CATEGORIES
◆ COMMUNICATIONS(8 fields)
Internet country code
.an
Internet hosts
119 (2001)
Internet users
2,000 (2000)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 8, FM 19, shortwave 0 (2004)
Telephone system
general assessment: generally adequate facilities domestic: extensive interisland microwave radio relay links 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
81,000 (2001)
Television broadcast stations
3 (there is also a cable service, which supplies programs received from various US satellite networks and two Venezuelan channels) (2004)
◆ ECONOMY(35 fields)
Agriculture - products
aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit
Budget
revenues: $710.8 million expenditures: $741.6 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1997 est.)
Currency
Netherlands Antillean guilder (ANG)
Currency code
ANG
Debt - external
$1.35 billion (1996)
Economic aid - recipient
IMF provided $61 million in 2000, and the Netherlands continued its support with $40 million (2000)
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 seven 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
986.8 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production
1.061 billion kWh (2001)
Exchange rates
Netherlands Antillean guilders per US dollar - 1.79 (2003), 1.79 (2002), 1.79 (2001), 1.79 (2000), 1.79 (1999)
Exports
$1.579 billion f.o.b. (2002)
Exports - commodities
petroleum products
Exports - partners
US 21.3%, Venezuela 16%, Bahamas, The 7.6%, Singapore 5.2%, Honduras 4.9%, Guatemala 4.4% (2003)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity - $2.45 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 1% industry: 15% services: 84% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita
purchasing power parity - $11,400 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
0.5% (2003 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA
Imports
$2.233 billion f.o.b. (2002)
Imports - commodities
crude petroleum, food, manufactures
Imports - partners
Venezuela 64.8%, US 13.6%, Netherlands 7.8% (2003)
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 prices)
2.1% (2003 est.)
Labor force
89,000 (2000)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture 1%, industry 13%, services 86% (2000 est.)
Oil - consumption
72,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports
NA (2001)
Oil - imports
NA (2001)
Oil - production
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line
NA
Unemployment rate
15.6% (2002 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
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)
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% other: 90% (2001)
Location
Caribbean, two island groups in the Caribbean Sea - one includes Curacao and Bonaire north of Venezuela; the other is east of the Virgin Islands
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
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)
Terrain
generally hilly, volcanic interiors
◆ GOVERNMENT(19 fields)
Administrative divisions
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) note: each island has its own government
Capital
Willemstad
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 former: Curacao and Dependencies
Dependency status
part of 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 AN, 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 Governor General Frits GOEDGEDRAG (since 1 July 2002) head of government: Prime Minister Etienne YS (since 3 June 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Staten (legislature) 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 18 January 2002 (next to be held by NA 2006) note: government coalition - PAR, PNP, PLKP, DP St. Maarten, UP Bonaire, WIPM Saba, DP Statia
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
parliamentary
Independence
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
International organization participation
ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCL, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate)
Judicial branch
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 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) elections: last held 18 January 2002 (next to be held in 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PAR 4, PNP 3, PLKP 2, DP St. M 2, UP Bonaire 2, WIPM 1, DP note: the government of Prime Minister Etienne YS is a coalition of several parties; current government formed after collapse of FOL led government on 4 April 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
Political parties and leaders
Antillean Restructuring Party or PAR [Etienne YS]; C 93 [Stanley BROWN]; Democratic Party of Bonaire or PDB [Jopi ABRAHAM]; Democratic Party of Curacao or DP [Errol HERNANDEZ]; Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius or DP-St. E [Julian WOODLEY]; Democratic Party of Sint Maarten or DP-St. M [Sarah WESCOTT-WILLIAMS]; Foundation Energetic Management Anti-Narcotics or FAME [Eric LODEWIJKS]; Labor Party People's Crusade or PLKP [Errol COVA]; National Alliance [William MARLIN]; National People's Party or PNP [Susanne F. C. CAMELIA-ROMER]; New Antilles Movement or MAN [Kenneth GIJSBERTHA]; Patriotic Union of Bonaire or UPB [Ramonsito BOOI]; Patriotic Movement of Sint Maarten or SPA [Vance JAMES, Jr.]; People's Party or PAPU [Richard HODI]; Pro Curacao Party or PPK [Winston LOURENS]; Saba Democratic Labor Movement [Steve HASSELL]; Saba Unity Party [Carmen SIMMONDS]; St. Eustatius Alliance or SEA [Kenneth VAN PUTTEN]; Serious Alternative People's Party or Sapp [Julian ROLLOCKS]; Social Action Cause or KAS [Benny DEMEI]; Windward Islands People's Movement or WIPM [Will JOHNSTON]; Workers' Liberation Front or FOL [Anthony GODETT, Rignald LAK, Editha WRIGHT] note: political parties are indigenous to each island
Political pressure groups and leaders
NA
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
◆ INTRODUCTION(1 fields)
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.
◆ MILITARY(6 fields)
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Military branches
National Guard, Police Force
Military manpower - availability
males age 15-49: 55,536 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service
males age 15-49: 31,025 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - military age and obligation
16 years of age for military recruitment; no conscription (July 2002)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually
males: 1,660 (2004 est.)
◆ PEOPLE(19 fields)
Age structure
0-14 years: 24.5% (male 27,387; female 26,094) 15-64 years: 67.2% (male 70,024; female 76,552) 65 years and over: 8.3% (male 7,443; female 10,626) (2004 est.)
Birth rate
15.36 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate
6.4 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Ethnic groups
mixed black 85%, Carib Amerindian, white, East Asian
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
Infant mortality rate
total: 10.37 deaths/1,000 live births male: 11.18 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Languages
Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect) predominates, English widely spoken, Spanish
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 75.6 years male: 73.37 years female: 77.95 years (2004 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 96.7% male: 96.7% female: 96.8% (2003 est.)
Median age
total: 32.1 years male: 30.6 years female: 33.6 years (2004 est.)
Nationality
noun: Dutch Antillean(s) adjective: Dutch Antillean
Net migration rate
-0.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Population
218,126 (July 2004 est.)
Population growth rate
0.86% (2004 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: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Total fertility rate
2.02 children born/woman (2004 est.)
◆ TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES(2 fields)
Disputes - international
none
Illicit drugs
transshipment point for South American drugs bound for the US and Europe; money-laundering center
◆ TRANSPORTATION(5 fields)
Airports
5 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 5 over 3,047 m: 1 2038 to 3047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Highways
total: 600 km paved: 300 km unpaved: 300 km
Merchant marine
total: 162 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,317,007 GRT/1,668,499 DWT by type: bulk 4, cargo 59, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 1, combination ore/oil 3, container 28, liquefied gas 6, multi-functional large load carrier 22, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 28, roll on/roll off 7, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: Belgium 3, Denmark 1, Germany 57, Monaco 4, Netherlands 70, New Zealand 1, Norway 5, Peru 1, Spain 1, Sweden 5, Turkey 2, United Kingdom 6 registered in other countries: 1 (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors
Kralendijk, Philipsburg, Willemstad