2007 Edition

Administrative divisions

none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

note

each island has its own government

Age structure

0-14 years: 23.9% (male 27,197/female 25,886) 15-64 years: 67.3% (male 71,622/female 77,710) 65 years and over: 8.7% (male 7,925/female 11,396) (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products

aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit

Airports

5 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1

total

5

under 914 m

1 (2006)

Area

land

960 sq km

note

includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten (Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin)

total

960 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

more than five times the size of Washington, DC

Background

Once the center of the Caribbean slave trade, the island of 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 oil refineries to service the newly discovered Venezuelan oil fields. The island of Saint Martin is shared with France; its southern portion is named Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles; its northern portion is called Saint-Martin and is part of Guadeloupe (France). Geography Netherlands Antilles

Birth rate

14.78 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Bonaire

Democratic Party of Bonaire or PDB [Jopi ABRAHAM]; Patriotic Union of Bonaire or UPB [Ramonsito BOOI]

Budget

expenditures

$949.5 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2004)

revenues

$757.9 million

Capital

geographic coordinates

12 06 N, 68 56 W

name

Willemstad (on Curacao)

time difference

UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Climate

tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds

Coastline

364 km

Constitution

29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as amended

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Netherlands Antilles

former

Curacao and Dependencies

local long form

none

local short form

Nederlandse Antillen

Curacao

Ban Vota [Norbert GEORGE]; C-93 [Stanley BROWN]; Democratic Party of Curacao or DP [Errol HERNANDEZ]; E Mayoria [Aurelio PEDRO]; Forsa Korsou [Nelson NAVARRO]; Liste Ni'un Paso Atras [Nelson PIERRE]; Movemiento Patriotiko Korsou [Reginald LAK]; New Antilles Movement or MAN [Charles COOPER]; Partido Akshon Pa Prosperidat I Seguridat [Sonja BERKEMEYER]; Partido Laboral Krusada Popular or PLKP [Errol COVA]; Party for the Restructured Antilles or PAR [Emily de JONGH-ELHAGE]; People's National Party or PNP [Ersilia DE LANNOOY]; Pidjin [Jasmin PINEDO]; Pueblo Soberano [Herman WIELS]; Workers' Liberation Front or FOL [Anthony GODETT]

Currency (code)

Netherlands Antillean guilder (ANG)

Currency code

ANG

Death rate

6.45 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$2.68 billion (2004)

Dependency status

an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Consul General Robert E. SORENSON

consulate(s) general

J. B. Gorsiraweg #1, Willemstad, Curacao

mailing address

P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao

telephone

[599] (9) 4613066

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands); note - Mr. Jeffrey CORRION, Minister Plenipotentiary for Aruba at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Disputes - international

none

Economic aid - recipient

$21.5 million IMF provided $61 million in 2000, and the Netherlands continued its support with $40 million (2004)

Economy - overview

Tourism, petroleum refining, and offshore finance are the mainstays of this small economy, which is closely tied to the outside world. Although GDP has declined or grown slightly in each of the past eight years, the islands enjoy a high per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure compared with other countries in the region. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, the US and Mexico being the major suppliers. Poor soils and inadequate water supplies hamper the development of agriculture. Budgetary problems hamper reform of the health and pension systems of an aging population.

Electricity - consumption

934.7 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - production

1.005 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Mount Scenery 862 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

Environment - current issues

NA

Ethnic groups

mixed black 85%, Carib Amerindian, white, East Asian

Exchange rates

Netherlands Antillean guilders per US dollar - 1.79 (2005), 1.79 (2004), 1.79 (2003), 1.79 (2002)

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers elected by the Staten (legislature)

chief of state

Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Frits GOEDGEDRAG (since 1 July 2002)

elections

the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch for a six-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually elected prime minister by the Staten; election last held 27 January 2006 (next to be held by 2007)

head of government

Prime Minister Emily de JONGH-ELHAGE (since 26 March 2006)

note

government coalition - PAR, PNP, DP St. Maarten, UP Bonaire, WIPM Saba, DP Statia

Exports

$2.076 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities

petroleum products

Exports - partners

US 29.4%, Panama 14.4%, Mexico 8.8%, Haiti 5.6%, Venezuela 4.9%, Bahamas, The 4.4% (2005)

FAX

[599] (9) 4616489

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Netherlands Antilles

Flag description

white, with a horizontal blue stripe in the center superimposed on a vertical red band, also centered; five white, five-pointed stars are arranged in an oval pattern in the center of the blue band; the five stars represent the five main islands of Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten Economy Netherlands Antilles

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

1%

industry

15%

services

84% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$16,000 (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

1% (2004 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

NA

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$2.8 billion (2004 est.)

Geographic coordinates

12 15 N, 68 45 W

Geography - note

the five islands of the Netherlands Antilles are divided geographically into the Leeward Islands (northern) group (Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten) and the Windward Islands (southern) group (Bonaire and Curacao) People Netherlands Antilles

Government type

parliamentary

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for South American drugs bound for the US and Europe; money-laundering center This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

Imports

$4.383 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities

crude petroleum, food, manufactures

Imports - partners

Venezuela 50.7%, US 20.8%, Italy 4.8%, Netherlands 4.5% (2005)

Independence

none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

tourism (Curacao, Sint Maarten, and Bonaire), petroleum refining (Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curacao)

Infant mortality rate

female

8.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

male

10.54 deaths/1,000 live births

total

9.76 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.1% (2003 est.)

