ARCHIVE // CW // 2010
Curacao
2010 Edition — territory
Economy
Agricultural products
(Agriculture - products)
[time series]
aloe, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit
Economic overview
(Economy - overview)
[time series]
Tourism, petroleum refining, and offshore finance are the mainstays of this small economy, which is closely tied to the outside world. Although GDP grew slightly during the past decade, the island enjoys a high per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure compared with other countries in the region. Curacao has an excellent natural harbor that can accommodate large oil tankers. The Venezuelan state oil company leases the single refinery on the island from the government; most of the oil for the refinery is imported from Venezuela; most of the refined products are exported to the US. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, with the US, Brazil, Italy, and Mexico being the major suppliers. The government is attempting to diversify its industry and trade and has signed an Association Agreement with the EU to expand business there. Poor soils and inadequate water supplies hamper the development of agriculture. Budgetary problems complicate reform of the health and pension systems for an aging population.
Electricity - production
[time series]
848.5 kWh (2005) country comparison to the world: 214
Exchange rates
[time series]
Netherlands Antillean guilders (ANG) per US dollar - 1.79 (2009), 1.79 (2008), 1.79 (2007), 1.79 (2006)
Exports
[time series]
$876 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 154 note: excludes oil
Exports - commodities
[time series]
petroleum products
Exports - partners
[time series]
US 13.1%, Guatemala 10.8%, Singapore 10.7%, Dominican Republic 9.6%, Haiti 7.6%, The Bahamas 6.1%, Honduras 4.5%, Mexico 4.2% (2009 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
[time series]
$5.08 billion (2008 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
(GDP (purchasing power parity))
[time series]
$2.838 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 177 $2.606 billion (2007 est.) $2.452 billion (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
(GDP - composition by sector)
[time series]
agriculture: 1% industry: 15% services: 84% (2000 est.)
Real GDP per capita
(GDP - per capita (PPP))
[time series]
$14,970 (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 75
Real GDP growth rate
(GDP - real growth rate)
[time series]
3.5% (2008) country comparison to the world: 98 2.2% (2007)
Imports
[time series]
$1.34 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 165
Imports - commodities
[time series]
crude petroleum, food, manufactures
Imports - partners
[time series]
Venezuela 57.3%, US 19.2%, Brazil 8.1% (2009 est.)
Industrial production growth rate
[time series]
NA
Industries
[time series]
tourism, petroleum refining, petroleum transshipment facilities, light manufacturing
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
[time series]
1.7% (2009 est,) country comparison to the world: 46 6.8% (2008 est.)
Labor force
[time series]
63,000 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 185
Labor force - by occupation
[time series]
agriculture: 1.2% industry: 16.9% services: 81.8%
Unemployment rate
[time series]
10.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 112
Geography
Area
[time series]
total: 444 sq km country comparison to the world: 198 land: 444 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative
[time series]
more than two times the size of Washington, DC
Climate
[time series]
tropical marine climate, ameliorated by northeast trade winds, results in mild temperatures; semi-arid with average rainfall of 600 mm/year
Coastline
[time series]
364 km
Elevation
(Elevation extremes)
[time series]
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mt. Christoffel, 372m
Environment - current issues
[time series]
NA
Total water withdrawal
(Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural))
[time series]
NA
Geographic coordinates
[time series]
12 10 N, 69 00 W
Geography - note
[time series]
Curacao is a part of the Windward Islands (southern) group
Irrigated land
[time series]
NA
Land boundaries
[time series]
none
Land use
[time series]
arable land: 10% permanent crops: 0% other: 90%
Location
[time series]
Caribbean, an island in the Caribbean Sea - located 56.35 km off the coast of Venezuela
Map references
[time series]
Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims
[time series]
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
Natural hazards
[time series]
Curacao is south of the Caribbean hurricane belt and is rarely threatened
Natural resources
[time series]
calcium phosphates, aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit
Terrain
[time series]
generally low, hilly terrain
Total renewable water resources
[time series]
NA
Government
Administrative divisions
[time series]
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Capital
[time series]
name: Willemstad geographic coordinates: 12 06 N, 68 55 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Constitution
[time series]
Staatsregeling, 10 October 2010; revised Kingdom Charter pending
Country name
[time series]
Dutch long form: Land Curacao Dutch short form: Curacao Papiamentu long form: Pais Korsou Papiamentu short form: Korsou former: Netherlands Antilles; Curacao and Dependencies
Dependency status
[time series]
constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 2010; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs
Diplomatic representation from the US
[time series]
