One could be forgiven for not having noticed the
dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles and the creation of two new
countries in 2010: Curaçao and Sint Maarten. Maybe
it was because it was not a particularly spectacular parting. No
fighting was involved, but it was a lengthy process, involving
several referenda. The Netherlands Antilles consisted of five
Caribbean Islands. Three of those islands (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius,
and Saba) became separate municipalities of the Kingdom of the
Netherlands, albeit with substantially more autonomy than
municipalities in the Netherlands proper. Curaçao and Sint
Maarten became countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The
Netherlands remains responsible for foreign affairs and defence and
the highest court of appeal resides in the Netherlands. Aside from
the governor which is appointed by the government of the
Netherlands these countries have a locally elected government and
enjoy autonomy in most areas, especially since they
