CATEGORIES
◆ COMMUNICATIONS(6 fields)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 9, FM 4, shortwave 0
Radios
205,000 (1992 est.)
Telephone system
generally adequate facilities domestic: extensive interisland microwave radio relay links international: 2 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones
NA
Television broadcast stations
1
Televisions
64,000 (1992 est.)
◆ ECONOMY(22 fields)
Agriculture - products
aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit
Budget
revenues: $209 million expenditures : $232 million, including capital expenditures of $8 million (1992 est.)
Currency
1 Netherlands Antillean guilder, gulden, or florin (NAf.) = 100 cents
Debt - external
$1.95 billion (December 1995)
Economic aid
recipient: ODA, $NA; the Netherlands Antilles received a $97 million Dutch aid package in 1996, making it the Netherlands' second largest aid recipient behind India
Economy - overview
Tourism, petroleum transshipment, and offshore finance are the mainstays of this small economy, which is closely tied to the outside world. The islands enjoy a high per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure as compared with other countries in the region. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, with Venezuela and the US being the major suppliers. Poor soils and inadequate water supplies hamper the development of agriculture.
Electricity - capacity
307,000 kW (1995)
Electricity - consumption per capita
4,580 kWh (1994 est.)
Electricity - production
970 million kWh (1994)
Exchange rates
Netherlands Antillean guilders, gulden, or florins (NAf.) per US$1 - 1.790 (fixed rate since 1989)
Exports
total value: $1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: petroleum products 98% partners: US 39%, Brazil 9%, Colombia 6%
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity - $2.04 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 1% industry: 15% services: 84% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita
purchasing power parity - $9,800 (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
0% (1996 est.)
Imports
total value: $1.8 billion (f.o.b., 1993) commodities : crude petroleum 64%, food, manufactures partners: Venezuela 26%, US 18%, Colombia 6%, Netherlands 6%, Japan 5%
Industrial production growth rate
NA%
Industries
tourism (Curacao, Sint Maarten, and Bonaire), petroleum refining (Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curacao)
Inflation rate - consumer price index
3% (1996)
Labor force
total: 89,000 by occupation: government 65%, industry and commerce 28% (1983)
Unemployment rate
13.4% (1993 est.)
◆ GEOGRAPHY(17 fields)
Area
total: 960 sq km land: 960 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten (Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin)
Area - comparative
more than five times the size of Washington, DC
Climate
tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds
Coastline
364 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Scenery 862 m
Environment - current issues
NA
Environment - international agreements
party to: Whaling (extended from Netherlands) signed, but not ratified: NA
Geographic coordinates
12 15 N, 68 45 W
Irrigated land
NA sq km
Land boundaries
total: 10.2 km border countries: Guadeloupe (Saint Martin) 10.2 km
Land use
arable land: 10% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other : 90% (1993 est.)
