| Netherlands Antilles (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) |
Introduction Geography People Government Economy Communications Transportation Military Transnational Issues

Netherlands Antilles | Introduction | Top of Page

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 Sint Maarten is shared with France; its northern portion is named Saint Martin and is part of Guadeloupe.

Netherlands Antilles | Geography | Top of Page

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

Geographic coordinates: | 12 15 N, 68 45 W

Map references: | Central America and the Caribbean

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

Land boundaries: | total: 10.2 km border countries: Guadeloupe (Saint Martin) 10.2 km

Coastline: | 364 km

Maritime claims: | exclusive fishing zone: 12 NM territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: | tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds

Terrain: | generally hilly, volcanic interiors

Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Scenery 862 m

Natural resources: | phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only)

Land use: | arable land: 10% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 90% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: | NA sq km

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

Environment - current issues: | NA

Netherlands Antilles | People | Top of Page

Population: | 212,226 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: | 0-14 years: 25.21% (male 27,332; female 26,169) 15-64 years: 66.99% (male 67,562; female 74,599) 65 years and over: 7.8% (male 6,874; female 9,690) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: | 0.97% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: | 16.55 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: | 6.41 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: | -0.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: | 11.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 74.94 years male: 72.76 years female: 77.22 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: | 2.07 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA

Nationality: | noun: Dutch Antillean(s) adjective: Dutch Antillean

Ethnic groups: | mixed black 85%, Carib Amerindian, white, East Asian

Religions: | Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Seventh-Day Adventist

Languages: | Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect) predominates, English widely spoken, Spanish

Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98% male: 98% female: 99% (1981 est.)

Netherlands Antilles | Government | Top of Page

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

Government type: | parliamentary

Capital: | Willemstad

Administrative divisions: | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) note: each island has its own government

Independence: | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

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

Constitution: | 29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as amended

Legal system: | based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence

Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: | chief of state: Queen BEATRIX 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 8 November 1999); Deputy Prime Minister Susanne CAMELIA-ROMER (since NA) note: Miguel POURIER assumed prime ministership following the resignation of Susanne CAMELIA-ROMER cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Staten 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 30 January 1998 (next to be held by NA 2002) note: government coalition - PDB, DP-St. M, FOL, PLKP, PNP

Legislative branch: | unicameral States or Staten (22 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 30 January 1998 (next to be held by NA 2002) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PAR 4, PNP 3, SPA 1, PDB 2, UPB 1, MAN 2, PLKP 3, WIPM 1, SEA 1, DP-St. M 2, FOL 2; no party won enough seats to form a government note: the government of Prime Minister Miguel POURIER is a coalition of several parties; current seats by party - PAR 4, PNP 3, FOL 2, MAN 2, UPB 2, DP-St. M 2, PDB 1, SEA 1, WIPM 1, other 4

Judicial branch: | Joint High Court of Justice (judges appointed by the monarch)

Political parties and leaders: | Antillean Restructuring Party or PAR [Miguel POURIER]; 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 People's Party or PNP [Susanne F. C. CAMELIA-ROMER]; New Antilles Movement or MAN [Kenneth GIJSBERTHA]; Patriotic Union of Bonaire or UPB [Ramon 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

International organization participation: | Caricom (observer), ECLAC (associate), Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCL, WMO, WToO (associate)

Diplomatic representation in the US: | none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Consul General Barbara J. STEPHENSON 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

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

Netherlands Antilles | Economy | Top of Page

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 slightly in each of the past five years, 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, the US, and Mexico being the major suppliers. Poor soils and inadequate water supplies hamper the development of agriculture.

GDP: | purchasing power parity - $2.4 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: | -3.5% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $11,400 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 1% industry: 15% services: 84% (1996 est.)

Population below poverty line: | NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 6.4% (2000 est.)

Labor force: | 89,000

Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture 1%, industry 13%, services 86% (1994 est.)

Unemployment rate: | 14.9% (1998 est.)

Budget: | revenues: $710.8 million expenditures: $741.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)

Industries: | tourism (Curacao, Sint Maarten, and Bonaire), petroleum refining (Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curacao)

Industrial production growth rate: | NA%

Electricity - production: | 1.11 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: | 1.032 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: | aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit

Exports: | $276 million (f.o.b., 2000)

Exports - commodities: | petroleum products

Exports - partners: | US 17.5%, Guatemala 8%, Costa Rica 6.5%, The Bahamas 4.6%, Jamaica 4.1%, Chile 3.4% (1998)

Imports: | $1.5 billion (f.o.b., 2000)

Imports - commodities: | crude petroleum, food, manufactures

Imports - partners: | Venezuela 35.3%, US 21%, Mexico 9.8%, Italy 5.4%, Netherlands 4.8%, Brazil 3.1% (1998)

Debt - external: | $1.35 billion (1996)

Economic aid - recipient: | IMF provided $61 million in 2000, and the Netherlands continued its support with $40 million

Currency: | Netherlands Antillean guilder (ANG)

Currency code: | ANG

Exchange rates: | Netherlands Antillean guilders per US dollar - 1.790 (fixed rate since 1989)

Fiscal year: | calendar year

Netherlands Antilles | Communications | Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use: | 76,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular: | 13,977 (1996)

Telephone system: | general assessment: generally adequate facilities domestic: extensive interisland microwave radio relay links international: submarine cables - 2; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: | AM 9, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios: | 217,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: | 3 (there is also a cable service which supplies programs received from various US satellite networks and two Venezuelan channels) (1997)

Televisions: | 69,000 (1997)

Internet country code: | .an

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 6

Internet users: | 2,000 (2000)

Netherlands Antilles | Transportation | Top of Page

Railways: | 0 km

Highways: | total: 600 km paved: 300 km unpaved: 300 km (1992)

Waterways: | none

Ports and harbors: | Kralendijk, Philipsburg, Willemstad

Merchant marine: | total: 123 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,113,774 GRT/1,397,841 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 35, chemical tanker 2, combination ore/oil 3, container 19, liquefied gas 4, multi-functional large-load carrier 19, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 28, roll on/roll off 7 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Belgium 8, Germany 1, Italy 1 (2000 est.)

Airports: | 5 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: | total: 5 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Netherlands Antilles | Military | Top of Page

Military branches: | Royal Netherlands Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, National Guard, Police Force

Military manpower - military age: | 20 years of age

Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 54,284 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 30,405 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 1,610 (2001 est.)

Military - note: | defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Netherlands Antilles | Transnational Issues | Top of Page

Disputes - international: | none

Illicit drugs: | money-laundering center; transshipment point for South American drugs bound for the US and Europe