Map of Curaçao | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: The original Arawak Indian settlers who arrived on the island from South America in about 1000, were largely enslaved by the Spanish early in the 16th century and forcibly relocated to other colonies where labor was needed. Curacao was seized by the Dutch from the Spanish in 1634. 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.


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Location: Caribbean, an island in the Caribbean Sea, 55 km off the coast of Venezuela

Geographic coordinates: 12 10 N, 69 00 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 444 km²
Land: 444 km²
Water: 0 km²
Rank: 199
Comparative: more than twice the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0

Coastline: 364 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 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
Lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Highest point: Mt. Christoffel 372 m

Natural resources: calcium phosphates, aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit

Land use
Agricultural land: 10% (2011 est.)
Forest: 0% (2011 est.)
Other: 90% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land
Note: NA

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: Curacao is south of the Caribbean hurricane belt and is rarely threatened

Geography
Note: Curacao is a part of the Windward Islands (southern) group in the Lesser Antilles


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Population
Distribution: largest concentration on the island is Willemstad; smaller settlements near the coast can be found throughout the island, particularly in the northwest: 151,345 (July 2020 est.)
Rank: 187
Growth rate: 0.35% (2020 est.)
Growth rate rank: 167

Nationality
Noun: Curacaoan
Adjective: Curacaoan; Dutch

Ethnic groups: Curacaoan 75.4%, Dutch 6%, Dominican 3.6%, Colombian 3%, Bonairean, Sint Eustatian, Saban 1.5%, Haitian 1.2%, Surinamese 1.2%, Venezuelan 1.1%, Aruban 1.1%, other 5%, unspecified 0.9% (2011 est.)

Languages: Papiamento (official) (a creole language that is a mixture of Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, English, and, to a lesser extent, French, as well as elements of African languages and the language of the Arawak) 79.9%, Dutch (official) 8.8%, Spanish 5.6%, English (official) 3.1%, other 2.9%, unspecified .3% (2001 census)
Note: data represent most spoken language in household

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.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 19.68% (male 15,227/female 14,553)
15-24 years: 13.38% (male 10,438/female 9,806)
25-54 years: 36.55% (male 27,733/female 27,589)
55-64 years: 13.88% (male 9,130/female 11,873)
65 years and over: 16.52% (male 10,127/female 14,869) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 55.9
Youth dependency ratio: 28.3
Elderly dependency ratio: 27.5
Potential support ratio: 3.6 (2020 est.)

Median age
Total: 36.7 years
Male: 34.4 years
Female: 39.5 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 77

Population growth rate: 0.35% (2020 est.)
Rank: 167

Birth rate: 13.4 births/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 138

Death rate: 8.7 deaths/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 69

Net migration rate: -1.3 migrant(s)/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 147

Population distribution: largest concentration on the island is Willemstad; smaller settlements near the coast can be found throughout the island, particularly in the northwest

Urbanization
Urban population: 89.1% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.) (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 0.62% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 144,000 WILLEMSTAD (capital) (2018)

Environment
Current issues: problems in waste management that threaten environmental sustainability on the island include pollution of marine areas from domestic sewage, inadequate sewage treatment facilities, industrial effluents and agricultural runoff, the mismanagement of toxic substances, and ineffective regulations; the refinery in Sint Anna Bay, at the eastern edge of Willemstad’s large natural harbor, processes heavy crude oil from Venezuela; it has caused significant environmental damage to the surrounding area because of neglect and a lack of strict environmental controls; the release of noxious fumes and potentially hazardous particles causes schools downwind to regularly close

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.77 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 7 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 7.5 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 6.5 deaths/1000 live births (2020 est.)
Rank: 159

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 79 years
Male: 76.6 years
Female: 81.4 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 62

Total fertility rate: 2 children born/woman (2020 est.)
Rank: 112

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source
Total:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access
Total:

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

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 4.9% of GDP (2013)
Rank: 63

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 17 years
Male: 18 years
Female: 18 years (2013)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Country of Curacao
Conventional short form: Curacao
Local long form: Land Curacao (Dutch); Pais Korsou (Papiamento)
Local short form: Curacao (Dutch); Korsou (Papiamento)
Former: Netherlands Antilles; Curacao and Dependencies
Etymology: the most plausible name derivation is that the island was designated Isla de la Curacion (Spanish meaning Island of the Cure or Island of Healing) or Ilha da Curacao (Portuguese meaning the same) to reflect the locales function as a recovery stop for sick crewmen

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital
Name: Willemstad
Geographic coordinates: 12 06 N, 68 55 W
Time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time): etymology - named after Prince William II of Orange (1626-1650), who served as stadtholder (Dutch head of state) from 1647 to 1650, shortly after the the Dutch captured Curacao from the Spanish in 1634

Administrative divisions: none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Note: Curacao is one of four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; the other three are the Netherlands, Aruba, and Sint Maarten

Dependent areas

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

National holiday: King's Day (birthday of King WILLEM-ALEXANDER), 27 April (1967); note - King's or Queen's Day are observed on the ruling monarch's birthday; celebrated on 26 April if 27 April is a Sunday

