Curacao

agricultural land:

0% (2022 est.)

arable land:

10% (2018)

forest:

0.2% (2022 est.)

other:

99.8% (2022 est.)

noun:

Curacaoan

adjective:

Curacaoan; Dutch

total:

38.1 years (2025 est.)

male:

35.5 years

female:

40.2 years

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.67 male(s)/female

total population:

0.93 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

7.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male:

8.3 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

6.7 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

79.9 years (2024 est.)

male:

77.6 years

female:

82.3 years

• waste management, including pollution of marine areas from domestic sewage, inadequate sewage treatment facilities, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff, mismanagement of toxic substances, and ineffective regulations;
• damage from neglect and a lack of controls at major refinery

agricultural land:

0% (2022 est.)

arable land:

10% (2018)

forest:

0.2% (2022 est.)

other:

99.8% (2022 est.)

urban population:

89% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

0.57% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

• one of four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands;
• full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 2010;
• Dutch government responsible for defense and foreign affairs

note: the other three constituent countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands are the Netherlands , Aruba , and Sint Maarten

name:

Willemstad

geographic coordinates:

12 06 N, 68 55 W

time difference:

UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology:

the name means "William's Town" in Dutch; named after Prince WILLEM of Orange (1533-84), the first stadtholder of the United Provinces of the Netherlands

chief of state:

King WILLEM-ALEXANDER of the Netherlands (since 30 April 2013); represented by Governor Lucille A. GEORGE-WOUT (since 4 November 2013)

head of government:

Prime Minister Gilmar PISAS (since 14 June 2021)

cabinet:

Cabinet sworn-in by the governor

election/appointment process:

• the monarch is hereditary;
• governor appointed by the monarch;
• following legislative elections, the legislature usually elects the leader of the majority party as prime minister

most recent election date:

21 March 2025

expected date of next election:

2029

legislature name:

Parliament of Curacao

legislative structure:

unicameral

number of seats:

21 (directly elected)

electoral system:

proportional representation

scope of elections:

full renewal

term in office:

4 years

most recent election date:

3/19/2021

parties elected and seats per party:

• MFK (9);
• PAR (4);
• PNP (4);
• MAN (2);
• KEM (1);
• TPK (1)

percentage of women in chamber:

28.6%

expected date of next election:

2025

highest court(s):

• Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten, and of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba or "Joint Court of Justice" (sits as a 3-judge panel);
• final appeals heard by the Supreme Court in The Hague, Netherlands

judge selection and term of office:

Joint Court judges appointed by the monarch for life

subordinate courts:

first instance courts, appeals court; specialized courts

• Korsou di Nos Tur or KdnT
• Korsou Esun Miho or KEM
• Movementu Futuro Korsou or MFK
• Movementu Progresivo or MP
• Movishon Antia Nobo or MAN
• Partido Antia Restruktura or PAR
• Partido Inovashon Nashonal or PIN
• Partido Nashonal di Pueblo or PNP
• Pueblo Soberano or PS
• Trabou pa Kòrsou or TPK
• Un Korsou Hustu

chief of mission:

Consul General Ramón “Chico” NEGRÓN (since 9 June 2025); note - also accredited to Aruba and Sint Maarten

embassy:

P.O. Box 158, J.B. Gorsiraweg 1

mailing address:

3160 Curacao Place, Washington DC 20521-3160

telephone:

[599] (9) 461-3066

FAX:

[599] (9) 461-6489

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://cw.usconsulate.gov/

description:

• on a blue field, a horizontal yellow band divides the flag below the center;
• two five-pointed white stars -- the smaller above and to the left of the larger -- appear in the upper left

meaning:

• the blue stands for the sky and sea, and yellow for the sun;
• the stars symbolize Curacao and its uninhabited sister island of Klein Curacao (Little Curacao);
• the star points represent the five continents from which Curacao's inhabitants originate

title:

"Himmo di Korsou" (Anthem of Curacao)

lyrics/music:

Guillermo ROSARIO, Mae HENRIQUEZ, Enrique MULLER, Betty DORAN/Frater Candidus NOWENS, Errol "El Toro" COLINA

history:

adapted 1978; the lyrics, originally written in 1899, were rewritten in 1978 to remove colonial references

total World Heritage Sites:

1 (cultural); note - excerpted from the Netherlands entry

selected World Heritage Site locales:

Historic Willemstad

• high-income island economy;
• developed infrastructure;
• tourism and financial services-based economy;
• investing in information technology incentives;
• oil refineries service Venezuela and China

agriculture:

0.3% (2023 est.)

industry:

11.7% (2023 est.)

services:

73.3% (2023 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

total ports:

4 (2024)

large:

0

medium:

2

small:

1

very small:

1

ports with oil terminals:

3

key ports:

Bullenbaai, Caracasbaai, Sint Michelsbaai, Willemstad

• Curaçao Militia (CURMIL);
• Curaçao Volunteer Corps;
• Curacao Police Force (Korps Politie Curacao) (2025)

• defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands;
• the Dutch Government controls foreign and defense policy;
• local security forces are supported by the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (Gendarmerie), the Dutch Caribbean Police Force (Korps Politie Caribisch Nederland, KPCN), and the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard (DCCG or Kustwacht Caribisch Gebied (KWCARIB));
• there are two Dutch naval bases on Curaçao, and the Dutch Army maintains a small unit on a rotational basis (2025)