netherlands antilles

noun (used with a singular verb)

1. a Netherlands overseas territory in the Caribbean Sea, N and NE of Venezuela; includes the islands of Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, and St. Eustatius, and the S part of St. Martin: considered an integral part of the Dutch realm. 366 sq. mi. (948 sq. km). Capital: Willemstad.

pl n

1. the Netherlands Antilles two groups of islands in the Caribbean, in the Lesser Antilles: overseas division of the Netherlands, consisting of the S group of Curaçao, Aruba, and Bonaire, and the N group of Saint Eustatius, Saba, and the S part of Saint Martin; economy based on refining oil from Venezuela. Capital: Willemstad (on Curaçao). Pop: 222 000 (2004 est). Area: 996 sq km (390 sq miles)Former names: (until 1949) Curaçao, the Dutch West Indies, the Netherlands West Indies

Group of islands, administered by The Netherlands, in the Caribbean Sea, off the northern coast of Venezuela.