1988 Edition

Climate

tropical; modified by northeast trade winds

tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid

Coastline

364 km

2,254 km

Comparative area

about one third the size of Rhode Island

about the size of Massachusetts

Continental shelf

200 meters or to depth of exploitation

Environment

south of Carribean hurricane belt, so rarely threatened

typhoons most frequent from November to March

Ethnic divisions

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

Extended economic zone

200 nm

Fiscal year

calendar year

Labor force

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

Land use

8% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 92% other

NEGL% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 14% meadows and pastures; 51% forest and woodland; 35% other

Language

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

Literacy

95%

Monetary conversion rate

2.3 guilders=US$l (October 1985)

Nationality

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

Organized labor

60-70% of labor force

Population

182,218 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 0.28%

Religion

predominantly Roman Catholic; Protestant, Jewish, Seventh-Day Adventist

Special notes

none

none

Terrain

generally hilly, volcanic interiors

coastal plains with interior mountains

Territorial sea

12 nm

12 nm

Total area

960 km2; land area: 960 km2

19,060 km2; land area: 18,760 km2

Ethnic divisions

Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%, Polynesian 3.8%, Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3.0%

Nationality

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

Population

149,795 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 0.66%

Administrative divisions

three island territories — Bonaire, Curagao, and the Windward Islands

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 MinisterPresident; 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

Capital

Willemstad on Curacao

Communists

small leftist groups

Elections

federal elections mandatorily held every four years, last held 22 November 1985; island council elections every four years, last held 22 November 1985 Political parties and leaders: political parties are indigenous to each island: Curacao — Movement for a New Antilles (MAN), Domenico Felip Martina; Democratic Party (DP), Augustin Diaz; National People's Party (NVP), Maria LiberiaPeters; Workers Front for Liberation (FOL), Wilson (Papa) Godett; Social Democratic Party (PSD), Efraim Cintje; Social Independent Party (SI), George Hueck and Nelson Monte; Bonaire — Popular Union Party of Bonaire (UPB), Charles E. R. Ellis; Democratic Party of Bonaire (PDB), New Caledonia John Evert (Jopie) Abraham; New Democratic Action (ADEN); Windward Islands— Windward Islands Democratic Party (DPWI), Claude Wathey; United Federation of Antillean Workers (UFA); Windward Islands People's Movement (WIPM)

Government leaders

Domenico Felip MARTINA, Prime Minister (since January 1986); Dr. Rene ROMER, Governor (since 1983)

Legal system

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

Member of

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

Official name

Netherlands Antilles

Suffrage

universal age 18 and over

Type

autonomous territory within Kingdom of the Netherlands

Voting strength

the government of Prime Minister Don Martina is a coalition of the MAN and DP parties

Agriculture

corn, pulses

Aid

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

Budget

central government revenues, $616 million; central government expenditures, $656 million (1984)

Electric power

120,000 kW capacity; 365 million kWh produced, 1,550 kWh per capita (1986)

Exports

$3.7 billion (f.o.b., 1984); 98% petroleum products, phosphate

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

$1.36 billion, $9,140 per capita; 1.0% real growth rate (1984)

Imports

$4.0 billion (c.i.f., 1984); 64% crude petroleum, food, manufactures

Major industries

petroleum refining on Curacao (refinery currently closed but may reopen); petroleum transshipment facilities on Curacao and Bonaire; tourism on Curacao and St. Martin; light manufacturing on Curasao

Major trade partners

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

Monetary conversion rate

1.8 Netherlands Antillean guilders or florins (NAF)=US$1 (August 1986)

Natural resources

phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only)

Airfields

29 total, 28 usable; 19 with permanent-surface runways; 13 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

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

Branches

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

Civil air

98 major transport aircraft

5 major transport aircraft

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

Inland waterways

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

Military budget

for fiscal year ending 31 December 1986, $5.3 billion; about 9.3% of central government budget 50km Islands not shown in true geographical position Caribbean Sea Sint Maarten I *fK Philipiburg* Saba Sint Eustatius. Sabana W1LLEMSTAD See rc|ion«l mip 111 • Bonaire

Military manpower

males 15-49, 4,064,000; 3,620,000 fit for military service; 124,000 reach military age (20) annually

males 15-49, 49,000; 28,000 fit for military service; 2,000 reach military age (20) annually 150km Coral Sea Loyaute New Caledonia NOUMEA Coral Sea See refionil map X Islands of Huon and Chesterfield are not shown.

Pipelines

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

Ports

10 major, 2 minor

3 major (Willemstad, Philipsburg, Kralendijk); 6 minor (of which 4 are significant ports for petroleum tankers)

Railroads

Netherlands Railways (NS) operates 2,824 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; 3,033 km total track; 1,824 km electrified, 1,800 km double track; 166 km privately owned

none

Telecommunications

highly developed, well maintained, and integrated; extensive system of multiconductor cables, supplemented by radio-relay links; 8.84 million telephones (57.5 per 100 popl.); 6 AM, 41 FM, 30 TV stations; 9 submarine cables; 1 satellite station with 2 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean antennas Defense Forces

generally adequate facilities; extensive interisland radio-relay links; 65,000 telephones (24.6 per 100 popl.); 7 AM, 5 FM, and 1 TV stations; 2 submarine cables; 2 Atlantic Ocean satellite antennas Defense Forces Defense is responsibility of the Netherlands