1985 Edition

Agriculture

animal husbandry predominates; main crops — horticultural crops, Netherlands (continued) Netherlands Antilles grains, potatoes, sugar beets; food shortages— grains, fats, oils

little production

Aid

donor — bilateral economic aid committed (ODA and OOF), $10.5 billion (1970-81)

bilateral ODA and OOF commitments (1970-79), economic — Western (non-US) countries $353 million

Airfields

29 total, 28 usable; 19 with permanent-surface runways; 12 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 4 with runways 1,2202,439 m

1 total, 7 usable; 7 with permanentsurface runways; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Area

40,844 km2; the size of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island combined; 70% cultivated, 8% forest, 8% inland water, 5% waste, 9% other

Aruba

People's Electoral Movement (MEP), G. F. "Betico" Croes; Aruban Patriotic Party (PPA), Benny Nisbet; Aruban People's Party (AVP), Henny Eman; Democratic Party of Aruba (PDA), Dr. Leo Berlinski *

Bonaire

Union Party of Bonaire (UPB), Charles E. R. Ellis; Democratic Party of Bonaire, Jopie Abraham; New Democratic Action (ADEN)

Branches

executive (Queen and Cabinet of Ministers), which is responsible to bicameral parliament (States General) consisting of a First Chamber (75 indirectly elected members) and a Second Chamber (150 directly elected members); independent judiciary; coalition governments are usual

Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy/Marine Corps, Royal Netherlands Air Force

federal executive power rests nominally with Governor (appointed by the Crown), actual power exercised by eightmember Council of Ministers or cabinet presided over by Minister-President; legislative power rests with 22-member Legislative Council; independent court system under control of Chief Justice of Supreme Court of Justice (administrative functions under Minister of Justice); each island territory has island council headed by Lieutenant Gover-

Budget

(1984 est.) revenues, $38.5 billion; expenditures, $47.6 billion; deficit, $9.2 billion, at exchange rate of 3.4160 guilders= US$1 (October 1984); (1983 est.) revenues, $43. 1 billion; expenditures, $53.9 billion; deficit, $10.8 billion

(1982) public sector revenues, $373 million; public sector expenditures, $378 million

Capital

Amsterdam, but government resides at The Hague

Willemstad, Curacao

Civil air

98 major transport air craft

5 major transport aircraft

Coastline

451 km People

364 km People

Communists

CPN claims about 27,000 members

small leftist groups

Crude steel

8.6 million metric ton capacity (1981); 8.2 million metric tons produced, 586 kg per capita (1983)

Curaqao

Movement for a New Antilles (MAN), Domenico Felip Martina; Democratic Party (DP), Augustin Diaz; People's National Party (PNP), Maria Liberia-Peters; Frente Obrero de Liberacion (FOL), Wilson "Papa" Godett; Social Democratic Party (PSD), Efraim Cintje

Elections

must be held at least every four years for lower house (most recent held 8 September 1982); following an amendment to the constitution that took effect in 1983, elections are held for the upper house every four years (most recent August 1983) Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), Chairman Pieter Bukman; Labor (PvdA), Max van den Berg; Liberal (VVD), Jan Kamminga; Democrats 66 (D'66), Jacob Kohnstamm; Communist (CPN), Henk Hoekstra; Pacifist Socialist (PSP), Bram van der Lek; Political Reformed (SGP), Hette G. Abma; Reformed Political Union (GPV), Jan van der Jagt; Radical Party (PPR), Herman Verbeek; Democratic Socialist 70 (DS'70), Z. Hartog; Rightist Peoples Party (RVP), Hendrik Koekoek; Reformed Political Federation (RPF), P. Lamgeler; Center Party (CP), H. Janmatt; Evangelical People's Party (EVP), J. Renes

federal elections mandatorily held every four years, last regular held 25 June 1982; island council elections every four years, last held 25 April 1983 Political parties and leaders: political parties are indigenous to each island:

