Map of Netherlands Antilles | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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 (whose northern portion is named Saint Martin and is part of Guadeloupe).


top of page


Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area

Land boundaries: none

Coastline: 364 km

Maritime claims: Exclusive fishing zone:12 nm; Territorial sea:12 nm

Climate: tropical; modified by northeast trade winds

Terrain: generally hilly, volcanic interiors

Elevation

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

Land use: arable land: 8%; permanent crops: 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 92%

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: defense is responsibility of the Netherlands


top of page


Population: 183,872 (July 1991), growth rate 0.2% (1991)

Nationality: noun--Netherlands Antillean(s); adjective--Netherlands Antillean

Ethnic groups: mixed African 85%; remainder Carib Indian, European, Latin, and Oriental

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

Religions: predominantly Roman Catholic; Protestant, Jewish, Seventh-Day Adventist

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 18 births/1000 population (1991)

Death rate: 5 deaths/1000 population (1991)

Net migration rate: - 10 migrants/1000 population (1991)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: Curacao and Bonaire are south of Caribbean hurricane belt, so rarely threatened; Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are subject to hurricanes from July to October

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 8 deaths/1000 live births (1991)

Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 79 years female (1991)

Total fertility rate: 2.0 children born/woman (1991)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: 94% (male 94%, female 93%) age 15 and over can read and write (1981)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


top of page


Country name: conventional long form: none

Government type: part of the Dutch realm--full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954

Capital: Willemstad

Administrative divisions: none (part of the Dutch realm)

Dependent areas

Independence: none (part of the Dutch realm)

National holiday: Queen's Day, 30 April (1938)

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Executive branch: Chief of State--Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Jaime SALEH (since October 1989); Head of Government--Prime Minister Maria LIBERIA-PETERS (since 17 May 1988, previously served from September 1984 to November 1985)

Legislative branch: Royal Netherlands Navy, Marine Corps, Royal Netherlands Air Force, National Guard, Police Force

Judicial branch: Joint High Court of Justice

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: CARICOM (observer), ECLAC (associate), ICFTU, INTERPOL, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCL, WMO, WTO (associate)

Diplomatic representation
In the us: as an autonomous part of the Netherlands, Netherlands Antillean interests in the US are represented by the Netherlands; US--Consul General Sharon P. WILKINSON; Consulate General at Sint Anna Boulevard 19, Willemstad, Curacao (mailing address P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao); telephone [599] (9) 613,066

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 Netherlands AntillesNetherlands Antilles

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


top of page


Economy overview: Tourism, petroleum refining, and offshore finance are the mainstays of the economy. The islands enjoy a high per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure compared with other countries in the region. Unlike many Latin American countries, the Netherlands Antilles has avoided large international debt. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, with the US being the major supplier.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: hampered by poor soils and scarcity of water; chief products--aloes, sorghum, peanuts, fresh vegetables, tropical fruit; not self-sufficient in food

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

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 89,000; government 65%, industry and commerce 28% (1983)

Unemployment rate: 20% (1988)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $454 million; expenditures $525 million, including capital expenditures of $42 million (1989 est.)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $959 million (f.o.b., 1988)
Commodities: petroleum products 98%
Partners: US 55%, UK 7%, Jamaica 5%

Imports: $935 million (c.i.f., 1988)
Commodities: crude petroleum 64%, food, manufactures
Partners: Venezuela 52%, Nigeria 15%, US 12%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $701.2 million (December 1987)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Netherlands Antillean guilders, gulden, or florins (NAf.) per US$1--1.79 (fixed rate since 1989; 1.80 fixed rate 1971-88)


top of page


Electricity access

Electricity production

Electricity consumption

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 7 total, 7 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: 54 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 431,958 GRT/441,056 DWT; includes 4 passenger, 19 cargo, 8 refrigerated cargo, 6 container, 6 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 7 multifunction large-load carrier, 1 chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 2 bulk; note--all but a few are foreign owned, mostly in the Netherlands

Ports and terminals


top of page


Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs