1996 Edition

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

Location

12 15 N, 68 45 W -- Caribbean, two island groups in the Caribbean Sea - one includes Curacao and Bonaire north of Venezuela and the other is east of the Virgin Islands Flag ----

Area

comparative area

more than five times the size of Washington, DC

land area

960 sq km

note

includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten (Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin)

total area

960 sq km

Climate

tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds

Coastline

364 km

Environment

current issues

NA

international agreements

party to - Whaling (extended from Netherlands)

natural hazards

Curacao and Bonaire are south of Caribbean hurricane belt, so are rarely threatened; Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are subject to hurricanes from July to October

Geographic coordinates

12 15 N, 68 45 W

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

8%

forest and woodland

0%

meadows and pastures

0%

other

92%

permanent crops

0%

Location

Caribbean, two island groups in the Caribbean Sea - one includes Curacao and Bonaire north of Venezuela and the other is east of the Virgin Islands

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

exclusive fishing zone

12 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural resources

phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only)

Terrain

generally hilly, volcanic interiors

highest point

Mount Scenery 862 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

Age structure

0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA

Birth rate

15.98 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

5.29 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

mixed African 85%, Carib Indian, European, Latin, Oriental

Infant mortality rate

8.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

79.46 years (1996 est.)

male

74.78 years

total population

77.06 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1981 est.)

female

99%

male

98%

total population

98%

Nationality

adjective

Netherlands Antillean

noun

Netherlands Antillean(s)

Net migration rate

-0.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

208,968 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

1.03% (1996 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Seventh-Day Adventist

Sex ratio

all ages

0.96 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years

1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female

Administrative divisions

none (part of the Dutch realm)

Bonaire

Patriotic Union of Bonaire (UPB), Rudy ELLIS; Democratic Party of Bonaire (PDB), Broertje JANJA

Capital

Willemstad

Constitution

29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as amended

Curacao

Antillean Restructuring Party (PAR), Miguel POURIER; National People's Party (PNP), Maria LIBERIA-PETERS; New Antilles Movement (MAN), Domenico Felip Don MARTINA; Workers' Liberation Front (FOL), Wilson (Papa) GODETT; Socialist Independent (SI), George HUECK and Nelson MONTE; Democratic Party of Curacao (DP), Augustin DIAZ; Nos Patria, Chin BEHILIA

Data code

NT

Diplomatic representation in US

none (self-governing part of the Netherlands)

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers was appointed by the Staten

chief of state

Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (of the Netherlands since 30 April 1980) is a constitutional monarch, represented by Governor General Jaime SALEH (since NA October 1989), who was appointed for a six-year term by the queen

head of government

Prime Minister Miguel POURIER (since 25 February 1994) was appointed by the Staten

FAX

[599] (9) 61-6489

Flag

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

Independence

none (part of the Dutch realm)

International organization participation

Caricom (observer), ECLAC (associate), Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WMO, WToO (associate)

Judicial branch

Joint High Court of Justice

Legal system

based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence

Legislative branch

unicameral

Name of country

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Netherlands Antilles

local long form

none

local short form

Nederlandse Antillen

National holiday

Queen's Day, 30 April (1938)

Political parties and leaders

political parties are indigenous to each island

Saba

Windward Islands People's Movement (WIPM Saba), Ray HASSELL; Saba Democratic Labor Movement, Steve HASSELL; Saba Unity Party, Carmen SIMMONDS

Sint Eustatius

Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius (DP-St.E), Julian WOODLEY; Windward Islands People's Movement (WIPM); St. Eustatius Alliance (SEA), Ingrid WHITFIELD

Sint Maarten

Democratic Party of Sint Maarten (DP-St.M), Sarah WESTCOTT-WILLIAMS; Patriotic Movement of Sint Maarten (SPA), Vance JAMES; Serious Alternative People's Party (SAPP) Julian ROLLOCKS

Staten

elections last held 25 February 1994 (next to be held NA March 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (23 total) PAR 8, PNP 3, SPA 2, PDB 2, UPB 1, MAN 2, DP 1, WIPM 1, DP-St.E 1, DP-St.M 1, Nos Patria 1

note

the government of Prime Minister Miguel POURIER is a coalition of several parties

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

part of the Dutch realm; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission

Consul General James L. WILLIAMS

consulate general(s)

J.B. Gorsiraweg #1, Curacao

mailing address

P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao

telephone

[599] (9) 61-3066

Agriculture

aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit

Budget

expenditures

$232 million, including capital expenditures of $8 million (1992 est.)

revenues

$209 million

Currency

1 Netherlands Antillean guilder, gulden, or florin (NAf.) = 100 cents

Economic aid

recipient

ODA, $NA

Economic overview

Tourism and offshore finance are the mainstays of this small economy, which is closely tied to the outside world. The islands enjoy a high per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure as compared with other countries in the region. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, with Venezuela and the US being the major suppliers. Poor soils and inadequate water supplies hamper the development of agriculture.

Electricity

capacity

200,000 kW

consumption per capita

4,054 kWh (1993)

production

810 million kWh

Exchange rates

Netherlands Antillean guilders, gulden, or florins (NAf.) per US$1 - 1.790 (fixed rate since 1989)

Exports

$1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1993)

commodities

petroleum products 98%

partners

US 39%, Brazil 9%, Colombia 6%

External debt

$1.95 billion (December 1995)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $1.92 billion (1994 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

NA%

industry

NA%

services

NA%

GDP per capita

$10,400 (1994 est.)

GDP real growth rate

1.8% (1994 est.)

Illicit drugs

money-laundering center; transshipment point for South American cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and Europe

Imports

$1.8 billion (f.o.b., 1993)

commodities

crude petroleum 64%, food, manufactures

partners

Venezuela 26%, US 18%, Colombia 6%, Netherlands 6%, Japan 5%

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

tourism (Curacao and Sint Maarten), petroleum refining (Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curacao)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.5% (1994 est.)

Labor force

89,000

by occupation

government 65%, industry and commerce 28% (1983)

Unemployment rate

13.4% (1993 est.)

Branches

Royal Netherlands Navy, Marine Corps, Royal Netherlands Air Force, National Guard, Police Force

Defense note

defense is the responsibility of the Netherlands

Radio broadcast stations

AM 9, FM 4, shortwave 0

Radios

205,000 (1992 est.)

Telephone system

generally adequate facilities

domestic

extensive interisland microwave radio relay links

international

2 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones

NA

Television broadcast stations

1

Televisions

64,000 (1992 est.) Defense

Airports

total

4

with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

2

with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m

1 (1995 est.)

with paved runways over 3 047 m

1

Highways

paved

299 km

total

944 km

unpaved

645 km (1985 est.)

Merchant marine

ships by type

bulk 1, cargo 38, chemical tanker 7, combination bulk 1, container 2, liquefied gas tanker 4, multifunction large-load carrier 18, oil tanker 9, passenger 4, refrigerated cargo 27, roll-on/roll-off cargo 8 (1995 est.)

total

119 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,141,003 GRT/1,490,958 DWT

Ports

Kralendijk, Philipsburg, Willemstad

Railways

0 km