chief of mission: Consul General Valerie BELON consulate(s) general: J. B. Gorsiraweg #1, Willemstad, 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 of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980); represented by Governor General Frits GOEDGEDRAG (since 10 October 2010) head of government: Prime Minister Gerrit SCHOTTE (since 10 October 2010) cabinet: Executive Council (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website) elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually elected prime minister by the parliament
Flag
(Flag description)
[time series]
on a blue field a horizontal yellow band somewhat below the center divides the flag into proportions of 5:1:2; two five-pointed white stars - the smaller above and to the left of the larger - appear in the canton; the blue of the upper and lower sections symbolizes the sky and sea respectively; yellow represents the sun; the stars symbolize Curacao and its uninhabited smaller sister island of Klein Curacao; the five star points signify the five continents from which Curacao's people derive
Government type
[time series]
parliamentary
Independence
[time series]
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Judicial branch
[time series]
Common Court of Justice, 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 parliament or Staten (21 seats; members elected by popular vote for four year terms) elections: last held 27 August 2010 (next to be held in 2014) election results: percent of vote by party - PAR 30%, MFK 21%, PS 19%, MAN 9%, FOL 7%, PNP 6%; seats by party - PAR 8, MFK 5, PS 4, MAN 2, FOL 1, PNP 1
National anthem(s)
(National anthem)
[time series]
name: Himmo di Korsou (Anthem of Curacao) lyrics/music: Guillermo ROSARIO, Mae HENRIQUEZ, Enrique MULLER, Betty DORAN/Frater Candidus NOWENS, Errol "El Toro" COLINA note: adapted 1978; the lyrics, originally written in 1899, were rewritten in 1978 to make them less colonial in nature
National holiday
[time series]
Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA and accession to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX), 30 April (1909 and 1980)
Political parties
(Political parties and leaders)
[time series]
Frente Obrero Liberashon (Workers' Liberation Front) or FOL [Anthony GODETT]; Movimentu Antiyas Nobo (New Antilles Movement) or MAN [Charles COOPER]; Movementu Futuro Korsou or MFK [Gerrit SCHOTTE]; Partido Antia Restruktura or PAR [Emily DE JONGH-ELHAGE]; People's National Party or PNP [Ersilia DE LANNOOY]; Pueblo Soberano or PS [Herman WIELS]
Suffrage
[time series]
18 years of age; universal
Introduction
Background
[time series]
Originally settled by Arawak Indians, Curacao was seized by the Dutch in 1634 along with the neighboring island of Bonaire. Once the center of the Caribbean slave trade, 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 the Isla Refineria to service the newly discovered Venezuelan oil fields. In 1954, Curacao and several other Dutch Caribbean possesions were reorganized as the Netherlands Antilles, part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In referenda in 2005 and 2009, the citizens of Curacao voted to become a self-governing country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The change in status became effective in October of 2010 with the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles.
Military
Military - note
[time series]
defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Military and security forces
(Military branches)
[time series]
the Royal Netherlands Navy maintains a permanent and active presence in the region from its main operating base on Curacao; other local security forces include a coast guard, para-military National Guard (Vrijwilligers Korps Curacao), and Police Force (2010)
Military service age and obligation
[time series]
no conscription (2010)
People
Age structure
[time series]
0-14 years: 21.1% (males 15,337/females 14,589) 15-64 years: 66.7% (males 42,896/females 51,998) 65 years and over: 12.2% (males 6,972/females 10,388) (2010)
Birth rate
[time series]
NA
Death rate
[time series]
8 deaths/1,000 population (2009) country comparison to the world: 106
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
[time series]
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths
[time series]
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
[time series]
NA
Languages
[time series]
Papiamento 81.2% (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect), Dutch 8% (official), Spanish 4%, English 2.9%, other 3.9% (2001 census)
Life expectancy at birth
[time series]
total: NA males: 72.4 years females: 80.1 years (2009)
Net migration rate
[time series]
1.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008) country comparison to the world: 50
Population
[time series]
142,180 (est. January 2010) country comparison to the world: 187
Population growth rate
[time series]
NA
Religions
[time series]
Roman Catholic 80.1%, Protestant 5.5%, none 4.6%, Pentecostal 3.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.7%, Jewish 0.8%, other 1.3%, not reported 0.3% (2001 census)
Sex ratio
[time series]
at birth: 1.15 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.82 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.85 male(s)/female (2010)
Total fertility rate
[time series]
2.1 children born/woman (2009) country comparison to the world: 120
Transportation
Airports
[time series]
1 country comparison to the world: 231
Airports - with paved runways
[time series]
total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2010)
Ports
(Ports and terminals)
[time series]
Bullen Baai, Fuik Bay, Willemstad
Roadways
[time series]
total: 550 km country comparison to the world: 191