The island of Curacao in the Southern Caribbean Sea is the largest and most populated island from the three ABC Islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. It can be found off the coast of Venezuela. Its land mass is 444 Square Kilometers and has a population of 141,766 last calculated in January of 2009. It is geographically part of South America but also part of the West Indies. It is a country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands with its capital being Willemstad. The country of includes a main island and a smaller island to the south east which is uninhabited and called Kline Curacao or Little Curacao. Curacao's highest point is 1230 ft.
Curacao is different from typical tropical island vegetation. Scrub lands and cacti, thorny shrubs and evergreens can be found on the island. The Dutch established a few plantations on the island however the most profitable industry on the island was salt mining. The salt was exported and helped establish Curacao into international commerce. Curacao is also known for being a center for slave trade in the 17th and 18th century.