1981 Edition

Area

1,020 km2; 5% arable, 95% waste, urban, or other

22,015 km8; 6% cultivable, 22% pasture land, 15% forests, 57% waste or other

268,276 km2; 3% cultivated, 50% pasture, 10% parks and reserves, 1% urban, 16% forested, and 20% waste, water, or other; 4 principal islands, 2 minor inhabited islands, several minor uninhabited islands

Coastline

364 km

2,254 km

about 15,134 km

Limits of territorial waters (claimed)

3 nm, fishing 200 nm

12 nm (fishing 200 nm; exclusive economic zone 200 nm)

12 nm (economic including fishing 200 nm)

Ethnic divisions

racial mixture with African, Caribbean Indian, European, Latin, and oriental influences; Negroid characteristics are dominant on Curacao, Indian on Aruba

Melanesian 42%; French 40%; remainder Vietnamese, Indonesian, Chinese, Polynesian

87% European, 9% Maori, 2% Pacific Islanders, 2% other

Labor force

83,000 (1977); 2% agriculture, 20% industry, 10% construction, 65% government and services, 3% other; unemployment 20% (1977)

size unknown; Javanese and Tonkinese laborers were imported for plantations and mines in pre-World War II period; immigrant labor now coming from Wallis Islands, New Hebrides, and French Polynesia

1,316,000 (1979); 13% agriculture, 33% manufacturing, mining, and construction, 9% transportation and communications, 24% commerce and finance, 21% administrative and professional; unemployment 4.3% (December 1978)

Language

Dutch official; Papiamento, a SpanishPortuguese-Dutch-English dialect predominates; English widely spoken

Melanesian-Polynesian dialects

Literacy

95%

unknown

98%

Nationality

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

noun — New Caledonian(s); adjective — New Caledonian

noun — New Zealander(s); adjective — New Zealand

Organized labor

60%-70% of labor force

labor not organized

46% of labor force

Population

247,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 1.0%

138,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 0.5%

3,120,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 0.1%

Religion

predominantly Roman Catholic; sizable Protestant, smaller Jewish minorities

natives 90% Christian

81% Christian, 1% Hindu, Confucian, and other, 18% none or unspecified

Aruba

People's Electoral Movement (MEP), G. F. "Betico" Croes; Aruban Patriotic Party (PPA), L. O. Chance; Aruban People's Party (AVP), D. G. Croes

Bonaire

Labor Party (FOB); Democratic Party Bonaire (UPB); New Democratic Action (ADEN)

Branches

federal executive power rests nominally with Governor (appointed by the Crown), actual power exercised by eight-member 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 Governor

administered by High Commissioner, responsible to French Ministry for Overseas France and Governing Council; Assemblee Territoriale NEW ZEALAND NEW CALEDONIA (Continued)

unicameral legislature (House of Representatives, commonly called Parliament); Cabinet responsible to Parliament; three-level court system (magistrates, courts, Supreme Court, and Court of Appeal)

Capital

Willemstad, Curacao

Noumea

Wellington

Communists

no Communist party

number unknown; Union Caledonienne strongly leftist; some politically active Communists were deported during 1950s; small number of North Vietnamese Other political parties and pressure groups: several lesser parties

CPNZ about 300, SUP about 100

Curacao

Movement for a New Antilles (MAN), Domenico Felip Martina; Democratic Party (DP), S. G. M. Rozendal; National People's Party-United (NVP-U) Edsel Jenerun; Frente Obrero de Liberation' 30 di Mayo (FOL), Wilson "Papa" Godett; Social Democratic Party (PSD), R. J. Isa

Elections

Federal elections mandatorily held every four years, last regular held 17 June 1977 (early elections were held 6 July 1979); island council elections every 4 years, last held 25 April 1979 Political parties and leaders: political parties are indigenous to each island:

