1987 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1987 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Climate
tropical; modified by northeast trade winds
Coastline
364 km
Comparative area
about one third the size of Rhode Island
Environment
south of Carribean hurricane belt, so rarely threatened
Land use
8% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 92% other
Special notes
none
Terrain
generally hilly, volcanic interiors
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
960 km?; land area: 960 km?
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
85% mixed African; remainder Carib Indian, European, Latin, and Oriental
Labor force
89,000 (1983); 65% government, 28% industry and commerce, 1.5% agriculture; unemployment about 16% (1984 est.)
Language
Dutch (official); Papiamento, a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect predominates; English widely spoken; Spanish
Literacy
95%
Nationality
noun—Netherlands Antillean(s); adjective—Netherlands Antillean
Organized labor
60-70% of labor force
Population
182,218 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 0.28%
Religion
predominantly Roman Catholic; Protestant, Jewish, Seventh-Day Adventist
Government
Administrative divisions
three island territories—Bonaire, Curacao, and the Windward Islands
Branches
federal executive power rests nominally with Governor (appointed by the Crown); actual power exercised by eight-member Council of Ministers or cabinet presided over by MinisterPresident; legislative power rests with 22-member Legislative Council; independent court system under control of Chief Justice of Supreme Court of Justice (administrative functions under Minister of Justice); each island territory has island council headed by Lieutenant Governor
Communists
small leftist groups
Elections
federal elections mandatorily held every four years, last held 22 November 1985; island council elections every four years, last held 22 November 1985 Political parties and leaders: political parties are indigenous to each island: Curacao—Movement for a New Antilles (MAN), Domenico Felip Martina; Democratic Party (DP), Augustin Diaz; National People’s Party (NVP), Maria LiberiaPeters; Workers Front for Liberation (FOL), Wilson (Papa) Godett; Social Democratic Party (PSD), Efraim Cintje; Social Independent Party (SI), George Hueck and Nelson Monte; Bonaire—Popular Union Party of Bonaire (UPB), Charles E. R. Ellis; Democratic Party of Bonaire (PDB), John Evert (Jopie) Abraham; New Democratic Action (ADEN); Windward Islands— Windward Islands Democratic Party (DPW), Claude Wathey; United Federation of Antillean Workers (UFA); Windward Islands People’s Movement (WIPM)
Government leaders
Domenico Felip MARTINA, Prime Minister (since January 1986); Dr. Rene ROMER, Governor (since 1983)
Legal system
based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence; constitution adopted 1954
Member of
EC (associate), INTERPOL; associated with UN through the Netherlands; UPU, WMO
Official name
Netherlands Antilles
Suffrage
universal age 18 and over
Type
autonomous territory within Kingdom of the Netherlands Capital; Willemstad on Curacao
Voting strength
the government of Prime Minister Don Martina is a coalition of the MAN and DP parties
Economy
Agriculture
corn, pulses
Aid
bilateral ODA and OOF commitments (1970-79), Western (non-US) countries $353 million
Budget
central government revenues, $616 million; central government expenditures, $656 million (1984)
Electric power
120,000 kW capacity; 365 million kWh produced, 1,550 kWh per capita (1986)
Exports
$3.7 billion (f.0.b., 1984); 98% petroleum products, phosphate
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$1.36 billion, $9,140 per capita; 1.0% real growth rate (1984)
Imports
$4.0 billion (c.i.f., 1984); 64% crude petroleum, food, manufactures
Major industries
petroleum refining on Curacao (refinery currently closed but may reopen); petroleum transshipment facilities on Curacao and Bonaire; tourism on Curacao and St. Martin; light manufacturing on Curacao
Major trade partners
exports—46% US, 2% Canada, 1% Netherlands; imports— 35% Venezuela, 11% US, 4% Netherlands (1977)
Monetary conversion rate
1.8 Netherlands Antillean guilders or florins (NAF)=US$1 (August 1986)
Natural resources
phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only)
Communications
Airfields
7 total, 7 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
5 major transport aircraft
Highways
950 km total; 300 km paved, 650 km gravel and earth
Ports
3 major (Willemstad, Philipsburg, Kralendijk); 6 minor (of which 4 are significant ports for petroleum tankers)
Railroads
none
Telecommunications
generally adequate facilities; extensive interisland radio-relay links; 65,000 telephones (24.6 per 100 popl.); 7 AM, 5 FM, and 1 TV stations; 2 submarine cables; 2 Atlantic Ocean satellite antennas
Military and Security
Military manpower
males 15-49, 49,000, 28,000 fit for military service; 2,000 reach military age (20) annually