Curaçao

About the Flag

Curaçao is the main island of what was until October 10 2010 the Netherlands Antilles. The Netherlands Antilles consisted of two Leeward Islands, Curaçao and Bonaire, and the three Windward Islands Sint Maarten, Sint Eustatius and Saba. These islands enjoyed self-determination on all internal matters and deferred to the Netherlands in matters of defense, foreign policy, and some judicial functions.

The Government of the Antilles had successfully established a major base for the registration of foreign ships. Under the Shipping Act and the Shipping Decree, which is a matter of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, ships could be registered under the above mentioned flag.

On October 10, 2010, the Netherlands Antilles dissolved as a country, due to the restructuring of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In its place, two new countries came into existence, Curaçao and Sint Maarten, the two largest islands of the former Netherlands Antilles. The remaining three smaller islands were integrated in The Netherlands under a special legal status. Curaçao and Sint Maarten remain autonomous countries within the Kingdom. As a consequence, the Netherlands Antilles Ship Register on this date transferred to Curaçao and became the Curaçao Ship Register. The Directorate of Shipping and Maritime Affairs, which manages the register, was also transferred to Curaçao and continues as the Maritime Authority of Curaçao. The transfer has had no external or internal legal effects, other than the change of name. All flag state responsibilities concerning vessels registered in the former country Netherlands Antilles rest with the new country Curaçao.

The economy of Curaçao depends on tourism, the refining and transshipment of Venezuelan petroleum, and offshore finance. Consequently, the it has a more developed infrastructure than other nearby countries. Another major industry is ship repairing. Curaçao's ship-repair dry dock is one of the largest of the Western Hemisphere. Its capital is Willemstad.

Curaçao vessels fly the Dutch flag, but the registry is considered an open registry.