The Dutch influence on Curaçao is just as
omnipresent as the centuries-old colonial buildings. From the time they
first established themselves as the island's ruling class, the Dutch
have had a major impact on every level of society. Today, the legal and
educational systems and the government are all Dutch-inspired; Dutch
remains the language of instruction in schools and is widely spoken in
government and business. Several thousand makambas (as Dutch
people are called) have made Curaçao their permanent home. Almost 4% of
Curaçao's population was born in Holland, according to the 2001 census.
Hundreds of Curaçaoan students set off to study in Holland each year—many
return not only with a professional degree, but with a Dutch spouse as
well; others never make it back. (As many as 100,000 people from the
Netherlands Antilles now reside in Holland.)
Visitors from Europe make
up close to 40% of Curaçao’s tourist traffic, the island
being especially popular with visitors from Holland.
