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 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.

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: 800 km²
Rank: 187
Land: 800 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

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

Population: 227,049 (July 2009 est.)
Rank: 182
Growth rate: 0.732% (2009 est.)
Growth rate rank: 144
Below poverty line: NA%

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)

Age structure
0-14 years: 22.7%
15-64 years: 67.7% (male 74,183/female 79,434)
65 years and over: 9.6% (male 8,875/female 12,966) (2009 est.)

Median age
Total: 33.7 years
Male: 31.9 years
Female: 35.5 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.732% (2009 est.)
Rank: 144

Birth rate: 14.19 births/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 149

Death rate: 6.48 deaths/1000 population (July 2009 est.)
Rank: 148

Net migration rate: -0.39 migrant(s)/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 105

Urbanization
Urban population: 93% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 1.6% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Environment
Current issues: NA

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 9.09 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 156
Male: 9.76 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 8.39 deaths/1000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 76.65 years
Rank: 65
Male: 74.33 years
Female: 79.09 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.97 children born/woman (2009 est.)
Rank: 134

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

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)

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

Administrative divisions: none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Note: each island has its own government

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands ; 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: unicameral States or Staten (22 seats Curacao 14 Bonaire 3 St. Maarten 3 St. Eustatius 1 Saba 1; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
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 consulate 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

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.)
Rank: 175

Real gdp growth rate: 1% (2004 est.)
Rank: 175

Real gdp per capita: $16,000 (2004 est.)
Rank: 74

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: 91,470 (2007)
Rank: 177
By occupation agriculture: 1%
By occupation industry: 20%
By occupation services: 79% (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate: 15.5% (2002 est.)
Rank: 157

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

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

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.1% (2003 est.)
Rank: 19

Central bank discount rate: NA%

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 9.21% (31 December 2007)
Rank: 90

Stock of domestic credit:

Market value of publicly traded shares: $488.6 billion (2003)
Rank: 23

Exports: $3.71 billion (2006)
Rank: 119
Commodities: petroleum products
Partners: US 19% Guatemala 10.6% Dominican Republic 9.3% Haiti 7.4% Singapore 6.7% Bahamas The 5.9% Italy 4.5% Honduras 4.4% Mexico 4.1% (2008)

Imports: $15.74 billion (2006)
Rank: 79
Commodities: crude petroleum food manufactures
Partners: Venezuela 58.8% US 19% Brazil 5.9% (2008)

Debt external: $2.68 billion (2004)
Rank: 130

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)

Electricity
Production: 1.22 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Production rank: 142
Consumption: 1.013 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption rank: 144
Exports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Production rank: 154
Consumption: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 142
Exports: 0 m³ (2008)
Exports rank: 139
Imports: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Imports rank: 104
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2009 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 149

Telephones
Main lines in use: 88,000 (2008)
Main lines in use rank: 147
Mobile cellular: 200,000 (2004)
Mobile cellular rank: 171

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)

Internet
Country code: .an
Hosts: 71,671 (2009)
Hosts rank: 77

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

Airports: 5 (2009)
Rank: 179
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 (2009)

Roadways
Total: 845

Merchant marine
Total: 147
Rank: 42
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

Disputes international: none

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