The history of Dutch Caribbean law

Until 1986, the Netherlands Antilles consisted of Curaçao, Aruba, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius which six islands together formed an autonomous part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Aruba assumed a separate status within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1986. The Netherlands Antilles, from then on, consisted of Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius.

Under a constitutional reform agreed between the governments of the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, the Netherlands Antilles has ceased to exist as a separate country and jurisdiction effective as of 10 October 2010. On that date, Curaçao and Sint Maarten have become separate countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, just like Aruba, each having its own government. Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, together now called the BES Islands, have become part of the Netherlands with the status of separate public bodies (openbare lichamen) to some extent comparable to municipalities.

Since 10 October 2010, the Kingdom of the Netherlands consists of the Netherlands (including the BES Islands), Curaçao, Aruba and Sint Maarten.