Category Archives: Caribbean

For all of the Caribbean entities with constitutional links with the Netherlands, see Dutch Caribbean. Caribbean Netherlands Caribisch Nederland(Dutch) Overseas region of the Netherlands Location of the Caribbean Netherlands (green and circled). From left to right: Bonaire, Saba, Sint Eustatius. Coordinates: 1211N 6814W / 12.183N 68.233W / 12.183; -68.233 Country Netherlands Special municipalities Incorporated into theNetherlands 10 October 2010 (dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles) Government(see Politics of the Netherlands) National Rep. Gilbert Isabella Lt.Governors Area Total 328km2 (127sqmi) (69998000000000000000.8% of the Netherlands) Highestelevation (Mount Scenery) 887m (2,910ft) Population (2010) Total 21,133 Density 64/km2 (170/sqmi) (69991000000000000000.1% of the Netherlands) Languages Official Dutch Recognised regional Time zone AST (UTC4) Calling code +599 ISO 3166 code BQ, NL-BQ1, NL-BQ2, NL-BQ3 Currency United States dollar (USD)[2] Internet TLD .nl, .an,a.bqb ^ .an is to be discontinued[3] ^ .bq is assigned but not used[4][5]

The Caribbean Netherlands[6][7] (Dutch: Caribisch Nederland) are the three special municipalities of the Netherlands that are located in the Caribbean Sea. They consist of the islands of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba,[a 1] although the term "Caribbean Netherlands" is sometimes used to refer to all of the islands in the Dutch Caribbean. In legislation, the three islands are also known as the BES islands (a more traditional acronym of their names). The islands are currently classified as public bodies in the Netherlands and as overseas countries and territories of the European Union; thus, EU law does not automatically apply.

Bonaire (including the islet of Klein Bonaire) is one of the Leeward Antilles and is located close to the coast of Venezuela. Sint Eustatius and Saba are in the main Lesser Antilles group and are located south of Sint Maarten and northwest of Saint Kitts and Nevis.

The three islands gained their current status following the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles on 10 October 2010.[8] At the same time, the islands of Curaao and Sint Maarten became autonomous countries (Dutch: landen) within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.[9] The island of Aruba is also a constituent country of the Kingdom located in the Caribbean. The term "Dutch Caribbean" may refer to the three special municipalities (e.g. for stamps), but may also refer to all of the Caribbean islands within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The population of the BES islands is 21,000. Their total area is 328 square kilometres (127sqmi).

The islands of the Caribbean Netherlands first voted in Dutch general elections in 2012.[10]

The special municipalities (Dutch: bijzondere gemeenten) carry many of the functions normally performed by Dutch municipalities. The executive power rests with the Governing Council headed by a Lieutenant governor. The main democratic body is the island council. Dutch citizens of these three islands are entitled to vote in Dutch national and (as all Dutch nationals) in European elections.

Officially the islands are classed in Dutch law as being openbare lichamen (literally translated as "public bodies") and not gemeenten (municipalities). Unlike normal municipalities, they do not form part of a Dutch province[11] and the powers normally exercised by provincial councils within municipalities are divided between the island governments themselves and the central government by means of the National Office for the Caribbean Netherlands. For this reason, they are called "special" municipalities.

For many Dutch laws there is a special BES version.[12] For example, social security is not on the same level as it is in the European Netherlands.[citation needed]

The National Office for the Caribbean Netherlands (Dutch: Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland) is responsible for taxation, policing, immigration, transport infrastructure, health, education, and social security in the islands and provides these services on behalf of the Government of the Netherlands.[15] This agency was established as the Regional Service Center in 2008 and became the National Office for the Caribbean Netherlands on 1 September 2010.[16][17] The current director is Jan Helmond.[18] The Representative for the public bodies of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba represents the Government of the Netherlands on the islands and also performs tasks similar to a King's Commissioner.[citation needed] The current representative is Gilbert Isabella.[19]

