Curaçao is the largest island of the 5 islands within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Curaçao, together with Bonaire, St. Maarten, St. Eustatius and Saba, used to be part of the Netherlands Antilles. However, on October 10th, 2010, Curaçao became an autonomous island within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It now has the same status (“status aparte”) as Aruba.

Around 150,000 people from over 145 different cultures live on the island. Curacao is therefore also known as the 'Melting Pot'. The language most used on the island is Papiamentu, whereas the official language is Dutch.

The island has a 'tropical' (officially a "semi arid") climate and the average temperature is around 27 degrees Celsius the whole year round. Generally, the north-easterly trade-winds provide a cooling breeze.

The local currency is the Netherlands Antillean Guilder (NAf) which is linked to the U.S. dollar. 1.79 NAf equals 1 USD.