Netherlands Antilles

The Netherlands Antilles is a self-governing territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean, consisting of the Lesser Antilles of Bonaire and Curaçao (off the coast of Venezuela) and the Leeward Islands Saba, St. Eustatius, and St. Martin (Dutch St. Maarten). Until 1 January 1986, the island of Aruba, now itself an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, was also part of the Netherlands Antilles.

As of 15 December 2008, the country of the Netherlands Antilles will be disbanded. Curaçao and St. Martin will become autonomous islands within the Kingdom of the Netherlands (essentially the same status as Aruba). Bonaire, Saba, and St. Eustatius will become "special municipalities" of the Netherlands with the same governing structure and rights as Dutch towns, including voting rights in the Dutch and European parliaments.