The islands do not form part of the European Union and instead constitute "overseas countries and territories" (OCT status) of the Union, to which special provisions apply.[a 2] The Lisbon Treaty introduced a procedure where the European Council may change the status of an overseas territory of Denmark, France, or the Netherlands regarding the application of the EU treaties to that territory.[a 3] In June 2008, the Dutch government published a survey of the legal and economic impacts by a switched status from OCT to OMR.[20][21] The position of the islands will be reviewed after a five-year transitional period, which began with the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles in October 2010.[22] The review will be conducted as part of the planned review of the Dutch "Act for the Public bodies Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba" (Dutch: "Wet openbare lichamen Bonaire, Sint Eustatius en Saba (WolBES)"), where the islands have been granted the option to become an Outermost region and thus a direct part of the European Union.[23] In October 2015, the review concluded the present legal structures for governance and integration with European Netherlands was not working well within the framework of WolBES, but no recommendations were made in regards of whether a switch from OCT to OMR status would help improve this situation.[24][25][26][27]

The Caribbean Netherlands form part of the Lesser Antilles. Within this island group,

Map showing Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba within the former Netherlands Antilles.

The Caribbean BES islands are subdivisions of the country of the Netherlands and are therefore referred to as the Caribbean Netherlands.

The islands of the Caribbean Netherlands enjoy a tropical climate with warm weather all year round. The Leeward Islands are warmer and drier than the Windward islands. In summer, the Windward Islands can be subject to hurricanes.

Until 1 January 2011, the three islands used the Netherlands Antillean guilder; after that all three switched to the US dollar, rather than the euro (which is used in the European Netherlands) or the Caribbean guilder (which is being adopted by the other two former Antillean islands of Curaao and Sint Maarten).[28]

The telephone country code remains 599, that of the former Netherlands Antilles, and is shared with Curaao. The International Organization for Standardization has assigned the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code ISO 3166-2:BQ for these islands.[29] The IANA has not established a root zone for the .bq Internet ccTLD and whether it will be used is unknown.

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Caribbean Netherlands - Wikipedia

The View from Europe: Why the concerns of Caribbean youth matter Barbados Advocate In much of the world, young people feel economically marginalised, politically alienated and in a struggle against insecurity and inequity. In the Caribbean, it is little different. Lack of opportunity, the absence of generational change, high levels ... and more »

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The View from Europe: Why the concerns of Caribbean youth matter - Barbados Advocate

The Beatles once sang about how they all lived in a yellow submarine. Now Paul McCartney is ending up on the topside of the waves instead -- aboard a pirate ship in the upcoming "Pirates of the Caribbean 5: Dead Men Tell No Tales."

On Saturday, the musician shared a photo on Twitter of himself in pirate costume and makeup from the new film.

Disney did not immediately return a request to confirm the role. But Deadline covered McCartney's casting more than a year ago, saying at the time that the musician will appear in an extra scene that was filmed after the rest of the movie was finished.

McCartney's not the first high-profile musician to step aboard the franchise. Rolling Stones founder Keith Richards plays Captain Edward Teague, father of Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow, the star of the franchise. McCartney's role could not be confirmed at press time, though the Internet Movie Database lists him as playing "Jail Guard 2."

The "Pirates" set sail again May 26 in the US and UK, and May 25 in Australia.

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Paul McCartney sails the seas in new 'Pirates of the Caribbean' - CNET

After nearly two-and-a-half years of planning and construction, the Texas State Aquarium is officially opening their Caribbean Journey Saturday morning, but 3News got a first look at it on Friday.

Madeleine Dart, KIII 5:35 PM. CDT May 12, 2017

CORPUS CHRISTI (KIII NEWS) - After nearly two-and-a-half years of planning and construction, the Texas State Aquarium is officially opening their Caribbean Journey Saturday morning, but 3News got a first look at it on Friday.

Visitors will be able to see sharks, a sea turtle, fish, birds, reptiles, flamingos and more.

"This is always a story we've wanted to tell, and we're just so excited now that we're finally telling it," Aquarium President and CEO Tom Schmid said, adding that he is thrilled to see the tanks filled and animals finally in place for the public to enjoy.

"We're just so excited that tomorrow is the grand opening day, and to be able to see the reaction on people's faces when they come in here, it's going to be a great day," Schmid said.