Electric power

19,546,000 kW capacity (1984); 61.354 billion kWh produced (1984), 4,250 kWh per capita

433,000 kW capacity (1984); 1.517 billion kWh produced (1984), 6,000 kWh per capita

Ethnic divisions

99% Dutch, 1% Indonesian and other

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

Exports

$71.6 billion (f.o.b., 1983); foodstuffs, machinery, chemicals, petroleum products, natural gas, textiles

$6.0 billion (f.o.b., 1980); 96% petroleum products, phosphate

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications

calendar year Communications

Fishing

catch 328,000 metric tons (1983); exports of fish and fish products, $416. 1 million (1982); imports, $150.2 million (1982)

GNP

$131 billion (1983), $9,120 per capita; 61.1% consumption, 18.5% investment, 17.7% government, —.4% inventories, 3.1% net foreign demand, 0.8% real GNP growth (1983)

$131.6 billion (1983), $9,140 per capita; real growth rate, 7.0% (1978)

Government leaders

BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard, Queen (since April 1980); Ruud LUBBERS, Prime Minister (since November 1982)

Maria LIBERIAPETERS, Prime Minister (since September 1984); Dr. Rene ROMER, Governor (since 1983)

Highways

108,360 km total; 92,525 km paved (including 2,185 km of limited access, divided highways); 15,835 km gravel, crushed stone

950 km total; 300 km paved, 650 km gravel and earth

Imports

$67.8 billion (c.i.f., 1983); machinery, transportation equipment, crude petroleum, foodstuffs, chemicals, raw cotton, base metals and ores, pulp

$5.9 billion (f.o.b., 1980); 64% crude petroleum, food, manufactures

Inland waterways

6,340 km, of which 35% is usable by craft of 900 metric ton capacity or larger

Labor force

4.9 million (1981); 30% manufacturing, 24% services, 16% commerce, 10% agriculture, 9% construction, 7% transportation and communications, 4% other; 11.3% unemployment, September 1982

89,000(1983); 65% government, 28% industry and commerce, 1.5% agriculture; unemployment about 16% on Curacao and about 10% on Aruba (1984 est.)

Land boundaries

1,022 km Water

Language

Dutch

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

Legal system

civil law system incorporating French penal theory; constitution of 1815 frequently amended, reissued 1947; judicial review in the Supreme Court of legislation of lower order than Acts of Parliament; legal education at six law schools; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence; constitution adopted 1954

Limits of territorial waters (claimed)

3 nm (fishing 200 nm)

3 nm, fishing 200 nm

Literacy

99%

95%

Major industries

food processing, metal and engineering products, electrical and electronic machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, natural gas

petroleum refining on Curacao and Aruba; petroleum transshipment facilities on Curacao, Aruba, and Bonaire; tourism on Curacao, Aruba, and St. Martin; light manufacturing on Curacao and Aruba

Major trade partners

(1983)exports— 71.3% EC (13.6% BelgiumLuxembourg, 10.3% France, 9.0% UK), 4.2% US, 1.9% Communist; imports— 53.2% EC (22.0% FRG, 10.7% Belgium-Luxembourg, 8.7% UK), 9.1% US, 5.8% Communist

exports — 46% US, 2% Canada, 1% Netherlands; imports — 35% Venezuela, 11% US, 4% Netherlands (1977)

Member of

ADB, Benelux, Council of Europe, DAC, EC, ECE, EIB, ELDO, EMS, ESRO, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA, IDE— Inter-American Development Bank, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INRO, INTELSAT, International Lead and Zinc Study Group, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITC, ITU, IWC— International Wheat Council (with respect to interests of the Netherlands Antilles and Suriname), NATO, OAS (observer), OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG Economy

EC (associate), INTERPOL; associated with UN through the Netherlands; UPU, WMO Economy

