CATEGORIES
◆ COMMUNICATIONS(5 fields)
Broadcast media
government-run Telecuracao operates a TV station and a radio station; several privately-owned radio stations
Internet country code
.cw
Internet hosts
NA
Internet users
NA
Telephone system
general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: country code - 599
◆ ECONOMY(19 fields)
Agriculture - products
aloe, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)
-0.9% of GDP (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 58
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 grew slightly during the past decade, the island enjoys a high per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure compared with other countries in the region. Curacao has an excellent natural harbor that can accommodate large oil tankers. The Venezuelan state oil company leases the single refinery on the island from the government; most of the oil for the refinery is imported from Venezuela; most of the refined products are exported to the US. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, with the US, Brazil, Italy, and Mexico being the major suppliers. The government is attempting to diversify its industry and trade and has signed an Association Agreement with the EU to expand business there. Poor soils and inadequate water supplies hamper the development of agriculture. Budgetary problems complicate reform of the health and pension systems for an aging population.
Exchange rates
Netherlands Antillean guilders (ANG) per US dollar - 1.79 (2011) 1.79 (2011 est.) 1.79 (2010 est.) 1.79 (2009) 1.79 (2008)
Exports
$1.5 billion (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 151 $1.4 billion (2010 est.)
Exports - commodities
petroleum products
GDP (official exchange rate)
$5.08 billion (2008 est.)
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$2.838 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 181 $2.606 billion (2007 est.) $2.452 billion (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 0.7% industry: 15.5% services: 83.8% (2010 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$15,000 (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 85
GDP - real growth rate
3.5% (2008) country comparison to the world: 99 2.2% (2007)
Imports
$2.5 billion (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 155 $2.648 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities
crude petroleum, food, manufactures
Industrial production growth rate
NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.3% (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 42 1.3% (2010 est.)
Labor force
63,000 (2008) (2008) country comparison to the world: 187
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture: 1.2% industry: 16.9% services: 81.8% (2008 est.)
Taxes and other revenues
10.8% of GDP (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 207
Unemployment rate
10.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 112
◆ ENERGY(14 fields)
Crude oil - proved reserves
0 bbl (1 January 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 115
Electricity - consumption
968 million kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 151
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 173
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 167
Electricity - production
1.167 billion kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 145
Natural gas - consumption
0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 127
Natural gas - exports
0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 171
Natural gas - imports
0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 171
Natural gas - production
0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 110
Natural gas - proved reserves
0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 120
Refined petroleum products - consumption
72,000 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 91
Refined petroleum products - exports
211,100 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 31
Refined petroleum products - imports
291,700 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 24
Refined petroleum products - production
531 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 115
◆ GEOGRAPHY(19 fields)
Area
total: 444 sq km country comparison to the world: 200 land: 444 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative
more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Climate
tropical marine climate, ameliorated by northeast trade winds, results in mild temperatures; semi-arid with average rainfall of 600 mm/year
Coastline
364 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mt. Christoffel, 372m
Environment - current issues
NA
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
NA
Geographic coordinates
12 10 N, 69 00 W
Geography - note
Curacao is a part of the Windward Islands (southern) group
Irrigated land
NA
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 10% permanent crops: 0% other: 90%
Location
Caribbean, an island in the Caribbean Sea - 55 km off the coast of Venezuela
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
Natural hazards
Curacao is south of the Caribbean hurricane belt and is rarely threatened
Natural resources
calcium phosphates, aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit
Terrain
generally low, hilly terrain
Total renewable water resources
NA
◆ GOVERNMENT(18 fields)
Administrative divisions
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Capital
name: Willemstad geographic coordinates: 12 06 N, 68 55 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Constitution
Staatsregeling adopted by island council 5 September 2010; entered into force 10 October 2010; revised Kingdom Charter pending
Country name