The Caribbean Journey features two floors of land and sea animals. The exhibits allow guests to walk under and over displays like the HEB Caribbean Sea; get hands-on with sting rays in the glass dome; or go face-to-face with flamingos and birds.

The Caribbean Journey even has a 4D movie theater sponsored by Whataburger.

"We're going to be the world premiere for the new BBC film 'Sharks,' and you can't see that anywhere else in the country, so we're excited about that," Schmid said. "That's included in your price of admission, of course."

2017 KIII-TV

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First look inside the Aquarium's Caribbean Journey | KiiiTV.com - kiiitv.com

Several years ago there was an initiative by the Caribbean Sailing Association to better synch their racing calendar to be supportive of all events and to maximize participation in multiple events. As Larry Huibers reports for RCR Yachts, that can lead to some serious fun.

Touch2Play Racing had a fantastic winter filled with sun, sand, friends and regattas. Rob Butler figured the best way to have fun was to do a winter in the Caribbean pretty smart guy!

After Quantum Key West Race Week, the J/88 boat and trailer was packed up to be shipped to St Thomas to get rigged and ready for the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, St Thomas International Regatta (STIR), BVI Spring Regatta, and the Les Voiles de Saint-Barth.

These run from early March to early April with enough time to do the deliveries between. They race under their own handicap system called CSA (Caribbean Sailing Association) Rating Rule. Its a measurement rule that is a hybrid of the old CCA, IOR, ORC, and IRC. It is a mystery rating like IRC so you dont know what the key triggers are.

The ratings differ from the other systems as where the J/88 would have been owed time, with CSA we now had a less friendly rating. As Don Finkle of RCR Yachts points out, there are different horses for different courses and this was the case here as it seems to favor displacement boats over planning boats.

Since the J/88 is relatively light and can surf well, it gave us a rating where we owed a fair amount of time to J/105s and were about the same as J/109s, depending on their jib and kite size.

As with any handicap racing, you have to think about getting around the course as fast as possible. Were used to one design racing where tactics are more positional than elapsed time (relatively). We needed to relearn this a few times. Priority areas in descending order were: speed, strategy, boat handling, and tactics.

Many can argue the reality of this but we won and lost races by seconds elapsed and even tied on a race so a quicker set, later drop, better start, etc, would have changed the result, likely as much as how much leverage you had on another boat.

In the final evaluation, I think the rating was fair but it required us to sail exceptionally well, which was the whole purpose of going anyway right? Waterline played a key role since in the 10-18 knot breeze it determined how fast you could go.

The old saying about regattas its never like this here seemed to ring true with each event having an uncharacteristic light (sub-10 knots) day (or two). We didnt complain since those days seemed to play into our sweet spot. There were the idyllic trade wind days and it was fantastic!

It was everything all the print and social media say it was. The packing list of shorts, shoes, sunglasses and sun tan lotion covered the crew off since we all sported the Touch2Play Racing pink shirts.

Each event had its strong points and all are worth doing. I didnt do STIR but the other three all had the right blend of high caliber racing in pretty tight rating bands and amazing shore side events.

The party area for the Heineken was off the charts with UB40 as the closing act plus cheap beer and fun race courses. The highlight was the around the island race that was a great way to see the beaches since getting close to shore seemed to be helpful for current relief.

This regatta had the largest charter boat fleet and they raced on a different course so we didnt see much of them. Dealing with the bridge at Simpson Bay is fun and teams go to a lot of energy to impress the gallery drinking at the yacht club bar right beside the bridge. Somehow we managed a second in class very pleased with that.

Ive been to BVI enough that it feels like an old shoe comfortable and reliable. The Spring Regatta was no different. Nanny Cay puts on a great event and the local food vendors serve amazing cuisine. The course selection was a blend of around islands (Peter, Norman and Salt) and dropped marks for W/L races. This one had a larger rating range and we were against some 40-foot boats.

The local boat Pipe Dream with some people Ive sailed there with managed a fabulous start to finish lead for the final race to claw their way into first. We managed to sneak into third another good performance given the fleet.

St Barths is everything you read about. Very high brow. The title sponsor is Richard Mille, they make watches .and not normal watches. Google them if curious. If you won the event you got a watch, which some rich guy won to match his yachts.

