometimes considered to be part of [[North America]] along with the other Caribbean islands, but are on [[South America]]’s's geographical plate and continental shelf as with [[Trinidad and Tobago]].

ABC does not indicate the geographical order to each other; from west to east the islands are Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire. Aruba is a flat island, much coastal land being exposed to tidal storm surges. Bonaire and CuraçãoCuraçao are surrounded by reefs, and so are much more sheltered from this. Bonaire’sBonaire's and Curaçao’sCuraçao's reefs are popular tourist destinations.

The ABC islands have an atypical hot desert climate seen in hot pockets of Australia, [[Köppen climate classification]] ''BWh'' and ''BWk'', with some notable rain but an excess of [[evaporation]] over [[precipitation]]. Surfaces on these islands hold little moisture and evaporate the little rainfall they receive. In addition, [[Aruba–Curaçao–Bonaire cactus scrub]] is the most common vegetation on these islands. Furthermore, the ABC islands are very dry as they lie north of the [[Intertropical Convergence Zone]]. Only in their short rainy season from October to December or January are they exposed to showers or storms formed from the northeast [[trade winds]]. The rainy season is powerfully influenced by the [[Southern Oscillation]] resulting in very high variability.<ref>Dewar, Robert E. and Wallis, James R; ‘Geographical'Geographical patterning in interannual rainfall variability in the tropics and near tropics: An L-moments approach’approach'; in ''[[Journal of Climate]]'', 12; pp. 3457–3466</ref> During strong [[El Niño]] years like 1911/1912, 1930/1931, 1982/1983, and 1997/1998, annual (fiscal year) rainfall can be less than {{convert|200|mm|in|0|disp=or}}, and even under {{convert|100|mm|in|0|disp=or}} in Curação in 1911/1912. As much as {{convert|1100|mm|in|0|disp=or}} fell during strong [[La Niña]] northern hemisphere winters: 1933/1934, 1970/1971, 1988/1989, 1999/2000, 2010/2011, and 2020/2021, with the highest monthly totals being over {{convert|350|mm|in|0|disp=or}}.

== Demographics ==

[[Dutch language|Dutch]] has been the official language of the islands for most of their history since European contact. A unique [[Creole language|Portuguese creole]] language has developed there known as [[Papiamentu]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.narin.com/papiamentu/|title=Papiamentu is the local language of the ABC Islands – Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao|first=Attila|last=Narin|work=narin.com|date=29 September 2003|access-date=9 July 2010}}</ref> Unlike other creole languages, Papiamentu is not decreasing in usage, and was made an official language on 7 March 2007.<ref name="Aruba Language">{{cite web|url=http://www.arubavisit.info/aruba-language/|title=Aruba Language|work=arubavisit.info|access-date=9 July 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100628062013/http://www.arubavisit.info/aruba-language/|archive-date=28 June 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> Papiamentu is heavily influenced by [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], [[Spanish language|Spanish]], [[Dutch Language|Dutch]], [[English language|English]], [[German language|German]], [[French language|French]], and [[Italian language|Italian]].<ref name="Aruba Language"/>

Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao are all three constitutional islandsparts of the European Union, meaning that theyall belongthree toislands are Specialspecial member state territories. Citizens of these islands hold European passport and can vote on European parliament elections. In addition, the islands get European development funds and students on the islands can also apply for Erasmus program from the islands. However, the islands are not in the [[Schengen area]] of the European Union.

* [[Caribbean Netherlands|BES islands]] (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba)

* [[SSS islands]] (Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten)

* [http://www.bonairetimes.com/ ''Bonaire Times''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200228044510/http://www.bonairetimes.com/ |date=2020-02-28 }}

[[Category:IslandsArchipelagoes of the Netherlands]]