Curacao

Broadcast media

government-run Telecuracao operates a TV station and a radio station; several privately-owned radio stations

Internet country code

.cw; note - IANA has designated .cw for Curacao, but has not yet assigned it to a sponsoring organization

Internet hosts

NA

Internet users

NA

Telephone system

general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: country code - 599

Telephones - main lines in use

NA

Telephones - mobile cellular

NA

Agriculture - products

aloe, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit

Budget

revenues: $542.3 million expenditures: $587 million (2010 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-0.9% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 58

Central bank discount rate

NA%

Commercial bank prime lending rate

14.5% (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 132 7.507% (31 December 2009 est.)

Current account balance

-$600 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 118 -$324 million (2009 est.)

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.

Electricity - consumption

968 million kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 147

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - production

1.167 billion kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 143

Exchange rates

Netherlands Antillean guilders (ANG) per US dollar - 1.79 (2010) 1.79 (2009) 1.79 (2008) 1.79 (2007) 1.79 (2006)

Exports

$1.4 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 145 note: excludes oil

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: 177 $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: 75

GDP - real growth rate

3.5% (2008) country comparison to the world: 109 2.2% (2007)

Imports

$2.8 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 143 $2.648 billion (2009 est.)

Imports - commodities

crude petroleum, food, manufactures

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

tourism, petroleum refining, petroleum transshipment facilities, light manufacturing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 105 1.8% (2009 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

41.8% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 7

Labor force

63,000 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 185

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 1.2% industry: 16.9% services: 81.8% (2008 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 146

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 71

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 97

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 163

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 119

Oil - consumption

72,000 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 88

Oil - exports

211,100 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 54

Oil - imports

291,700 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 38

Oil - production

531 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 108

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 114

Stock of broad money

$4.953 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 124 $4.31 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$3.799 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 117 $3.415 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$1.618 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 126 $1.541 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

10.7% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 206

Unemployment rate

10.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 113

Area

total: 444 sq km country comparison to the world: 199 land: 444 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

more than two times 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

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, 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 Governor General Frits GOEDGEDRAG (since 10 October 2010) head of government: Prime Minister Gerrit SCHOTTE (since 10 October 2010) cabinet: Executive Council (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

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)

International organization participation

Caricom (observer), FATF, ITU, UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU

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 parliament or Staten (21 seats; members elected by popular vote for four year terms) elections: last held 27 August 2010 (next to be held in 2014) election results: percent of vote by party - PAR 30%, MFK 21%, PS 19%, MAN 9%, FOL 7%, PNP 6%; seats by party - PAR 8, MFK 5, PS 4, MAN 2, FOL 1, 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]; Movimentu Antiyas Nobo (New Antilles Movement) or MAN [Charles COOPER]; Movementu Futuro Korsou or MFK [Gerrit SCHOTTE]; Partido Antia Restruktura or PAR [Emily DE JONGH-ELHAGE]; People's National Party or PNP [Ersilia DE LANNOOY]; Pueblo Soberano or PS [Herman WIELS]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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 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 of 2010 with the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles.

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Military branches

the Royal Netherlands Navy maintains a permanent and active presence in the region from its main operating base on Curacao; other local security forces include a coast guard, paramilitary National Guard (Vrijwilligers Korps Curacao), and Police Force (2010)

Military service age and obligation

no conscription (2010)

Age structure

0-14 years: 21.1% (males 15,337/females 14,589) 15-64 years: 66.7% (males 42,896/females 51,998) 65 years and over: 12.2% (males 6,972/females 10,388) (2010)

Birth rate

NA

Death rate

8 deaths/1,000 population (2009) country comparison to the world: 103

Education expenditures

NA

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: 49

Population

142,180 (est. January 2010) country comparison to the world: 187

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)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

NA

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

2.1 children born/woman (2009) country comparison to the world: 117

Trafficking in persons

current situation: Curacao is a source, transit, and destination area for women, children, and men who are subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; foreign trafficking victims originate in Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Asia tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Curacao does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; despite these efforts, the government has not increased its efforts over the previous year; it has not enacted comprehensive legislation that would prohibit all forms of human trafficking; it has not enhanced victim protections; and it has not identified victims of forced or child prostitution (2011)

Airports

1 country comparison to the world: 214

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: 191