Assembly elections every five years, last in September 1977

held at three-year intervals or sooner if parliament is dissolved by Prime Minister; last election November Political parties and leaders: National Party (Government), Robert D. Muldoon; Labor Party (Opposition), Wallace E. Rowling; Social Credit Political League, Bruce Beetham; Communist Party of New Zealand (MarxistLeninist; pro-Albania), Richard C. Wolfe; Socialist Unity Party (pro-Soviet), G. H. (Bill) Andersen Voting strength (1981 election): National Party 47 seats, Labor Party 43 seats, Social Credit 2 seats

Government leader

Claude CHARBONNIAUD, French High Commissioner and President of the Council of Government

Prime Minister Robert D. MULDOON

Government leaders

Prime Minister Domenico Felip MARTINA (leader of Movement for a New Antilles) won election on 6 July 1979; Governor Bernardito M. LEITO; in September 1981 Aruba 's People's Electoral Party (MEP), led by Gilberto "Betico" Croes, pulled out of the governing coalition demanding independence; talks are being held with the Netherlands on the future status of the Antilles

Legal system

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

French law

based on English law, with special land legislation and land courts for Maoris; constitution consists of NEW ZEALAND (Continued) various documents, including certain acts of the UK and New Zealand Parliaments; legal education at Victoria, Auckland, Canterbury, and Otago Universities; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Member of

EC (associate), FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMCO, IMF, ITU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

EIB (associate)

ADB, ANZUS, ASPAC, Colombo Plan, Commonwealth of Nations, DAC, ESCAP, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMCO, IMF, IPU, ISO, ITU, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WSG

National holiday

Waitangi Day, 6 February

Official name

Netherlands Antilles

Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies

New Zealand

Political parties

Rassemblement pour la Caledonie — Conservative; Union Caledonienne — eventual independence; Union Multiraciale and Palika — independence parties Voting strength (1977 election): Rassemblement pour la Caledonie, 12 seats; Union Caledonienne, 9 seats; Palika, 2 seats; 8 other parties divide up remaining 12 seats

Political subdivisions

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

4 islands or island group dependencies— Isle of Pines, Loyalty Islands, Huon Islands, Island of New Caledonia

239 territorial units (boroughs, counties, town and district councils); 657 special-purpose bodies

Suffrage

universal age 18 and over

universal

universal age 18 and over

Type

territory within Kingdom of the Netherlands, enjoying complete domestic autonomy

French overseas territory; represented in French parliament by one deputy and one senator

independent state within Commonwealth, recognizing Elizabeth II as head of state

Voting strength

(1977 federal election) 6 seats DP, 5 seats MEP, 3 seats FOL, 3 seats NVP, 3 seats PPA, 1 seat DPWI, 1 seat UPB

Windward Islands

Windward Islands Democratic Party (DPWI); United Federation of Antillean Workers (UFA); Windward Islands Political Movement (WIPM); and others

Agriculture

little production

large areas devoted to cattle grazing; major products — coffee and vegetables; 60% self-sufficient in beef; must import grains and vegetables

fodder and silage crops about one-half of area planted in field crops; main products — wool, meat, dairy products; New Zealand is food surplus country; caloric intake, 3,500 calories per day per capita (1964)

Aid

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

bilateral economic aid commitments (1970-79), $400 million

Budget

(1977) public sector current revenues, $278 million; public sector expenditures, $306 million

(1980/81) expenditures, NZ$8,721 million; receipts, NZ$7,154 million; deficit NZ$1,567

Electric power

310,000 kW capacity (1981); 1.8 billion kWh produced (1981), 7,346 kWh per capita

365,000 kW capacity (1981); 1.606 billion kWh produced (1981), 11,723 kWh per capita

6,583,000 kW capacity (1980); 28.920 billion kWh produced (1980), 9.175 kWh per capita

Exports

$2.6 billion (f.o.b., 1977); 96% petroleum products, phosphate

$363.3 million (f.o.b., 1977); 95% nickel, coffee

$4.6 billion (f.o.b., 1979); principal products (trade year 1978/79)— 27% meat, 13% dairy products, 17% wool

Fiscal year

calendar year

1 April-31 March

Fishing

exports 26,000 metric tons valued at $50.3 million (1977); domestic 84,700 metric tons (in 1978); catch by foreign fishing vessels operating within 200-mile exclusive economic zone (established 1978), 384,000 metric tons

GNP

$652 million (1976), $2,680 per capita; real growth rate, —1% (est.)

