Curacao, St. Maarten, Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba. In 1845 the Dutch Leeward islands united with Curaçao, Bonaire, and Aruba in a political unit. The abolition of slavery hurt the islands’ economy until the 20th century, when oil was discovered off the shores of Venezuela and a refinery was established on Curaçao. … Continue reading Policy & History