200  SELLING  LATIN  AMERICA

The  Dutch  colony  of  Curagao  consists  of
the  island  of  that  name,  and  the  adjacent  islands ­
  of  Bonaire,  Aruba,  St.  Eustache,  Saba
and  the  southern  part  of  St.  Martin,  the  northern ­
  portion  belonging  to  France.  These  islands ­
  are  small  and  situated  about  60  miles  off
the  coast  of  Venezuela  to  the  north,  having  a
total  area  of  403  square  miles,  Curagao  being
the  largest,  and  about  30  miles  long  with  an
area  of  210  square  miles.  They  are  mostly
all  of  coral  formation  and  cannot  raise  enough
food  for  the  sustenance  of  their  50,000  inhabitants, ­
  30,000  of  whom  reside  in  Curasao.
Wilhelmstadt  with  25,000  is  the  capital  and
the  residence  of  the  Dutch  Governor.  It  is
well  equipped  for  coaling  and  provisioning
ships,  being  a  free  port,  and  as  it  is  in  the
beaten  path  of  travel  from  Europe  to  the  Panama ­
  Canal  its  future  seems  bright.
The  inhabitants  of  these  islands  are  poor
whites  who  have  intermarried  and  a  few
blacks.  Curagao,  however,  is  the  home  of
many  wealthy  Jews,  whose  forefathers  were
banished  from  Portugal,  these  islands  having