Netherlands Antilles (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

§1. Netherlands Antilles Introduction

Background:
  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; its northern
  portion is named Saint Martin and is part of Guadeloupe.

§2. Netherlands Antilles Geography

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

Geographic coordinates:
  12 15 N, 68 45 W

Map references:
  Central America and the Caribbean

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

Area - comparative:
  more than five times the size of Washington, DC

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

Coastline:
  364 km

Maritime claims:
  exclusive fishing zone: 12 NM territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:
  tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds

Terrain:
  generally hilly, volcanic interiors

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

Natural resources:
  phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only)

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

Irrigated land:
  NA kmē

Natural hazards:
  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

Environment - current issues:
  NA

§3. Netherlands Antilles People

Population:
  212,226 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 25.21% (male 27,332; female 26,169)
  15-64 years: 66.99% (male 67,562; female 74,599)
  65 years and over: 7.8% (male 6,874; female 9,690) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate:
  0.97% (2001 est.)

Birth rate:
  16.55 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate:
  6.41 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate:
  -0.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  11.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 74.94 years male: 72.76 years
  female: 77.22 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  2.07 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  NA

Nationality:
  noun: Dutch Antillean(s)
  adjective: Dutch Antillean

Ethnic groups:
  mixed black 85%, Carib Amerindian, white, East Asian

Religions:
  Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Seventh-Day Adventist

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

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

§4. Netherlands Antilles Government

Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Netherlands Antilles
  local long form: none
  local short form: Nederlandse Antillen
  former: Curacao and Dependencies

Dependency status:
  part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs
  granted in 1954; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign
  affairs

Government type:
  parliamentary

Capital:
  Willemstad

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

Independence:
  none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

National holiday:
  Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA in 1909 and accession to the
  throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX in 1980), 30 April

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

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

Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
  chief of state: Queen BEATRIX 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);
    Deputy Prime Minister Susanne CAMELIA-ROMER (since NA)
  note: Miguel POURIER assumed prime ministership following the resignation
    of Susanne CAMELIA-ROMER
  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)
  note: government coalition - PDB, DP-St. M, FOL, PLKP, PNP

Legislative branch:
  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; current seats by party - PAR 4, PNP 3, FOL 2, MAN 2, UPB
    2, DP-St. M 2, PDB 1, SEA 1, WIPM 1, other 4

Judicial branch:
  Joint High Court of Justice (judges appointed by the monarch)

Political parties and leaders:
  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 [Errol HERNANDEZ]; Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius or
  DP-St. E [Julian WOODLEY]; Democratic Party of Sint Maarten or DP-St. M
  [Sarah WESCOTT-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 [Susanne F. C. CAMELIA-ROMER]; New Antilles
  Movement or MAN [Kenneth GIJSBERTHA]; Patriotic Union of Bonaire or UPB
  [Ramon BOOI]; Patriotic Movement of Sint Maarten or SPA [Vance JAMES, Jr.];
  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 [Kenneth VAN PUTTEN];
  Serious Alternative People's Party or Sapp [Julian ROLLOCKS]; Social Action
  Cause or KAS [Benny DEMEI]; Windward Islands People's Movement or WIPM
  [Will JOHNSTON]; Workers' Liberation Front or FOL [Anthony GODETT, Rignald
  LAK, Editha WRIGHT]
  note: political parties are indigenous to each island

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  NA

International organization participation:
  Caricom (observer), ECLAC (associate), Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate),
  UPU, WCL, WMO, WToO (associate)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

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

Flag 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

§5. Netherlands Antilles Economy

Economy - overview:
  Tourism, petroleum refining, and offshore finance are the mainstays of this
  small economy, which is closely tied to the outside world. Although GDP has
  declined slightly in each of the past five years, 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.

GDP:
  purchasing power parity - $2.4 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  -3.5% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita:
  purchasing power parity - $11,400 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 1% industry: 15%
  services: 84% (1996 est.)

Population below poverty line:
  NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  6.4% (2000 est.)

Labor force:
  89,000

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 1%, industry 13%, services 86% (1994 est.)

Unemployment rate:
  14.9% (1998 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate:
  NA%

Electricity - production:
  1.11 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source:
  fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0%
  nuclear: 0%
  other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption:
  1.032 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products:
  aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit

Exports:
  $276 million (f.o.b., 2000)

Exports - commodities:
  petroleum products

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

Imports:
  $1.5 billion (f.o.b., 2000)

Imports - commodities:
  crude petroleum, food, manufactures

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

Debt - external:
  $1.35 billion (1996)

Economic aid - recipient:
  IMF provided $61 million in 2000, and the Netherlands continued its support
  with $40 million

Currency:
  Netherlands Antillean guilder (ANG)

Currency code:
  ANG

Exchange rates:
  Netherlands Antillean guilders per US dollar - 1.790 (fixed rate since
  1989)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Netherlands Antilles Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  76,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  13,977 (1996)

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

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 9, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
  217,000 (1997)

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

Televisions:
  69,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
  .an

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
  6

Internet users:
  2,000 (2000)

§7. Netherlands Antilles Transportation

Railways:
  0 km

Highways:
  total: 600 km
  paved: 300 km
  unpaved: 300 km (1992)

Waterways:
  none

Ports and harbors:
  Kralendijk, Philipsburg, Willemstad

Merchant marine:
  total: 123 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,113,774 GRT/1,397,841 DWT
  ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 35, chemical tanker 2, combination ore/oil 3,
    container 19, liquefied gas 4, multi-functional large-load carrier 19,
    passenger 1, petroleum tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 28, roll on/roll off
    7
  note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
    convenience: Belgium 8, Germany 1, Italy 1 (2000 est.)

Airports:
  5 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 5 over 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.)

§8. Netherlands Antilles Military

Military branches:
  Royal Netherlands Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, National Guard, Police
  Force

Military manpower - military age:
  20 years of age

Military manpower - availability:
  males age 15-49: 54,284 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
  males age 15-49: 30,405 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
  males: 1,610 (2001 est.)

Military - note:
  defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

§9. Netherlands Antilles Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  none

Illicit drugs:
  money-laundering center; transshipment point for South American drugs bound
  for the US and Europe