Location
Caribbean, two island groups in the Caribbean Sea - one includes Curacao and Bonaire north of Venezuela and the other is east of the Virgin Islands
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm territorial sea : 12 nm
Natural hazards
Curacao and Bonaire are south of Caribbean hurricane belt, so 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)
Terrain
generally hilly, volcanic interiors
◆ GOVERNMENT(25 fields)
Administrative divisions
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) note: each island has its own government
Bonaire
Patriotic Union of Bonaire (UPB), Rudy ELLIS; Democratic Party of Bonaire (PDB), Broertje JANJA
Constitution
29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as amended
Country name
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Netherlands Antilles local long form: none local short form : Nederlandse Antillen
Curacao
Antillean Restructuring Party (PAR), Miguel POURIER; National People's Party (PNP), Maria LIBERIA-PETERS; New Antilles Movement (MAN), Domenico Felip Don MARTINA; Workers' Liberation Front (FOL), Wilson (Papa) GODETT; Socialist Independent (SI), George HUECK and Nelson MONTE; Democratic Party of Curacao (DP), Augustin DIAZ; Nos Patria, Chin BEHILIA
Data code
NT
Dependency status
part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Consul General James L. WILLIAMS consulate(s) general: J.B. Gorsiraweg #1, Curacao mailing address: P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao telephone : [599] (9) 461-3066
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Executive branch
chief of state: Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Jaime SALEH (since NA October 1989) head of government: Prime Minister Miguel POURIER (since 25 February 1994) cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Staten elections: the queen is a constitutional monarch; governor general appointed by the queen 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 31 March 1994 (next to be held NA 1998) election results: Miguel POURIER elected prime minister; percent of legislative vote - NA
FAX
[599] (9) 461-6489
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
Government type
NA
Independence
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
International organization participation
Caricom (observer), ECLAC (associate), Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WMO, WToO (associate)
Judicial branch
Joint High Court of Justice
Legal system
based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence
Legislative branch
unicameral States or Staten (23 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 25 February 1994 (next to be held NA March 1998) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PAR 8, PNP 3, SPA 2, PDB 2, UPB 1, MAN 2, DP 1, WIPM 1, DP-St.E 1, DP-St.M 1, Nos Patria 1 note: the government of Prime Minister Miguel POURIER is a coalition of several parties
National capital
Willemstad
National holiday
Queen's Day, 30 April (1938)
Political parties and leaders
political parties are indigenous to each island
Saba
Windward Islands People's Movement (WIPM Saba), Ray HASSELL; Saba Democratic Labor Movement, Steve HASSELL; Saba Unity Party, Carmen SIMMONDS
Sint Eustatius
Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius (DP-St.E), Julian WOODLEY; Windward Islands People's Movement (WIPM); St. Eustatius Alliance (SEA), Ingrid WHITFIELD
Sint Maarten
Democratic Party of Sint Maarten (DP-St.M), Sarah WESTCOTT-WILLIAMS; Patriotic Movement of Sint Maarten (SPA), Vance JAMES; Serious Alternative People's Party (SAPP) Julian ROLLOCKS
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
◆ MILITARY(6 fields)
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Military branches
Royal Netherlands Navy, Marine Corps, Royal Netherlands Air Force, National Guard, Police Force
Military manpower - availability
males age 15-49: 57,691 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service
males: 32,406 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - military age
20 years of age
Military manpower - reaching military age annually
males: 1,640 (1997 est.)
◆ PEOPLE(15 fields)
Age structure
0-14 years: 24% (male 26,496; female 25,267) 15-64 years : 68% (male 70,087; female 73,300) 65 years and over: 8% (male 6,694; female 9,249) (July 1997 est.)
Birth rate
15.61 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate
5.33 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Ethnic groups
mixed black 85%, Carib Amerindian, white, East Asian
Infant mortality rate
8.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Languages
Dutch (official), Papiamento, a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect predominates, English widely spoken, Spanish
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 77.18 years male: 74.89 years female: 79.59 years (1997 est.)
Literacy
definition : age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98% male: 98% female: 99% (1981 est.)
Nationality
noun: Netherlands Antillean(s) adjective: Netherlands Antillean
Net migration rate
-0.36 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Population
211,093 (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate
0.99% (1997 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Seventh-Day Adventist
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.86 children born/woman (1997 est.)
◆ TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES(2 fields)
Disputes - international
none
Illicit drugs
money-laundering center; transshipment point for South American drugs bound for the US and Europe NEW CALEDONIA (overseas territory of France)
◆ TRANSPORTATION(6 fields)
Airports
4 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m : 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1996 est.)
Highways
total: 600 km paved : 300 km unpaved: 300 km (1992 est.)
Merchant marine
total: 106 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 971,002 GRT/1,318,064 DWT ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 33, container 4, liquefied gas tanker 4, multifunction large-load carrier 20, oil tanker 7, passenger 1, refrigerated cargo 26, roll-on/roll-off cargo 8 (1996 est.)
Ports and harbors
Kralendijk, Philipsburg, Willemstad
Railways
0 km