Central America and Caribbean :: CURACAO

- ## Introduction :: CURACAO

- 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.

- ## Geography :: CURACAO

- Location:
  Caribbean, an island in the Caribbean Sea, 30 nm off the coast of Venezuela
  Geographic coordinates:
  12 10 N, 69 00 W
  Map references:
  Central America and the Caribbean
  Area:
  total: 444 sq km
  land: 444 sq km
  water: 0 sq km
  country comparison to the world: 200
  Area - comparative:
  more than twice the size of Washington, DC
  Land boundaries:
  0 km
  Coastline:
  364 km
  Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
  Climate:
  tropical marine climate, ameliorated by northeast trade winds, results in mild temperatures; semiarid with average rainfall of 60 cm/year
  Terrain:
  generally low, hilly terrain
  Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
  highest point: Mt. Christoffel 372m
  Natural resources:
  calcium phosphates, aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit
  Land use:
  agricultural land: 10%
  arable land 10%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 0%
  forest: 0%
  other: 90% (2011 est.)
  Irrigated land:
  NA
  Total renewable water resources:
  NA
  Natural hazards:
  Curacao is south of the Caribbean hurricane belt and is rarely threatened
  Environment - current issues:
  NA
  Geography - note:
  Curacao is a part of the Windward Islands (southern) group

- ## People and Society :: CURACAO

- Nationality:
  noun: Curacaoan
  adjective: Curacaoan; Dutch
  Ethnic groups:
  Afro-Caribbean majority; Dutch, French, Latin American, East Asian, South Asian, Jewish minorities
  Languages:
  Papiamentu (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect) 81.2%, Dutch (official) 8%, Spanish 4%, English 2.9%, other 3.9% (2001 census)
  Religions:
  Roman Catholic 72.8%, Pentecostal 6.6%, Protestant 3.2%, Adventist 3%, Jehovah's Witness 2%, Evangelical 1.9%, other 3.8%, none 6%, unspecified 0.6% (2011 est.)
  Population:
  146,836 (July 2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 189
  Age structure:
  0-14 years: 20.6% (male 15,342/female 14,645)
  15-24 years: 15.4% (male 11,599/female 10,790)
  25-54 years: 38.5% (male 26,869/female 29,348)
  55-64 years: 12.6% (male 8,059/female 10,259)
  65 years and over: 13% (male 7,833/female 11,090) (2013 est.)
  Dependency ratios:
  total dependency ratio: 51.1%
  youth dependency ratio: 28.7%
  elderly dependency ratio: 22.4%
  potential support ratio: 4.5% (2015 est.)
  Median age:
  total: 36.2 years
  male: 32.7 years
  female: 39.9 years (2013 est.)
  Population growth rate:
  NA
  Birth rate:
  NA
  Death rate:
  8 deaths/1,000 population (2009)
  country comparison to the world: 100
  Net migration rate:
  1.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008)
  country comparison to the world: 56
  Urbanization:
  urban population: 89.3% of total population (2015)
  rate of urbanization: 2.04% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
  Major urban areas - population:
  WILLEMSTED (capital) 145,000 (2014)
  Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.15 male(s)/female
  0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-24 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
  25-54 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
  55-64 years: 0.79 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2013 est.)
  Life expectancy at birth:
  total: 77.98 years
  males: 75.72 years
  females: 80.35 years (2014 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 60
  Total fertility rate:
  2.09 children born/woman (2013 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 109
  HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  NA
  HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  NA
  HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  NA

- ## Government :: CURACAO

- 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
  Government type:
  parliamentary
  Capital:
  name: Willemstad
  geographic coordinates: 12 06 N, 68 55 W
  time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
  Administrative divisions:
  none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
  Independence:
  none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
  National holiday:
  King's Day, 27 April 1967
  Constitution:
  previous 1947, 1955; latest adopted 5 September 2010, entered into force 10 October 2010 (regulates governance of Curacao but is subordinate to the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands); note - in October 2010, with the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles, Curacao became a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands (2013)
  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: King WILLEM-ALEXANDER of the Netherlands (since 30 April 2013); represented by Governor Lucille A. GEORGE-WOUT (since 4 November 2013)
  head of government: Prime Minister Ivar ASJES (since 7 June 2013)
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor
  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
  Legislative branch:
  description: unicameral Estates of Curacao or Staten van Curacao (21 seats; members directly elected by proportional representation vote to serve 4-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
  Judicial branch:
  highest court(s): Common Court of Justice of Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (consists of judges from the subordinate courts)
  judge selection and terms of office: NA
  subordinate courts: first instance courts, appeals court; specialized courts
  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]
  Diplomatic representation in the US:
  none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
  Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Consul General James R. Moore (since June 2013); note - also accredited to Aruba and Sint Martin
  consulate(s) general: J. B. Gorsiraweg
  mailing address: P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao
  telephone: [599] (9) 4613066
  FAX: [599] (9) 4616489
  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
  National symbol(s):
  laraha (citrus tree); national colors: blue, yellow, white
  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

