July 1 (Reuters) - The following are facts about Curacao. * Curacao, just off the coast of Venezuela in the Caribbean Sea, is the largest and most industrialized island in the Netherlands Antilles, covering 182 square miles (471 sq km). * A self-governing part of the Netherlands, Curacao is a major tourist destination boasting white-sand beaches, crystalline waters and popular casinos. * Curacao has a 320,000 barrel per day oil refinery, Isla, operated by Venezuelan state company PDVSA. It generates heavy oil-shipping traffic. Residents have repeatedly said the refinery causes environmental damage in the area. PDVSA is in talks with Curacao to buy part of the facilivy. * Once the center of the Caribbean slave trade, Curacao was hard hit by the abolition of slavery in 1863. Its prosperity -- and that of neighboring Aruba -- was restored in the early 20th century with the construction of refineries to service the newly discovered Venezuelan oil fields. * Curacao, known for its multi-cultural population, has Dutch, Papiamentu and English as official languages. * On the east end of the island is the colonial-style capital and major port of Willemstad. Most of Curacao's 130,000 residents live in the vicinity of Willemstad. (Compiled by Paul Grant, Washington Editorial Reference Unit)
Relatives mourn over the coffin of former Major League baseball player Geremi Gonzalez in Maracaibo, May 27, 2008. Gonzalez was struck by lightning and killed over the weekend at a lake ...
