Map of Netherlands Antilles | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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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 called Saint Martin is an overseas collectivity of France.


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Location: Caribbean two island groups in the Caribbean Sea - composed of five islands Curacao and Bonaire located off the coast of Venezuela and Sint Maarten Saba and Sint Eustatius lie east of the US Virgin Islands

Geographic coordinates
Bonaire: 12 12 N, 68 15 W
Curacao: 12 10 N, 69 00 W
Saba: 17 38 N, 63 14 W
Sint eustatius: 17 30 N, 62 58 W
Sint maarten: 18 04 N, 63 04 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 960 km²
Land: 960 km²
Water: 0 km²
Note: includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten (Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin)
Comparative: more than five times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries
Total: 15 km
Border countries: (1) Saint Martin 15 km

Coastline: 364 km

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

Climate: tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds

Terrain: generally hilly volcanic interiors

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

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

Land use
Arable land: 10%
Permanent crops: 0%
Other: 90% (2005)

Irrigated land: NA

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: Sint Maarten Saba and Sint Eustatius are subject to hurricanes from July to October; Curacao and Bonaire are south of Caribbean hurricane belt and are rarely threatened

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); the island of Saint Martin is the smallest landmass in the world shared by two independent states the French territory of Saint Martin and the Dutch territory of Sint Maarten


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Population: 225,369 (July 2008 est.)
Growth rate: 0.754% (2008 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Dutch Antillean
Adjective: Dutch Antillean

Ethnic groups: mixed black 85% other 15% (includes Carib Amerindian white East Asian)

Languages: Papiamento 65.4% (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect) English 15.9% (widely spoken) Dutch 7.3% (official) Spanish 6.1% Creole 1.6% other 1.9% unspecified 1.8% (2001 census)

Religions: Roman Catholic 72% Pentecostal 4.9% Protestant 3.5% Seventh-Day Adventist 3.1% Methodist 2.9% Jehovah's Witnesses 1.7% other Christian 4.2% Jewish 1.3% other or unspecified 1.2% none 5.2% (2001 census)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 23.2% (male 26,749/female 25,467)
15-64 years: 67.5% (male 73,319/female 78,842)
65 years and over: 9.3% (male 8,541/female 12,451) (2008 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 33.4 years
Male: 31.6 years
Female: 35.2 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.754% (2008 est.)

Birth rate: 14.37 births/1000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 6.43 deaths/1000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.39 migrant(s)/1000 population (2008 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: NA

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male/female
Total population: 0.93 male/female (2008 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 9.36 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 10.04 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 8.64 deaths/1000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 76.45 years
Male: 74.15 years
Female: 78.87 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.98 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 96.7%
Male: 96.7%
Female: 96.8% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 14 years
Male: 14 years
Female: 15 years (2002)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Netherlands Antilles
Local long form: none
Local short form: Nederlandse Antillen
Former: Curacao and Dependencies

Government type: parliamentary

Capital
Name: Willemstad (on Curacao)
Geographic coordinates: 12 06 N, 68 56 W
Time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions
Note: each island has its own government

Dependent areas

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

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)

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: 18 years of age; universal

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 Emily de JONGH-ELHAGE (since 26 March 2006)
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 27 January 2006 (next to be held by 2010)
Note: government coalition - PAR, PNP, DP-St. M, UPB, WIPM Saba, DP-St. E

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 27 January 2006 (next to be held in 2010)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PAR 5, MAN 3, FOL 2, Forsa Korsou 2, National Alliance 2, PNP 2, UPB 2, DP-St. E 1, DP-St. M 1, PDB 1, WIPM 1
Note: the government is a coalition of several parties