Military budget

for fiscal year ending 31 December 1983, $4.3 billion; about 9.4% of central government budget Islands not shown in true geographical position Caribbean Sea Aruba \\Curacao WILLEMSTACT1--^ Sint Maarten *• Phtlipsburg Saba • Sint £ ustatiuz Bonaire See regional mip III Land 1,821 kmz; more than one and one-half times the size of New York City; 95% waste, urban, or other; 5% arable Water

Military manpower

males 15-49, 3,985,000; 3,381,000 fit for military service; 131,000 reach military age (20) annually

males 15-49, 63,000; 36,000 fit for military service; about 2,600 reach military age (20) annually

Monetary conversion rate

3.4160 guilders=US$l (October 1984)

1.8 Netherlands Antillean florins (NAF)=US$1 (February 1984)

National holiday

Queen's Day, 30 April

Nationality

noun — Netherlander(s); adjective— Netherlands

noun — Netherlands Antillean(s); adjective — Netherlands Antillean

Official name

Kingdom of the Netherlands

Netherlands Antilles

Organized labor

33% of labor force Government

60-70% of labor force Government

Other political or pressure groups

large multinational firms; Federation of Netherlands Trade Union Movement (comprising Socialist and Catholic trade unions) and a Protestant trade union; Federation of Catholic and Protestant Employers Associations; the nondenominational Federation of Netherlands Enter prises; and IKV — Interchurch Peace Council

Pipelines

418 km crude oil; 965 km refined products; 10,230 km natural gas

Political subdivisions

1 1 provinces and 4 special municipalities governed by centrally appointed commissioners of Queen

four island territories— Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, and the Windward Islands — St. Eustatius, southern part of St. Martin (northern part is French), Saba

Population

14,467,000 (July 1985), average annual growth rate 0.4%

256,000 (July 1985), average annual growth rate 1.2%

Ports

8 major, 10 minor

5 major (Willemstad, Oranjestad, St. Nicolaas, Philipsburg, Caracabaai); 6 minor

Railroads

3,016 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; 2,850 km government owned (NS), 1,799 km electrified, 1,800 km double track; 166 km privately owned

none

Religion

40% Roman Catholic, 31% Protestant, 24% unaffiliated

predominantly Roman Catholic; Protestant, Jewish, Adventist

Shortages

crude petroleum, raw cotton, base metals and ores, pulp, pulpwood, lumber, feedgrains, oilseeds

Suffrage

universal over age 18

universal age 18 and over

Telecommunications

highly developed, well maintained, and integrated; extensive system of multiconductor cables, supplemented by radio-relay links; 8.03 million telephones (56.0 per 100 popl.); 7 AM, 33 FM, 29 TV stations; 9 submarine cables; 1 satellite station with 2 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean antennas Defense Forces

generally adequate telecom facilities; extensive interisland radio-relay links; 56,000 telephones (21.1 per 100 popl.); 1 1 AM, 3 FM, 4 TV stations; 2 submarine cables; 2 Atlantic Ocean satellite stations Defense Forces Defense is responsibility of the Netherlands

Type

constitutional monarchy •

autonomous territory within Kingdom of the Netherlands, enjoying complete domestic autonomy

Voting strength

(1982 election) 30.8% PvdA (47 seats), 29.3% CDA (45 seats), 23% VVD (36 seats), 4.3% D'66 (6 seats), 2.3% PSP (3 seats), 1.9% SGP (3 seats), 1.8% CPN (3 seats), 1.7% PPR (2 seats), 1.3% RDF (2 seats), 0.8% GPF (1 seat), 0.8% CP (1 seat); 0.7% EVP (1 seat); two members of the CDA were expelled from the party in 1984, and they are now serving as independents

in June 1984 the government of Prime Minister Don Martina lost its majority in the Legislative Council; an interim coalition government was appointed by the Governor; the coalition controls 15 of 22 seats in the Council and consists of members of the PNP, DP, MEP, DPWI, and UPB parties

Windward Islands

Windward Islands Democratic Party (DPWI), Leo Chance and Claude Wathey; United Federation of Antillean Workers (UFA); Windward Islands People's Movement (WIPM); and others