International organization participation

ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCL, WCO, WMO

Internet country code

.an

Internet hosts

19,204 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

6

Internet users

2,000 (2000) Transportation Netherlands Antilles

Irrigated land

NA

Judicial branch

Joint High Court of Justice (judges appointed by the monarch)

Labor force

83,600 (2005)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

1%

industry

20%

services

79% (2005 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Guadeloupe (Saint-Martin) 15 km

total

15 km

Land use

arable land

10%

other

90% (2005)

permanent crops

0%

Languages

Papiamento 65.4% (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect), English 15.9% (widely spoken), Dutch 7.3% (official), Spanish 6.1%, Creole 1.6%, other 1.9%, unspecified 1.8% (2001 census)

Legal system

based on Dutch civil law system with some English common law influence

Legislative branch

unicameral States or Staten (22 seats - Curacao 14, Bonaire 3, St. Maarten 3, St. Eustatius 1, Saba 1; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PAR 5, MAN 3, FOL 2, Forsa Korsou 2, National Alliance 2, PNP 2, UPB 2, DP St. E 1, DP St. M 1, BDP 1, WIPM 1

elections

last held 27 January 2006 (next to be held in 2010)

note

the government of Prime Minister Emily de JONGH-ELHAGE is a coalition of several parties

Life expectancy at birth

female

78.41 years (2006 est.)

male

73.76 years

total population

76.03 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

96.8% (2003 est.) Government Netherlands Antilles

male

96.7%

total population

96.7%

Location

Caribbean, two island groups in the Caribbean Sea - composed of five islands, Curacao and Bonaire located off the coast of Venezuela, and St. Maarten, Saba, and St. Eustatius lie east of the US Virgin Islands

Manpower available for military service

females age 16-49

56,868 (2005 est.)

males age 16-49

54,200

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

47,166 (2005 est.)

males age 16-49

45,273

Manpower reaching military service age annually

females age 16-49

1,657 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

1,720

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

exclusive fishing zone

12 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Median age

female

34.4 years (2006 est.)

male

31.1 years

total

32.8 years

Merchant marine

by type

barge carrier 3, bulk carrier 13, cargo 68, chemical tanker 3, container 19, liquefied gas 4, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 28, roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 3

foreign-owned

143 (Belgium 4, Cuba 1, Denmark 1, Germany 60, Netherlands 54, Norway 5, Sweden 5, Turkey 9, UK 3, US 1)

registered in other countries

1 (Netherlands 1) (2006)

total

152 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,289,462 GRT/1,671,649 DWT

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Transnational Issues Netherlands Antilles

Military branches

no regular military forces; National Guard, Police Force (2005)

Military service age and obligation

16 years of age for National Guard recruitment; no conscription (2004)

National holiday

Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA in 1909 and accession to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX in 1980), 30 April

Nationality

adjective

Dutch Antillean

noun

Dutch Antillean(s)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural hazards

Curacao and Bonaire are south of Caribbean hurricane belt and are rarely threatened; Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are subject to hurricanes from July to October

Natural resources

phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only)

Net migration rate

-0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

70,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Political pressure groups and leaders

Unions (AVBO) and Employers Association (VBC)

Population

221,736 (July 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Population growth rate

0.79% (2006 est.)

Ports and terminals

Bopec Terminal, Fuik Bay, Kralendijk, Willemstad Military Netherlands Antilles

Radio broadcast stations

AM 8, FM 19, shortwave 0 (2004)

Radios

217,000 (1997)

Religions

Roman Catholic 72%, Pentecostal 4.9%, Protestant 3.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.1%, Methodist 2.9%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.7%, other Christian 4.2%, Jewish 1.3%, other or unspecified 1.2%, none 5.2% (2001 census)

Saba

Saba Labor Party [Akilah LEVENSTONE]; Windward Islands People's Movement or WIPM [Ray HASSELL]

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.93 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

under 15 years

1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female

Sint Eustatius

Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius or DP-St. E [Julian WOODLEY]; Progressive Labor Party [Clyde VAN PUTTEN]; St. Eustatius Alliance [Ingrid HOUTMAN-WHITFIELD]

Sint Maarten

Democratic Party of Sint Maarten or DP-St. M [Sarah WESCOTT-WILLIAMS]; Freedom Slate of National Democratic Party [Theophilus PRIEST]; National Alliance or NA [William MARLIN]; People's Progressive Alliance or PPA [Gracita ARRINDELL]; St. Maarten People's Party [Johan LEONARD]; United People's Labor Party [Bienvenido RICHARDSON]

note

political parties are indigenous to each island

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Telephone system

domestic

extensive interisland microwave radio relay links

general assessment

generally adequate facilities

international

country code - 599; submarine cables - 2; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

81,000 (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular

200,000 (2004)

Television broadcast stations

3 (there is also a cable service, which supplies programs received from various US satellite networks and four Venezuelan channels) (2004)

Televisions

69,000 (1997)

Terrain

generally hilly, volcanic interiors

Total fertility rate

1.99 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate

17% (2002 est.)