Dutch long form: Land Curacao Dutch short form: Curacao Papiamentu long form: Pais Korsou Papiamentu short form: Korsou former: Netherlands Antilles; Curacao and Dependencies
Dependency status
constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 2010; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Consul General Valerie BELON consulate(s) general: J. B. Gorsiraweg #1, Willemstad, Curacao mailing address: P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao telephone: [599] (9) 4613066 FAX: [599] (9) 4616489
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Executive branch
chief of state: Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980); represented by Acting Governor Adele van der PLUIJM-VREDE (since 24 October 2012) head of government: Prime Minister Daniel HODGE (since 31 December 2012) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website) elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually elected prime minister by the parliament; next election is scheduled for 2016
Flag description
on a blue field a horizontal yellow band somewhat below the center divides the flag into proportions of 5:1:2; two five-pointed white stars - the smaller above and to the left of the larger - appear in the canton; the blue of the upper and lower sections symbolizes the sky and sea respectively; yellow represents the sun; the stars symbolize Curacao and its uninhabited smaller sister island of Klein Curacao; the five star points signify the five continents from which Curacao's people derive
Government type
parliamentary
Independence
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Judicial branch
Common Court of Justice, Joint High Court of Justice (judges appointed by the monarch)
Legal system
based on Dutch civil law system with some English common law influence
Legislative branch
unicameral Estates of Curacao (21 seats; members elected by popular vote for four year terms) elections: last held 19 October 2012 (next to be held in 2016) election results: percent of vote by party - PS 22.6%, MFK 21.2%, PAR 19.7%, PAIS 17.7%, MAN 9.5%, PNP 5.9%, other 3.4%; seats by party - PS 5, MFK 5, PAR 4, PAIS 4, MAN 2, PNP 1
National anthem
name: Himmo di Korsou (Anthem of Curacao) lyrics/music: Guillermo ROSARIO, Mae HENRIQUEZ, Enrique MULLER, Betty DORAN/Frater Candidus NOWENS, Errol "El Toro" COLINA note: adapted 1978; the lyrics, originally written in 1899, were rewritten in 1978 to make them less colonial in nature
National holiday
Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA and accession to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX), 30 April (1909 and 1980)
Political parties and leaders
Frente Obrero Liberashon (Workers' Liberation Front) or FOL [Anthony GODETT]; Movementu Futuro Korsou or MFK [Gerrit SCHOTTE]; Movishon Antia Nobo or MAN [Eunice EISDEN]; Partido Antia Restruktura or PAR [Emily DE JONGH-ELHAGE]; Partido pa Adelanto I Inovashon Soshal or PAIS [Alex ROSARIA]; Partido Nashonal di Pueblo or PNP [Humphrey DAVELAAR]; Pueblo Soberano or PS [Helmin WIELS]
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
◆ INTRODUCTION(1 fields)
Background
Originally settled by Arawak Indians, Curacao was seized by the Dutch in 1634 along with the neighboring island of Bonaire. Once the center of the Caribbean slave trade, Curacao was hard hit economically 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 the Isla Refineria to service the newly discovered Venezuelan oil fields. In 1954, Curacao and several other Dutch Caribbean possessions were reorganized as the Netherlands Antilles, part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In referenda in 2005 and 2009, the citizens of Curacao voted to become a self-governing country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The change in status became effective in October 2010 with the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles.
◆ MILITARY(3 fields)
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Military branches
no regular military forces; the Dutch Government controls foreign and defense policy (2012)
Military service age and obligation
no conscription (2010)
◆ PEOPLE AND SOCIETY(14 fields)
Age structure
0-14 years: 21.1% (male males 15,337/females 14,589) 15-64 years: 66.7% (male males 42,896/females 51,998) 65 years and over: 12.2% (male males 6,972/females 10,388) (2012 est.)
Birth rate
NA
Death rate
8 deaths/1,000 population (2009) country comparison to the world: 99
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
Languages
Papiamentu (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect) 81.2%, Dutch (official) 8%, Spanish 4%, English 2.9%, other 3.9% (2001 census)
Life expectancy at birth
total: NA males: 72.4 years females: 80.1 years (2009)
Net migration rate
1.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008) country comparison to the world: 47
Population
145,834 (January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 188
Population growth rate
NA
Religions
Roman Catholic 80.1%, Protestant 11.2% (Pentecostal 3.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 2.2%, other Protestant 5.5%), none 4.6%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.7%, Jewish 0.8%, other 1.3%, not reported 0.3% (2001 census)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.15 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.82 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.85 male(s)/female (2010)
Total fertility rate
2.09 children born/woman (2009) country comparison to the world: 118
◆ TRANSPORTATION(4 fields)
Airports
1 country comparison to the world: 221
Airports - with paved runways
total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2010)
Ports and terminals
Bullen Baai, Fuik Bay, Willemstad
Roadways
total: 550 km country comparison to the world: 192