Use of English dates to the early 19th century, when the British took Curaçao, Aruba and Bonaire. Van Buurt, G., Joubert, S., 1994, Curaçao. He was succeeded in 2012 by Stanley Betrian, ad interim. [118], The Queen Juliana Bridge connects mobile traffic between the same two districts. [115] This swings open to allow the passage of ships to and from the port. Curaçao lies outside the hurricane belt, but is still occasionally affected by hurricanes, as for example Hazel in 1954, Anna in 1961, Felix in 2007, and Omar in 2008. Activities related to the port of Willemstad (like the Free Trade Zone) make a significant contribution to the economy. [23] Children from affluent Venezuelan families were educated on the island. The iguanas found on Curaçao are not only nice to look at, but, unlike many islands that gave up the practice years ago, remain fodder for the dinner table. On 28 November 2006, this was delayed when the island council rejected a clarification memorandum on the process. Landhouses (former plantation estates) and West African style kas di pal'i maishi (former slave dwellings) are scattered all over the island. The fragile economy of Curaçao had been stagnating for some time. Besides being an official language in Curaçao, Papiamentu is also an official language in Aruba and the Caribbean Netherlands. [citation needed], The Dutch abolished slavery in 1863, bringing a change in the economy with the shift to wage labor. [27] Students on Curaçao, Aruba, and Bonaire were taught predominantly in Spanish until the late 17th century, when the British took Curaçao, Aruba, and Bonaire. The Willemstad lineup included Jurickson Profar, the standout shortstop prospect who now plays for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball, and Jonathan Schoop. Of mammals, other than some field mice, small rabbits, and cave bats, Curaçao's most notable animal is the white-tailed deer. Rates are controlled by the government. The offshore industry (financial services) also experienced a downturn because of new tax laws in the United States. The year's average minimum temperature is 25.7 °C (78 °F). [citation needed] It is a leader in the Caribbean in cruise tourism growth with 610,186 cruise passengers in 2013, a 41.4% increase over the prior year. Up to 4,000 slaves on the northwest section of the island revolted, with more than 1,000 slaves taking part in extended gunfights. [13], Two Dutch naval bases, Parera and Suffisant, are located on the island of Curaçao. [15] On a map created by Hieronymus Cock in 1562 in Antwerp, the island was referred to as Qúracao.[17]. [21][22], Curaçao's proximity to South America resulted in interaction with cultures of the coastal areas more than a century after independence of Netherlands from Spain.