GOVERNMENT

Together with Bonaire, St.Maarten, St.Eustatius and Saba, Curaçao constitutes the Netherlands Antilles. They are, like Aruba, an autonomous part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which means that the Dutch Government takes care of their defence and foreign affairs, but that all other affairs are in the hands of the Netherlands Antilles themselves. Every four years the population chooses its parliament (the 'Staten') in free democratic elections. The government is headed by the governor who is in turn appointed by the Queen of the Netherlands. In addition to the government for the whole of the Antilles each island has an Island Council.