Internet users (Internet Service Providers (ISPs)) [time series]

6 (1999)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 9, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios [time series]

217,000 (1997)

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 - main lines in use) [time series]

75,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

11,727 (1995)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

3 (there is also a cable service which supplies programs received from various US satellite networks and two Venezuelan channels) (1997)

Televisions [time series]

69,000 (1997)

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit

Budget [time series]

revenues: $710.8 million expenditures: $741.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

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

Debt - external [time series]

$1.35 billion (1996)

Economic aid (Economic aid - recipient) [time series]

$NA; note - Netherlands provided a $97 million aid package in 1996

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

Tourism, petroleum transshipment, 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, the US, and Mexico being the major suppliers. Poor soils and inadequate water supplies hamper the development of agriculture.

Electricity - consumption [time series]

949 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports [time series]

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production [time series]

1.02 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source [time series]

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1998)

Exchange rates [time series]

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

Exports [time series]

$303 million (f.o.b., 1998)

Exports - commodities [time series]

petroleum products 98% (1993)

Exports - partners [time series]

US 17.5%, Guatemala 8%, Costa Rica 6.5%, The Bahamas 4.6%, Jamaica 4.1%, Chile 3.4% (1998)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

purchasing power parity - $2.4 billion (1998 est.)

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

agriculture: 1% industry: 15% services: 84% (1996 est.)

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

purchasing power parity - $11,800 (1998 est.)

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

-0.3% (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports [time series]

$1.3 billion (c.i.f., 1998)

Imports - commodities [time series]

crude petroleum 64%, food, manufactures (1993)

Imports - partners [time series]

Venezuela 35.3%, US 21%, Mexico 9.8%, Italy 5.4%, Netherlands 4.8%, Brazil 3.1% (1998)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

NA%

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

1.1% (1998)

Labor force [time series]

89,000

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

agriculture 1%, industry 13%, services 86% (1994 est.)

Population below poverty line [time series]

NA%

Unemployment rate [time series]

14.9% (1998 est.)

Area [time series]

total: 960 sq km land: 960 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten (Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin)

Area - comparative [time series]

more than five times the size of Washington, DC

Climate [time series]

tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds

Coastline [time series]

364 km

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Scenery 862 m

Environment - current issues [time series]

NA

Geographic coordinates [time series]

12 15 N, 68 45 W

Irrigated land [time series]

NA sq km

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 10.2 km border countries: Guadeloupe (Saint Martin) 10.2 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 10% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 90% (1993 est.)

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 hazards [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only)

Terrain [time series]

generally hilly, volcanic interiors

Administrative divisions [time series]

none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) note: each island has its own government

Capital [time series]

Willemstad

Constitution [time series]

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

Country name [time series]

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

Data code [time series]

NT

Dependency status [time series]

part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Consul General Barbara J. STEPHENSON consulate(s) general: J. B. Gorsiraweg #1, Curacao mailing address: P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao telephone: [599] (9) 4613066 FAX: [599] (9) 4616489

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Jaime SALEH (since NA October 1989) head of government: Prime Minister Miguel POURIER (since 8 November 1999) cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Staten elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch for a six-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually elected prime minister by the Staten; election last held 30 January 1998 (next to be held by NA 2002) election results: Miguel POURIER elected prime minister; percent of legislative vote - NA note: government coalition - PDB, DP-St. M, FOL, PLKP, PNP

Flag (Flag description) [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

Government type [time series]

parliamentary

Independence [time series]

none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

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, judges appointed by the monarch

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral States or Staten (22 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 30 January 1998 (next to be held by NA 2002) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PAR 4, PNP 3, SPA 1, PDB 2, UPB 1, MAN 2, PLKP 3, WIPM 1, SEA 1, DP-St. M 2, FOL 2; no party won enough seats to form a government note: the government of Prime Minister Miguel POURIER is a coalition of several parties

National holiday [time series]

Queen's Day, 30 April (1938)

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

Antillean Restructuring Party or PAR [Miguel POURIER]; C 93 [Stanley BROWN]; Democratic Party of Bonaire or PDB [Jopi ABRAHAM]; Democratic Party of Curacao or DP [Ephraim JONCKHEER]; Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius or DP-St. E [Julian WOODLEY]; Democratic Party of Sint Maarten or DP-St. M [Sarah WESTCOTT-WILLIAMS]; Foundation Energetic Management Anti-Narcotics or FAME [Eric LODEWIJKS]; Labor Party People's Crusade or PLKP [Errol COVA]; National People's Party or PNP [Suzy ROMER]; New Antilles Movement or MAN [Domenico Felip Don MARTINA]; Nos Patria [Chin BEHILIA]; Patriotic Movement of Sint Maarten or SPA [William MARLIN]; Patriotic Union of Bonaire or UPB [Rudy ELLIS]; People's Party or PAPU [Richard HODI]; Pro Curacao Party or PPK [Winston LOURENS]; Saba Democratic Labor Movement [Steve HASSELL]; Saba Unity Party [Carmen SIMMONDS]; St. Eustatius Alliance or SEA [Ingrid WHITFIELD]; Serious Alternative People's Party or SAPP [Julian ROLLOCKS]; Social Action Cause or KAS [Benny DEMEI]; Socialist Independent or SI [George HUECK]; Windward Islands People's Movement or WIPM [Ray HASSELL]; Workers' Liberation Front or FOL [Wilson GODETT, Jr.] note: political parties are indigenous to each island

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Background [time series]

Once the center of the Caribbean slave trade, the island of Curacao was hard hit by the abolition of slavery in 1863. Its prosperity (and that of neighboring Aruba) was restored in the early 20th century with the construction of oil refineries to service the newly discovered Venezuelan oil fields. The island of Sint Maarten is shared with France (whose northern portion is named Saint Martin and is part of Guadeloupe).

Military - note [time series]

defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

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

Military manpower - availability [time series]

males age 15-49: 53,766 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service [time series]

males age 15-49: 30,137 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - military age [time series]

20 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually [time series]

males: 1,534 (2000 est.)

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 25% (male 27,320; female 26,230) 15-64 years: 67% (male 66,653; female 73,813) 65 years and over: 8% (male 6,701; female 9,417) (2000 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

16.94 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate [time series]

6.42 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

mixed black 85%, Carib Amerindian, white, East Asian

Infant mortality rate [time series]

11.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 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: 74.72 years male: 72.56 years female: 76.99 years (2000 est.)

Literacy [time series]

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

Nationality [time series]

noun: Netherlands Antillean(s) adjective: Netherlands Antillean

Net migration rate [time series]

-0.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population [time series]

210,134 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

1.01% (2000 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: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.09 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Disputes - international [time series]

none

Illicit drugs [time series]

money-laundering center; transshipment point for South American drugs bound for the US and Europe [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]

Airports [time series]

5 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 5 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 600 km paved: 300 km unpaved: 300 km (1992 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 110 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,028,910 GRT/1,285,837 DWT ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 27, chemical tanker 2, combination ore/oil 3, container 16, liquified gas 4, multi-functional large load carrier 18, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 5, refrigerated cargo 26, roll-on/roll-off 6 (1999 est.) note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships of 2 countries: Belgium owns 9 ships, Germany 1 (1998 est.)

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

Kralendijk, Philipsburg, Willemstad

Railways [time series]

0 km