Getting passed to leeward (thankfully) by VO70s, Rambler 88, 100+ footers and on and on was surreal. The beach party was amazing as was the lay day. We rented ATVs and toured the island, great way to see the sights. There too we managed a third which was very special.

I didnt do STIR and the boat was most competitive there (Im not taking it personal). They came second and if not for losing one race by 1 second would have won it was that close!

This doesnt happen without a huge commitment by Rob, many thanks to him! Matching personal time commitment by numerous others made the logistics easier. We were very fortunate to have the likes of Jeff Johnstone, Kerry Klingler, Evert McLaughlin, Jim Pearson, Keven Piper, Hillary Noble, and many more. All said and done we rotated through 18 people to do the four events.

We are already planning for next year and are adding two more events Grenada Race Week and Antigua Race Week. So if you dont see the pink boat on the water this summer youll know why.

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Some Serious Fun in the Caribbean - Scuttlebutt Sailing News

The Texas State Aquarium opens the Caribbean Journey May 13, one of the highlights is the sea shark exhibit. The 400,000 gallon exhibit features sandbar sharks, barracudas, stingrays and a green sea turtle. Rachel Denny Clow

Hicks Elementary School student Sarah Salinas, 9, gets a sneak peak of the Caribbean Journey expansion at the Texas State Aquarium on Wednesday, May 4, 2017. The expansion, which opens Saturday, May 13, brings Mexico's Sian Ka'an Biosphere and its 300 species of wildlife to the aquarium.(Photo: Rachel Denny Clow/Caller-Times)Buy Photo

The Texas State Aquarium is world-class and unique to South Texas, but the president has a message for the community.

"Even though we're the Texas State Aquarium, and we serve the entire state and nation, we're also the Corpus Christi aquarium," said Tom Schmid, the president and CEO of the institution. "There's so many opportunities for the community to come in and enjoy this space and work with our team."

Saturday marks a historic day for the aquarium as it opens its $60 million, 71,000 square-foot Caribbean Journey expansion. The aquarium's largest project to date brings the sights and sounds of the Yucatan Peninsula to Corpus Christi's North Beach attraction.

One of the largest parts of the expansion is the 400,000-gallon H-E-B Caribbean Sea Shark exhibit. A 68-foot tunnel display window, the largest in North America, brings visitors face-to-glass with a number of shark species. The exhibit also includes a life-size replica of a shipwreck that hostsbarracudas, stingrays and a green sea turtle or two, according to a news release.

Students at Hicks Elementary School get a sneak peak of the Caribbean Journey expansion at the Texas State Aquarium on Wednesday, May 4, 2017. The expansion opens Saturday, May 13.(Photo: Rachel Denny Clow/Caller-Times)

Other exhibits in the expansion include the Coral Reef, the Blue Hole Marine Cavern and a Caribbean jungle.

The Coral Reef exhibit features the underwater landscapes of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef system, which also is known as the Great Mayan (or Maya) Reef. Dozens of families of fish, including angel, butterfly, and surgeon,can be found in the reef system.

The Blue Hole marine cavern lets visitors experience the feeling of diving hundreds of feet below sea level. A large display window allows glimpses of the creatures that live there, like tarpons, nurse sharks and palometa jacks.

The Caribbean jungle setting grows in the middle of the expansion and features a skylight ceiling that admits natural light. Birds fly free in the exhibit, while crocodiles lurk in a nearby pool. A separate, larger pool that criss-crosses the jungle gives visitors glimpses of darting fish, while the corners of the jungle feature replicas of Mayan ruins, which double as a habitat for vampire bats.

Other highlights of the expansion also includes the new Whataburger 100-seat 4-D theater andthe Citgo Skyline View event venue and a newFlint Hills Resources Center for Excellence in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Education. .

The aquarium's core mission is conservation, Schmid said.

"We engage people with animals here at the aquarium and inspire them in their appreciation for the environment," Schmid said. "Hopefully, they'll take action to protect and conserve the environment."