$569 million (1977), $4,000 per capita; -1.0% growth (1977)

NZ$13.5 billion (1978), NZ$4,350 per capita; real average annual growth (1976-78), 1.4%

Imports

$3.1 billion (c.i.f., 1977); 64% crude petroleum, food, manufactures

$340 million (c.i.f., 1977); 26% mineral fuel imports, 21% machinery, transport equipment, food

$4.5 billion (c.i.f., 1979); principal products (trade year 1978/79) — 30% machinery, 20% manufactured goods, 13% minerals, 12% chemicals

Industry

mining of nickel

Major industries

petroleum refining on Curacao and Aruba; petroleum transshipment facilities on Curacao, NEW CALEDONIA NETHERLANDS ANTILLES (Continued) Aruba, and Bonaire; tourism on Curasao, Aruba, and St. Martin; light manufacturing on Curacao and Aruba

food processing, textile production, machinery, transport equipment; wood and paper products

Major trade partners

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

(1976) exports— 49% France, 29% Japan, 16% US; imports— 39% France, 13% Australia, 11% rest of EC

(trade year 1978/79) exports — 14% UK, 15% Japan, 12% Australia, 16% US; imports— 21% Australia, 14% UK, 13% Japan, 13% US

Monetary conversion rate

1.8 Netherlands Antillean florins (NAF)=US$1, official

75 CFP francs=US$l (1978/79)

NZ$1=US$0.97 (March 1980)

NOTE

trade data are for year ending 30 June; trade year and fiscal year do not correspond

Airfields

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

31 total, 30 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

193 total, 185 usable; 25 with permanentsurface runways; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 50 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air

10 major transport aircraft, including 3 leased in

no major transport aircraft

about 40 major transport aircraft

Highways

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

5,448 km total (1977); 558 km paved, 2,251 km improved earth, 2,639 km unimproved earth

92,617 km total (1977); 46,716 km paved, 45,901 km gravel or crushed stone

Inland waterways

none

1,609 km; of little importance to transportation

Military budget

est. for fiscal year ending 31 March 1982, $457.0 million; about 4.9% of central government budget

Military manpower

males 15-49, 60,000; 35,000 fit for military service; about 2,600 reach military age (20) annually Defense is responsibility of the Netherlands SOLOMON %* "'X Coral Sea .VANUATU NEW CALEDONIA Tasman Sea \'} °FUI Pacific Ocean NEW ZEALAND

males 15-49, 814,000; 587,000 fit for military service; 30,000 reach military age (20) annually about

Pipelines

natural gas, 785 km

Ports

4 major (Willemstad, Oranjestad, Caracasbaai, Bullennbaai); 6 minor

1 major (Noumea), 21 minor

3 major

Railroads

none

none

4,716 km total (1980); all 1.067-meter gauge; 274 km double track; 113 km electrified; over 99% government owned

Telecommunications

generally adequate telecom facilities; extensive interisland radio-relay links; 53,000 telephones (21.1 per 100 popl.); 11 AM, 2 FM and 5 TV stations; 2 submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean satellite station DEFENSE FORCES

23,000 telephones (17.0 per 100 popl.); 5 AM, no FM, and 7 TV stations; 1 earth satellite station Pacific Ocean Wellington

excellent international and domestic systems; 1.7 million telephones (55 per 100 popl.); 64 AM stations, no FM, 14 TV stations, and 129 repeaters; submarine cables extend to Australia and Fiji Islands; 1 ground satellite station DEFENSE FORCES