Constitution
History: 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 semi-autonomous entity within the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Legal system: based on Dutch civil law

International law organization participation

Citizenship: see the Netherlands

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 sworn-in by the governor
Electionsappointments: the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually elected prime minister by the Parliament of Curacao; next election scheduled for 2016

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral Parliament of Curacao (21 seats; members directly elected by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms)
Elections: last held on 28 April 2017 (next to be held in 2021); early elections were held after Prime Minister Hensley KOEIMAN resigned on 12 February 2017, when the coalition government lost its majority
Election results: percent of vote by party - PAR 23.3%, MAN 20.4%, MFK 19.9%, KdnT 9.4%, PIN 5.3%, PS 5.1%, MP 4.9%, other 11.7%; seats by party - PAR 6, MAN 5, MFK 5, KdnT 2, PIN 1, PS 1, MP 1; composition - men 15, women 6, percent of women 28.6%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten, and of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba or Joint Court of Justice (sits as a 3-judge panel); final appeals heard by the Supreme Court, in The Hague, Netherlands
Judge selection and term of office: Joint Court judges appointed by the monarch for life
Subordinate courts: first instance courts, appeals court; specialized courts

Political parties and leaders: Korsou di Nos Tur or KdnT [Amparo dos SANTOS]Mayors for Liberec Region (Starostove pro Liberecky Kraj) or SLK [Martin PUTA]Movementu Futuro Korsou or MFK [Gerrit SCHOTTE]Movementu Progresivo or MP [Marylin MOSES]Movishon Antia Nobo or MAN [Hensley KOEIMAN]Partido Antia Restruktura or PAR [Eugene RHUGGENAATH]Partido Inovashon Nashonal or PIN [Suzanne CAMELIA-ROMER]Partido pa Adelanto I Inovashon Soshal or PAIS [Alex ROSARIA]Partido Nashonal di Pueblo or PNP [Humphrey DAVELAAR]Pueblo Soberano or PSUn Korsou Hustu [Omayra LEEFLANG]

International organization participation: Caricom (observer), FATF, ILO, ITU, UNESCO (associate), UPU

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
From the us chief of mission: Consul General Allen GREENBERG (since June 2019); note - also accredited to Aruba and Sint Maarten
From the us telephone: [599] (9) 4,613,066
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 158, J.B. Gorsiraweg #1
From the us FAX: [599] (9) 4,616,489

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 symbols: laraha (citrus tree); national colors: blue, yellow, white

National anthem
Name: Himmo di Korsou (Anthem of Curacao)
Lyricsmusic: 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 heritage


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Economy overview

Real gdp purchasing power parity
Real:

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 82

Real gdp per capita: $15,000 (2004 est.)
Rank: 93

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 66.9% (2016 est.)
Government consumption: 33.6% (2016 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 19.4% (2016 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0% (2016 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 17.5% (2016 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -37.5% (2016 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 0.7% (2012 est.)
Industry: 15.5% (2012 est.)
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
Note: NA

Labor force: 73,010 (2013)
Rank: 184
By occupation agriculture: 1.2%
By occupation industry: 16.9%
By occupation services: 81.8% (2008 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 168

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Surplus or deficit: -0.4% (of GDP) (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 56

Taxes and other revenues: 16.6% (of GDP) (2012 est.)
Rank: 177

Public debt:
Rank: 158

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 130

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:
Rank: 116

Exports:
Rank: 166
Commodities: petroleum products

Imports:
Rank: 13
Commodities: crude petroleum, food, manufactures

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $0 (31 December 2017 est.)
Rank: 191

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2020)
Production: 1.785 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Production rank: 139
Consumption: 968 million kWh (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 156
Exports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)
Exports rank: 125
Imports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)
Imports rank: 139

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 125
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 112
Crude oil imports: 191,300 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 31
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2011 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 121

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 189,800 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 53
Products consumption: 70,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 93
Products exports: 167,500 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 33
Products imports: 45,800 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 85

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Production rank: 121
Consumption: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 137
Exports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Exports rank: 91
Imports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Imports rank: 114
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2011 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 126

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 57,443
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 38.09 (2019 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 155
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 174,260
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 115.55 (2019 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 186

Telephone system

Broadcast media: government-run TeleCuracao operates a TV station and a radio station; 2 other privately owned TV stations and several privately owned radio stations (2019)

Internet
Country code: .cw
Users total: 102,359
Users percent of population: 68.13% (July 2018 est.)
Users rank: 179

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 51,836
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 35 (2018 est.)
Rank: 134


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces: no regular military forces; the Dutch Government controls foreign and defense policy; the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard (DCCG) provides maritime security (2019)

Military service age and obligation: no conscription (2010)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 2 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 11

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: PJ (2016)

Airports: 1 (2020)
Rank: 218
With paved runways total: 1 (2019)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 550 km
Rank: 193

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 74
By type: general cargo 9, oil tanker 1, other 64 (2019)
Rank: 100

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Willemstad
Oil terminal: Bullen Baai (Curacao Terminal)
Bulk cargo port: Fuik Bay (phosphate rock)


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs