Religions and languages in Netherlands Antilles

The Antilles has a total population of more than three hundred thousand people. At the same time, statistics show that about 90 percent of the total number of citizens today professes Catholicism. It is worth noting that religion in the country as a whole is not approached with a fanatical attitude. However, local self-government councils accorded many religious holidays the status of state holidays. Churches, Temples and Monasteries on the islands are not so many. Nevertheless, one in every two Catholic believer goes to the sanctuary on major religious holiday. Children are taught from birth all the basic traditions and beliefs of Catholicism which includes reciting prayers before eating, taking the holy communion and even going for confession before a priest. The latter although is less popular on the Antilles.

Please note that the so-called Conference of Catholic Bishops of the Antilles functions on the territory of the islands. This is a special monitoring body which belongs to the church and the administrative management of the Catholic Church of Rome. This religious structure was entrusted with various pastoral functions. They are aimed at solving specific problems in liturgical service and liturgies. They are considered by the body and various disciplinary committees on everyday issues. However, it should be noted that the Conference of Catholic Bishops of the Antilles cannot singlehandedly take decisions. In any case, all projects adopted or approved by this structure must be personally approved and certified by the acting Pope of Rome.

About eight percent of the citizens of the Antilles consider themselves Protestants. A few centuries ago, there were much more Protestants on this territory. However, over time the development of religion in the country was influenced by her accession into the European Union. At the same time, Protestants zealously preserve their traditions and try to convey the importance of their faith to the future generation. On the islands, a total of less than two percent of the entire population of the country profess other religions such as Judaism, Hinduism, Islam and even Confucianism. Thus, there are no confrontations between the holy faiths in the country. According to the legislation of the Antilles, every citizen has the right to become a member of any of the existing faiths or religious sects. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

The kingdom was approved to designate the Dutch language as the official language for the territory of all the Antilles at the legislative level. It is in this language that; official printed publications are published, signboards and signposts are set up, official documents are signed and compiled, and education is conducted in schools and higher educational institutions. However, quite a lot of locals have the right to also use the English language on an official level. Most of the local population communicates in their everyday life by using their unique dialect called Papiamento. This language was somehow transformed from the Creole. In its very basis lies the Ibero-Romance dialect. Over time, the Papiamento dialect continued to develop and it was influenced by languages ​​such as English, African, Arawak and even Spanish (Venezuelan).

The local people themselves claim that it is the second form of the Papiamento historical language that is used in the Antilles. A more original and pure language can be heard on Aruba. The differences between the two forms are insignificant; with the exception of just the sounding and pronunciation of words. They are also a little different in their spelling system. In addition, there is also a place for a variety of lexical intonations. The modern Papiamento language contains at least 25 percent of Dutch words in its dictionary. In some regions, you can catch a radio wave which is broadcasted in Papiamento. In Curaçao, you will find that even one of the official newspapers is printed in this dialect weekly.