Curacao
Curacao lies close to Aruba and, like Aruba was settled first by the Spanish, who massacred the local Indians. With no natural resources of any value, Spain sold the island to the Netherlands in 1634.
Unfortunately, for the Spanish, the sale proved rather short-sighted, for although Curacao has no exploitable resources, it’s natural harbors and proximity to the Spanish Main make it an ideal trading center.
The Dutch West India Company exploited this and founded a trading post here a decade later. Curacao became a major trading center, and the capital, Willemstad, grew rapidly. At first, it was a major slave trading center, but as the international slavery market dropped off, so the Company moved into other markets. Almost any goods found in the Caribbean are available here for trade.
Both England and France have invaded and claimed Curaçao in the past, but in both instances they were driven out by a combined Dutch-Spanish fleet.
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