- ## Economy :: CURACAO

- Economy - overview:
  Tourism, petroleum refining and bunkering, offshore finance, and transportation and communications are the mainstays of this small island economy, which is closely tied to the outside world. Although GDP grew only slightly during the past decade, Curacao 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, and the Port of Willemstad hosts a free trade zone and a dry dock. Venezuelan state oil company PdVSA, under a contract in effect until 2019, leases the single refinery on the island from the government, directly employing some 1,000 people; most of the oil for the refinery is imported from Venezuela; most of the refined products are exported to the US and Asia. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, with the US, the Netherlands and Venezuela 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. Most of Curacao’s GDP results from services. Curacao has limited natural resources, poor soil, and inadequate water supplies, and budgetary problems complicate reform of the health and education systems. In 2013, the government implemented changes to the sales tax and reformed the public pension and health care systems, including increasing the sales tax from 5% to as high as 9% on some products, raising the age for public pension withdrawals to 65, and requiring citizens to pay higher premiums.
  GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $3.128 billion (2012 est.)
  $3.02 billion (2011 est.)
  $2.96 billion (2010 est.)
  note: data are in 2012 US dollars
  country comparison to the world: 184
  GDP (official exchange rate):
  $5.6 billion (2012 est.)
  GDP - real growth rate:
  3.6% (2012 est.)
  2% (2011 est.)
  0.1% (2010 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 81
  GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $15,000 (2004 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 103
  GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
  agriculture: 0.7%
  industry: 15.5%
  services: 83.8% (2012 est.)
  Agriculture - products:
  aloe, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit
  Industries:
  tourism, petroleum refining, petroleum transshipment, light manufacturing, financial and business services
  Industrial production growth rate:
  NA%
  Labor force:
  73,010 (2013)
  country comparison to the world: 185
  Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture: 1.2%
  industry: 16.9%
  services: 81.8% (2008 est.)
  Unemployment rate:
  13% (2013 est.)
  9.8% (2011 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 134
  Taxes and other revenues:
  16.6% of GDP (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 185
  Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
  -0.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 49
  Public debt:
  33.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
  40.6% of GDP (2011 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 118
  Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  2.6% (2013 est.)
  2.8% (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 117
  Exports:
  $1.607 billion (2011 est.)
  $1.44 billion (2010 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 151
  Exports - commodities:
  petroleum products
  Imports:
  $1.285 billion (2011 est.)
  $1.275 billion (2010 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 174
  Imports - commodities:
  crude petroleum, food, manufactures
  Exchange rates:
  Netherlands Antillean guilders (ANG) per US dollar -
  1.79 (2014)
  1.79 (2013)
  1.79 (2012 est.)
  1.79 (2011 est.)
  1.79 (2010 est.)

- ## Energy :: CURACAO

- Electricity - production:
  1.785 billion kWh (2012 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 139
  Electricity - consumption:
  968 million kWh (2008 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 152
  Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2009 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 117
  Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2009 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 126
  Crude oil - proved reserves:
  0 bbl (1 January 2011 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 115
  Refined petroleum products - production:
  531 bbl/day (2010 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 112
  Refined petroleum products - consumption:
  72,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 88
  Refined petroleum products - exports:
  211,100 bbl/day (2009 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 29
  Refined petroleum products - imports:
  291,700 bbl/day (2009 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 23
  Natural gas - production:
  0 cu m (2009 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 113
  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: 72
  Natural gas - imports:
  0 cu m (2009 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 170
  Natural gas - proved reserves:
  0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.)
  country comparison to the world: 120

- ## Communications :: CURACAO

- Telephone system:
  international: country code - 599
  Broadcast media:
  government-run Telecuracao operates a TV station and a radio station; several privately owned radio stations
  Internet country code:
  .cw
  Internet users:
  NA

- ## Transportation :: CURACAO

- Roadways:
  total: 550 km
  country comparison to the world: 193
  Ports and terminals:
  major seaport(s): Willemstad
  oil terminal(s): Bullen Baai (Curacao Terminal)
  bulk cargo port(s): Fuik Bay (phosphate rock)

- ## Military :: CURACAO

- Military branches:
  no regular military forces; the Dutch Government controls foreign and defense policy (2012)
  Military service age and obligation:
  no conscription (2010)
  Military - note:
  defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands