On a blue field a horizontal yellow band somewhat below the center divides the flag into proportions of 5:1:2. Two five-pointed white stars – the smaller above and to the left of the larger – appear in the canton. The blue of the upper and lower sections symbolizes the sky and sea respectively. Yellow represents the sun. The stars symbolize Curacao and its uninhabited smaller sister island of Klein Curacao. The five star points signify the five continents from which Curacao’s people derive.

Flag courtesy of the CIA World Factbook

Map courtesy of the CIA World Factbook

Google Earth

The Queen Emma floating bridge at Willemstad.

Photo courtesy of the CIA World Factbook

Last updated on March 20, 2025

Government

According to Britannica, in 1845 Curaçao was one of the six Dutch dependencies in the West Indies that were brought under collective administration. Those dependencies were reorganized as the Netherlands Antilles in 1954 and granted autonomy in internal affairs. In 2006 the people of Curaçao, along with those of the other islands and the Dutch government, agreed to dissolve the Netherlands Antilles. On October 10, 2010, Curaçao and Sint Maarten became, like Aruba, which had separated from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986, countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The head of state is the Dutch monarch, represented by a governor, and the head of government is the prime minister. A Council of Ministers, presided over by the prime minister, forms government policy. A minister plenipotentiary from Curaçao resides in the Netherlands and represents the country there at meetings of the Netherlands Council of Ministers. Curaçao has a unicameral Parliament (Staten), with 21 members elected on the basis of proportional representation for a term of no more than five years. Voting is open to all residents of Curaçao with Dutch nationality who are at least 18 years old. Curaçao is independent in internal affairs, but the government of the Netherlands is responsible for defense, foreign relations, and similar matters. The judiciary consists of a Court of First Instance and a Common Court of Justice of Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba. Both courts handle civil and criminal cases. The Supreme Court of the Netherlands is the court of final appeal.

Curacao Civil Aviation Authority

Curacao Civil Aviation Authority –  regulate and oversee aviation safety, security and the environment in a strict, fair and professional way, facilitating the aviation community and benefitting the general public.

Airspace

SkyVector – Google Maps – ADS-B Exchange

ICAO countries publish an Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP). This document is divided into three parts: General (GEN), En Route (ENR) and Aerodromes (AD). ENR 1.4 details the types of airspace classes they chose to adopt from classes A through G.

Dutch Caribbean ANSP

Drone Regulations

CCAR Part 1 – Unmanned Aircraft

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Regulations & Policies

None found by the author.

However, should you, the reader, happen to stumble across something to the contrary, please email the author at FISHE5CA@erau.edu and you may be mentioned in the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS section of this book by way of thanks for contributing to this free eBook!

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) News

None found by the author.

However, should you, the reader, happen to stumble across something to the contrary, please email the author at FISHE5CA@erau.edu and you may be mentioned in the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS section of this book by way of thanks for contributing to this free eBook!

Short Essay Questions