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Aquarium debuts crown jewel with Caribbean Journey - Corpus Christi Caller-Times

Though global military spending rose over the last year, Latin America saw a big drop. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute released 2016 data last month showing that, after the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbeans military spending fell the most: 7.9 percent from 2015 to 2016. The regions $5 billion drop was largely affected by the overall downward trend among oil-exporting countries, which registered 13 of the largest 15 reductions in military spending around the world.

Leading the pack is Venezuela, with a 56 percent cut to its military expenditures. Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru were also among the 15 countries with the greatest drops, though to a smaller extent. Similarly, Latin Americas biggest spender, Brazil, cut back military expenses some $1.8 billion.

Colombia and Argentina, on the other hand, upped spending by $803 million and $681 million, respectively. Since 1995, Colombia has spent the greatest portion of its GDP on the military in Latin America. Last year, the countrys military spending hit 3.4 percent of GDP, surpassing the U.S. level of 3.3 percent. Colombia is set to increase its 2017 military budget again to support the peace deal reached with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as the FARC.

AS/COA Online looks at the latest trends in Latin Americas military spending, with a spotlight on Venezuela.

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Weekly Chart: Military Spending in Latin America and the Caribbean - AS/COA Online

Miami Herald

Royal Caribbean will be sailing year-round to Cuba in 2018 Miami Herald With demand to see Cuba still hot, Royal Caribbean International is extending its commitment to sail to the island through 2019. The Miami-based cruise line announced Wednesday that it is initiating a year-long Cuba program that includes 58 four- and ... Royal Caribbean continuing Cuba sailings from Tampa in 2018Travel Weekly Royal Caribbean puts Cuba itineraries on saleTravel Weekly UK all 11 news articles »

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Royal Caribbean will be sailing year-round to Cuba in 2018 - Miami Herald

Royal Caribbean Blog (blog)

Ten commonly asked first time Royal Caribbean cruise questions Royal Caribbean Blog (blog) Are you about to go on your first Royal Caribbean cruise? If you answered yes, then very likely you have a lot of questions. You might have questions about concepts that are completely new to you, or you simply want verification about what to expect. Frantic moment when Royal Caribbean Cruise is hit by 30-foot waves - WatchZee News Royal Caribbean Announces Return to New OrleansCruise Industry News Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCL) Shares Bought by Bank of The WestThe Cerbat Gem Normangee Star -Transcript Daily -Seatrade Cruise News -SEC.gov all 59 news articles »

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Ten commonly asked first time Royal Caribbean cruise questions - Royal Caribbean Blog (blog)

After an agreement that helped it expand in the U.S. last year, eThink Education is moving into the Caribbean and Nigeria.

The Betamore-based edtech company provides hosting and services for Moodle, an open-source education platform. The company recently became a certified Moodle partner for the two international areas. eThink is the first and only company with that status in those regions.

Its a big step forward, said CEO Brian Carlson.

Moodle is a platform that helps schools, colleges and even companies organize learning materials online.

Where we come in as a provider of services is were bringing them a number of different strategies as well as technology to help them radically expand the footprint of how theyre using a digital learning platform to make learning more efficient, Carlson said.

The company identified the two regions for growth, and partnership status was officially reviewed and granted byMoodles headquarters in Australia. In theU.S., most schools already have a learning management system.The adoption is not as wide in the Caribbean and Nigeria, Carlson said.

In the Caribbean, eThink is seeking to help colleges more easily share course materials and collaborate through a learning network.

Over the last six months, Carlson said the company is also seeing growth with corporate clients. Companies seek to use Moodle when organizing onboarding of employees, as well as ongoing training.

The bootstrapped company has 24 employees, with many working at Betamore and others remotely. The company was founded by Carlson and Cheryl Patsavos in 2008, and has seen significant growth over the last three years.

Stephen Babcock is the lead reporter for Technical.ly Baltimore. A graduate of Northeastern University, he moved to Baltimore following a stint in New Orleans, where he served as managing editor of online news and culture publication NOLA Defender. While there, he also wrote for NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune. He was previously a reporter for the Rio Grande Sun of Northern New Mexico.

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eThink Education is looking to expand in the Caribbean and Nigeria - Technical.ly Baltimore