Willemstad

Willemstad
Capital city
View of Central Willemstad Basilica of St Anne Willemstad Town Hall Fort Amsterdam Queen Emma Bridge Temple Emanu-El Penha Building
Willemstad on Curaçao
Willemstad
Coordinates: 12°7′N 68°56′W / 12.117°N 68.933°W / 12.117; -68.933
State	Kingdom of the Netherlands
Country	Curaçao
Established	1634
Quarters	Punda, Otrobanda, Scharloo, Pietermaai Smal
Population  (2011)[1]
• Total	136,660
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Historic Area of Willemstad, Inner City and Harbour, Curaçao
Criteria	Cultural: ii, iv, v
Reference	819
Inscription	1997 (21st Session)
Area	86 ha
Buffer zone	87 ha

Willemstad (/ˈwɪləmstɑːt, ˈvɪl-/ WIL-əm-staht, VIL-, Dutch: [ˈʋɪləmstɑt] ^ⓘ, Papiamento: [wiləmˈstad]; lit. 'William Town') is the capital and largest city of Curaçao, an island in the southern Caribbean Sea that is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It was the capital of the Netherlands Antilles prior to that entity's dissolution in 2010. The city counts to have around 90% of Curaçao’s population, with 136,660 inhabitants as of 2011.^[2] The historic centre of the city consists of four quarters: the Punda and Otrobanda, which are separated by the Sint Anna Bay, an inlet that leads into the large natural harbour called the Schottegat, as well as the Scharloo and Pietermaai Smal quarters, which are across from each other on the smaller Waaigat harbour. Willemstad is home to the Curaçao synagogue, the oldest surviving synagogue in the Americas. The city centre, with its unique architecture and harbour entry, has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.