View Intelligence Dossier Back to 1996 CSV Excel Print All Years

Communications

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

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

Military - note (Defense note) [time series]

defense is the responsibility of the Netherlands

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 9, FM 4, shortwave 0

Radios [time series]

205,000 (1992 est.)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

generally adequate facilities domestic: extensive interisland microwave radio relay links international: 2 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

Televisions [time series]

64,000 (1992 est.) Defense

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit

Budget [time series]

revenues: $209 million expenditures: $232 million, including capital expenditures of $8 million (1992 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

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

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economic overview [time series]

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 [time series]

capacity: 200,000 kW production: 810 million kWh consumption per capita: 4,054 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates [time series]

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

Exports [time series]

$1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: petroleum products 98% partners: US 39%, Brazil 9%, Colombia 6%

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$1.95 billion (December 1995)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

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

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

Real GDP per capita (GDP per capita) [time series]

$10,400 (1994 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP real growth rate) [time series]

1.8% (1994 est.)

Illicit drugs [time series]

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

Imports [time series]

$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 [time series]

NA%

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

1.5% (1994 est.)

Labor force [time series]

89,000 by occupation: government 65%, industry and commerce 28% (1983)

Unemployment rate [time series]

13.4% (1993 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 960 sq km land area: 960 sq km comparative area: more than five times the size of Washington, DC note: includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten (Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin)

Climate [time series]

tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds

Coastline [time series]

364 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

current issues: NA 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 international agreements: party to - Whaling (extended from Netherlands)

Geographic coordinates [time series]

12 15 N, 68 45 W

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

none

Irrigated land [time series]

NA sq km

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

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

Location [time series]

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 [time series]

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims [time series]

exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources [time series]

phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only)

Terrain [time series]

generally hilly, volcanic interiors lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Scenery 862 m

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

none (part of the Dutch realm)

Bonaire [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

Willemstad

Constitution [time series]

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

Curacao [time series]

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 [time series]

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]

none (self-governing part of the Netherlands)

Executive branch [time series]

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 cabinet: Council of Ministers was appointed by the Staten

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

[599] (9) 61-6489

Flag [time series]

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 [time series]

none (part of the Dutch realm)

International organization participation [time series]

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

Judicial branch [time series]

Joint High Court of Justice

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral

Country name (Name of country) [time series]

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Netherlands Antilles local long form: none local short form: Nederlandse Antillen

National holiday [time series]

Queen's Day, 30 April (1938)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

political parties are indigenous to each island

Saba [time series]

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

Sint Eustatius [time series]

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

Sint Maarten [time series]

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

Legislative branch (Staten) [time series]

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 [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Government type (Type of government) [time series]

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

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

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

People

Age structure [time series]

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

Birth rate [time series]

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

Death rate [time series]

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

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

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

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 77.06 years male: 74.78 years female: 79.46 years (1996 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1981 est.) total population: 98% male: 98% female: 99%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Netherlands Antillean(s) adjective: Netherlands Antillean

Net migration rate [time series]

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

Population [time series]

208,968 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

1.03% (1996 est.)

Religions [time series]

Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Seventh-Day Adventist

Sex ratio [time series]

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 all ages: 0.96 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

total: 4 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 1 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 2 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 1 (1995 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 944 km paved: 299 km unpaved: 645 km (1985 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

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

Ports [time series]

Kralendijk, Philipsburg, Willemstad

Railways [time series]

0 km