[5] The Maal family, army officers from the Netherlands, arrived in Curaçao in the late 18th century[8] and had acquired five plantations by the 1870s.

The plantations were used for agriculture, livestock, and mining,[4] however, the vast majority of land is pristine wilderness.

Santa Catharina is a recent addition which started to develop in the 1960s, and has attracted many Dutch citizens.

[4] On 7 June 1999, the Government of Curaçao was ordered to allow development in 50 percent of the area, and pay the Maal family ƒ20 million plus interest in damages.

[9] In April 2016, an attempt was made to stop the development plans using an outdated map[20] which resulted in a threat from the Maal family to resume litigation.