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).

Area
Total: 960 km²; Land area: 960 km²; includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and; Sint Maarten (Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin); Comparative area: slightly less than 5.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: none

Coastline: 364 km

Maritime claims: Exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm; Disputes: none

Climate: tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds

Terrain: generally hilly, volcanic interiors

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%

Population: 184,325 (July 1992), growth rate 0.3% (1992)

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

Birth rate: 18 births/1000 population (1992)

Death rate: 6 deaths/1000 population (1992)

Net migration rate: - 9 migrants/1000 population (1992)

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; Note: consists of two island groups - Curacao and Bonaire are located off the coast of Venezuela, and Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius lie 800 km to the north

Infant mortality rate: 11 deaths/1000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male, 77 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate: 2.0 children born/woman (1992)

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

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)

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

Suffrage: universal at age 18; Staten: last held on 16 March 1990 (next to be held March 1994); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (22 total) PNP 7, FOL-SI 3, UPB 3,; MAN 2, DP-St. M 2, DP 1, SPM 1, WIPM 1, DP-St. E 1, Nos Patria 1; note - the government of Prime Minister Maria LIBERIA-PETERS is a coalition of several parties

Executive branch: Dutch monarch, governor, prime minister, vice prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch: legislature (Staten)

Judicial branch: Joint High Court of Justice

International organization participation: CARICOM (observer), ECLAC (associate), ICFTU, INTERPOL, IOC,; UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCL, WMO, WTO (associate); Diplomatic representation: 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; FAX 599 (9) 616,489

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

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 as 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.; GDP: exchange rate conversion - $1.4 billion, per capita $7,600; real growth rate 1.5% (1990 est.)

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: growth rate NA%

Labor force: 89,000; government 65%, industry and commerce 28% (1983); Organized labor: 60-70% of labor force; Long-form name: none

Unemployment rate: 21% (1991)

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

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $1.1 billion (f.o.b., 1988)
Commodoties: petroleum products 98%
Partners: US 40%, Italy 6%, The Bahamas 5%

Imports: $1.4 billion (c.i.f., 1988)
Commodoties: crude petroleum 64%, food, manufactures
Partners: Venezuela 42%, US 18%, Netherlands 6%

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

Electricity
Production: 125,000 kW capacity; 365 million kWh produced, 1,985 kWh per capita (1991)

Airports: 7 total, 6 usable; 6 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

Merchant marine: 80 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 607,010; GRT/695,864 DWT; includes 4 passenger, 27 cargo, 13 refrigerated cargo, 7 container, 9 roll-on/roll-off, 11 multifunction large-load carrier, 4 chemical tanker, 3 liquefied gas, 1 bulk, 1 oil tanker; note - all but a few are foreign owned, mostly in the Netherlands; Civil air: 8 major transport aircraft