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

Political parties and leaders
Bonaire: Democratic Party of Bonaire or PDB [Jopi ABRAHAM]; Patriotic Union of Bonaire or UPB [Ramonsito BOOI]
Curacao: Ban Vota [Norbert GEORGE]; C-93 [Stanley BROWN]; Democratic Party of Curacao or DP [Errol HERNANDEZ]; E Mayoria [Aurelio PEDRO]; Forsa Korsou [Nelson NAVARRO]; Liste Ni'un Paso Atras [Nelson PIERRE]; Movemiento Patriotiko Korsou [Reginald LAK]; New Antilles Movement or MAN [Charles COOPER]; Partido Akshon Pa Prosperidat I Seguridat [Sonja BERKEMEYER]; Partido Laboral Krusada Popular or PLKP [Errol COVA]; Party for the Restructured Antilles or PAR [Emily de JONGH-ELHAGE]; People's National Party or PNP [Ersilia DE LANNOOY]; Pidjin [Jasmin PINEDO]; Pueblo Soberano [Herman WIELS]; Workers' Liberation Front or FOL [Anthony GODETT]
Saba: Saba Labor Party [Akilah LEVENSTONE]; Windward Islands People's Movement or WIPM [Ray HASSELL]
Sint eustatius: Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius or DP-St. E [Julian WOODLEY]; Progressive Labor Party [Clyde VAN PUTTEN]; St. Eustatius Alliance [Ingrid HOUTMAN-WHITFIELD]
Sint maarten: Democratic Party of Sint Maarten or DP-St. M [Sarah WESCOTT-WILLIAMS]; Freedom Slate of National Democratic Party [Theophilus PRIEST]; National Alliance or NA [William MARLIN]; People's Progressive Alliance or PPA [Gracita ARRINDELL]; St. Maarten People's Party [Johan LEONARD]; United People's Labor Party [Bienvenido RICHARDSON]
Note: political parties are indigenous to each island

International organization participation: Caricom (observer) ILO IMF Interpol IOC UNESCO (associate) UNWTO (associate) UPU WCL WCO WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands); note - Mr. Jeffrey CORRION Minister Plenipotentiary for Aruba at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
From the us chief of mission: Consul General Robert E. SORENSON
From the us consulates general: J. B. Gorsiraweg #1, Willemstad, Curacao
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao
From the us telephone: [599] (9) 461-3,066
From the us fax: [599] (9) 461-6,489

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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 eight years the islands enjoy a high per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure compared with other countries in the region. Most of the oil Netherlands Antilles imports for its refineries come from Venezuela. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported the US Italy 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. The Netherlands provides financial aid to support the economy.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $2.8 billion (2004 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 1% (2004 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $16,000 (2004 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1%
Industry: 15%
Services: 84% (2000 est.)

Agriculture products: aloes sorghum peanuts vegetables tropical fruit

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

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 83,600 (2005)
By occupation agriculture: 1%
By occupation industry: 20%
By occupation services: 79% (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate: 17% (2002 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $757.9 million
Expenditures: $949.5 million (2004)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.1% (2003 est.)

Central bank discount rate: NA (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 9.21% (31 December 2007)

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit: $2.927 billion (31 December 2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares: $488.6 billion (2003)

Current account balance

Exports: $3.71 billion f.o.b. (2006)
Commodities: petroleum products
Partners: US 18.9% Mexico 13.3% Panama 11.4% Singapore 6.9% Haiti 6.6% Bahamas The 5.3% (2007)

Imports: $15.74 billion f.o.b. (2006)
Commodities: crude petroleum food manufactures
Partners: Venezuela 59.1% US 17.7% Brazil 7.1% (2007)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $2.68 billion (2004)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $NA

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $NA

Exchange rates: Netherlands Antillean guilders (ANG) per US dollar - NA (2007) 1.79 (2006) 1.79 (2005) 1.79 (2004) 1.79 (2003)


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Electricity
Production: 1.195 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Consumption: 992 million kWh (2006 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2007 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2007 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Consumption: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2006 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 81,000 (2001)
Mobile cellular: 200,000 (2004)

Telephone system
General assessment: generally adequate facilities
Domestic: extensive interisland microwave radio relay links
International: country code - 599; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and the Americas-2 submarine cable systems provide connectivity to Central America, parts of South America and the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .an
Hosts: 47,597 (2008)
Users: 2000 (2000)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 16 years of age for National Guard recruitment; no conscription (2004)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 5 (2007)
With paved runways total: 5
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2007)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 845

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 147
By type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 2, cargo 72, carrier 19, chemical tanker 2, container 8, liquefied gas 1, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 27, roll on/roll off 6, specialized tanker 3
Foreign owned: 123 (Belgium 1, Cuba 1, Cyprus 21, Denmark 2, Germany 43, Hong Kong 2, Netherlands 38, Norway 3, Sweden 1, Turkey 10, US 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals: Bopec Terminal Willemstad


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

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