An island of the Netherlands Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea off the northwest coast of Venezuela. It was discovered in 1499 and settled by the Spanish in 1527. The Dutch gained control in 1634, although the British held the island during the Napoleonic Wars (1807-1815). Oil refining and tourism are the major industries.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
