General
Curaçao is located approximately 35 miles off the northwestern coast of Venezuela and is the largest of five Caribbean islands that make up the Netherlands Antilles. The other islands are: Bonaire, St. Maarten, St. Eustatius and Saba.
The island is about 444-sq. kilometers (171 square miles), and is characterized by low hilly terrain and low humidity due to the constant northeastern breezes.
Willemstad is the capital where the government resides.

Currency
The unit of currency is the Netherlands Antilles guilder, the international symbol is ANG. This monetary unit is (like the US dollar) divided into 100 cents. The guilder (ANG) has been pegged to the US dollar at the exchange rate of US$ 1.00= ANG. 1.78. The rate of exchange offered by shops and hotels ranges from ANG 1.75 to ANG 1.80. Major credit cards and US dollars are widely accepted.

Entry Requirements
Upon arrival foreigners must have in their possession: a valid passport (U.S. and Canadian citizens need only proof of citizenship), a return or onward ticket, and the necessary documents to travel to a destination outside the Netherlands Antilles.
Finally, visitors should have sufficient means at their disposal to be able to support themselves during their stay in the Netherlands Antilles. Maximum stay is 14 days, with possibility of prolonging a visit to 90 days. For admittance after this period, a residence permit is required.

Climate
There is no bad time to visit -- the weather is nearly perfect year-round (70s and 80s F/23-32 C during the day and 60s and 70s F/15-27 C at night). Curacao lies outside the main hurricane belt, so a good time to visit is July-October, when hurricane season threatens the rest of the Caribbean. October-December is the rainy season, but the rain seldom lasts long. The coolest months are January and February, and the hottest are August and September. No matter what time of year you go, take a sweater for cool evenings. Refreshing trade winds blow constantly from the east, picking up in the spring months.

Language
The official language is Dutch but Papiamento is the language of the Islanders and due to the multicultural society on the island, English and Spanish are also spoken.