CURAÇAO

What Languages Are Spoken In Curaçao?

Dutch, English, and Papiamentu as the nation's official languages.

Like most of the Caribbean islands, Spanish is also a common language spoken by the people of Curaçao.

Dutch
Before gaining its independence in 2010, Curaçao existed as an island territory of the Dutch Antilles. The Dutch arrived on the island in the
17th century, bringing with them their cultures and language. The Dutch established themselves as the colonial power and controlled the
slave trade on the island. The Dutch language was mainly used in colonial administration. Later in the 19th and 20th centuries, the use of the
language expanded to become a commonly spoken language within the island, and attempts were made to introduce Dutch as a means of
instruction in schools. Currently, Dutch is the language used for administrative and legal functions on the island. Dutch is also the first
language for about 8% of the total population.

Papiamentu - Anthem of Curaçao - Himno di Kòrsou (youtube.com)

Papiamentu is a Portuguese creole language, with its origin in the late 18th and early 19th century interactions between African slaves and
the Portuguese. The development of the language through the centuries has been influenced by other languages such as English, Dutch,
Spanish, and indigenous American languages. The relationship of Papiamentu with Spanish and Portuguese is highly contested, with
disagreements arising as to whether Papiamentu grew from the influence of Spanish or Portuguese. Papiamentu is currently the most widely
spoken language on the island, and a first language for about 82% of the population. Papiamentu has been used as a medium of education
in primary schools of Curaçao since 1993. Besides being an official language in Curaçao, Papiamentu is also an official language in Aruba
and the Caribbean Netherlands.
 What Languages Are Spoken In Curaçao?
English
English is a co-official language in the island of Curaçao, introduced by the British in the early 19th century.
The use of English increased during the 20th century due to the growth of the petroleum industry. English is
the first language for about 2% of the population, and is mainly used in economic activities and tourism. The
language is also taught as a subject in schools alongside Spanish.

Spanish
The presence and use of Spanish on the island dates back to the 18th century. The language grew as a result
of economic interactions with the Spanish colonies of Venezuela and Colombia. During the 19th century,
Spanish was the preferred language for teaching in schools, mainly because the religious-based institutions
preferred the use of Spanish to other languages such as Dutch. The preference of the language was based on
the argument that Spanish was more useful due to its wide use in the neighboring colonies. Spanish is a
widely spoken language and a first language for about 4% of the island population.
1513 Curaçao history
THE USELESS ISLANDS
"ISLAS INUTILES"
With the power granted by the Spanish crown, the Viceroy of the Indies, Diego Columbus declared the islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao as “Islas Inutiles” (Useless Islands), because of
the absence of precious metals. That same year the population of the three islands was deported to Hispaniola to work in the copper mi nes.

1634
JOHAN VAN WALBEECK AND
THE CONQUEST OF CURAÇAO
On 6 April 1634 the directors of the “West Indische Compagnie” (West India Company or WIC) approved the plan of conquest of the island of Curaçao. An expedition force was formed, led
by Johan van Walbeeck and Pierre Le Grand. The expedition consisted of 180 sailors and 225 soldiers. On 29 July 1634 they conquered Curaçao. The Spaniards surrendered with the
agreement that the majority of Indians, about 400 in numbers, and 32 Spaniards would be free to leave. They were sent to Coro, Venezuela. On 21 August the capitulation was a fact

1634
THE DUTCH WEST INDIA COMPANY
DE WEST INDISCHE COMPAGNIE
Under the Dutch West India Company, Curaçao became a center of trade. The town was built around a natural harbor which was open to all commerce, including private traders. At the same
time, the WIC also encouraged colonization.

PAPIAMENTU
By the end of the 17th century, the five basic linguistic ingredients were in place for the birth of Papiamentu: Amerindian, Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese, and several African
languages. The first reference to the language dates back to 1704, when Father Schabel made reference to an ‘español bastardeado’ (bastardized Spanish) spoken in Curaçao. The
Curaçao history
1707
WILLEMSTAD

THE CITY HAS EMERGED

Fort Amsterdam was built and north of it a city has emerged. The city was protected by a wall on three sides. Within these walls the streets and alleys were narrow. Most houses had two floors, often with a gallery.

1795
TULA, CURAÇAO'S NATIONAL HERO

THE REVOLT
Tula was a slave in Curaçao and leader of the revolt that lasted for over a month in 1795. He is revered on Curaçao today as a fighter for human rights and independence.

1812
LATIN AMERICA'S GREAT LIBERTADOR

SIMÓN BOLÍVAR IN CURAÇAO

After the first stage of his revolt in Venezuela had failed, Bolívar took refuge with two of his sisters on the island of Curaçao. Jewish lawyer and merchant Mordechai Ricardo made two houses available for the Bolívars; one of the houses,
an octagonal building by the sea, is preserved today as the Octagon in Curaçao. Brothers Richard and Abraham Meza also helped Bolívar finance his fight against Spanish powers.
Foods and Restaurants
6 CURACAO RESTAURANTS YOU SHOULD TRY | CURACAO VLOG #curacao #curacaovacation #curacaofood - YouTube
Beaches in Curaçao
Best Beaches in Curacao (youtube.com)
Videos showing Curaçao and Curiosities
Curacao Nightlife 💃🏻🕺🏻🌃🍷 (youtube.com)

Some people were first introduced to Curaçao during the third season of the widely popular
Netflix show, Narcos. In the 5th and 6th episode, Curaçao is shown as a money-laundering
smuggler paradise. A funny fact of Curaçao linking to this series is that Narcos was never
actually filmed on Curaçao. While some were actual footage of the island, the scenes were
shot in Cartagena Colombia. There were some details that weren’t exactly accurate, although
the beaches do look as blue as in they portrayed it to be and the buildings as colorful as seen.

Curaçao has a total of 50 nationalities cohabiting together that through time has found their way to
the island. All with their own traditions and language. You can see this influence in local history,
architecture, food, music, and language.
 Resource source
What Languages Are Spoken in Curaçao? - WorldAtlas

Curacao Nightlife 💃🏻🕺🏻🌃🍷 (youtube.com)

6 CURACAO RESTAURANTS YOU SHOULD TRY | CURACAO VLOG #curacao #curacaovacation #curacaofood - YouTube

Best Beaches in Curacao (youtube.com)

COMO É UM SUPERMERCADO EM CURAÇAO - YouTube

O LADO PARADISÍACO DE CURAÇAO - YouTube

PROVANDO COMIDAS DE CURAÇAO - YouTube

CRUZAMOS DA VENEZUELA PARA CURAÇAO - YouTube

10 Facts of Curaçao you May Not Know – Curacao Activities

1863 - The Abolition of Slavery (curacaohistory.com)

The story of Curacao | History | Discover Curacao Today

Curacao | History & Facts | Britannica

Top 15 Beautiful Places To Visit In Curacao | Travel Video | Travel Guide | SKY Travel - YouTube