Netherlands Antilles
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Netherlands Antilles Geography Location: Caribbean, two island groups in the Caribbean SeaŃone includes Curacao and Bonaire north of Venezuela and 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 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) AreaŃcomparative: 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 sq km 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 EnvironmentŃcurrent issues: NA EnvironmentŃinternational agreements: party to: Whaling (extended from Netherlands) signed, but not ratified: NA People Population: 205,693 (July 1998 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 26% (male 27,001; female 26,091) 15-64 years: 67% (male 64,964; female 72,329) 65 years and over: 7% (male 6,393; female 8,915) (July 1998 est.) Population growth rate: 1.06% (1998 est.) Birth rate: 17.61 births/1,000 population (1998 est.) Death rate: 6.63 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.) Net migration rate: -0.43 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.) Sex ratio: 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: 0.72 male(s)/female (1998 est.) Infant mortality rate: 12.95 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.05 years male: 71.99 years female: 76.2 years (1998 est.) Total fertility rate: 2.11 children born/woman (1998 est.) Nationality: noun: Netherlands Antillean(s) adjective: Netherlands 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.) Government Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Netherlands Antilles local long form: none local short form: Nederlandse Antillen Data code: NT Dependency status: part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954 Government type: parliamentary National 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, 30 April (1938) 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 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 25 February 1994) cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Staten elections: the queen is a constitutional monarch; governor general appointed by the queen 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 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 partyŃNA; seats by partyŃPAR 4, PNP 3, SPA 1, PDB 2, UPB 1, MAN 2, PKLP 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 Judicial branch: Joint High Court of Justice, are appointed by the Netherlands monarch Political parties and leaders: Bonaire: Democratic Party of Bonaire (PDB), Jopi ABRAHAM; Patriotic Union of Bonaire (UPB), Rudy ELLIS Curacao: Antillean Restructuring Party (PAR), Miguel POURIER; National People's Party (PNP), Suzy ROMER; New Antilles Movement (MAN), Domenico Felip Don MARTINA; Workers' Liberation Front (FOL), Wilson GODETT, Jr.; Socialist Independent (SI), George HUECK; Democratic Party of Curacao (DP), Frank MAYNARD; Nos Patria, Chin BEHILIA; Social Action Cause (KAS), Benny DEMEI; Labor Party People's Crusade (PLKP), Errol COVA; Foundation Energetic Management Anti-Narcotics (FAME), Eric LODEWIJKS; Pro Curacao Party (PPK), Winston LOURENS; C 93, Stanley BROWN; People's Party (PAPU), Richard HODI 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), William MARLIN; Serious Alternative People's Party (SAPP) Julian ROLLOCKS note: political parties are indigenous to each island International organization participation: Caricom (observer), ECLAC (associate), Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, 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 James L. WILLIAMS consulate(s) general: J.B. Gorsiraweg #1, 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 Economy EconomyŃoverview: 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 and the US being the major suppliers. Poor soils and inadequate water supplies hamper the development of agriculture. GDP: purchasing power parityŃ$2.4 billion (1997 est.) GDPŃreal growth rate: -1.3% (1997 est.) GDPŃper capita: purchasing power parityŃ$11,500 (1997 est.) GDPŃcomposition by sector: agriculture: 1% industry: 15% services: 84% (1996 est.) Inflation rateŃconsumer price index: 3.6% (1997) Labor force: total: 89,000 by occupation: government 65%, industry and commerce 28% (1983) Unemployment rate: 12.8% (1993) Budget: revenues: $277 million expenditures: $322 million, including capital expenditures of $14 million (1996 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% ElectricityŃcapacity: 200,000 kW (1995) ElectricityŃproduction: 840 million kWh (1995) ElectricityŃconsumption per capita: 4,128 kWh (1995) AgricultureŃproducts: aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit Exports: total value: $NA commodities: petroleum products 98% (1993) partners: US 39%, Brazil 9%, Colombia 6% (1993) Imports: total value: $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: crude petroleum 64%, food, manufactures (1993) partners: Venezuela 26%, US 18%, Colombia 6%, Netherlands 6%, Japan 5% (1993) DebtŃexternal: $1.95 billion (December 1995) Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $NA; the Netherlands Antilles received a $97 million Dutch aid package in 1996, making it the Netherlands' second largest aid recipient behind India Currency: 1 Netherlands Antillean guilder, gulden, or florin (NAf.) = 100 cents Exchange rates: Netherlands Antillean guilders, gulden, or florins (NAf.) per US$1 - 1.790 (fixed rate since 1989) Fiscal year: calendar year Communications Telephones: NA Telephone system: generally adequate facilities domestic: extensive interisland microwave radio relay links international: 2 submarine cables; satellite earth stationsŃ2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) Radio broadcast stations: AM 9, FM 4, shortwave 0 Radios: 205,000 (1992 est.) Television broadcast stations: 1 Televisions: 64,000 (1992 est.) Transportation Railways: 0 km Highways: total: 600 km paved: 300 km unpaved: 300 km (1992 est.) Ports and harbors: Kralendijk, Philipsburg, Willemstad Merchant marine: total: 97 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 894,479 GRT/1,230,865 DWT ships by type: bulk 4, cargo 32, chemical tanker 1, container 5, liquefied gas tanker 4, multifunction large-load carrier 19, oil tanker 6, passenger 1, refrigerated cargo 17, roll-on/roll-off cargo 8 note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships of 2 countries: Belgium owns 9 ships, Germany 1 (1997 est.) Airports: 5 (1997 est.) AirportsŃwith 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 (1997 est.) Military Military branches: Royal Netherlands Navy, Marine Corps, Royal Netherlands Air Force, National Guard, Police Force Military manpowerŃmilitary age: 20 years of age Military manpowerŃavailability: males age 15-49: 52,845 (1998 est.) Military manpowerŃfit for military service: males: 29,664 (1998 est.) Military manpowerŃreaching military age annually: males: 1,456 (1998 est.) MilitaryŃnote: defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Transnational Issues DisputesŃinternational: none Illicit drugs: money-laundering center; transshipment point for South American drugs bound for the US and Europe