Netherlands Antilles

part of the Dutch realm--full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954Independence none (part of the Dutch realm)

Netherlands Antilles as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 67 fields, one of 21 editions from 1990 to 2010.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalWillemstad
Area960 km2
1990

Every edition of Netherlands Antilles

Populationas each edition published it
183,503 people July 1990 · 228,693 in 2010
Population growth% a year
Not in this edition 0.4% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 31.8 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
Not in this edition 75.73 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
2 children per woman 1990 · 1.97 in 2010
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
9 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 8.83 in 2010
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
Not in this edition $8,700 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
Not in this edition 4% in 1993

Geography

12 fields

Land useshare of 960 km2

arable land 8%forest and woodland 0%other 92%permanent crops 0% in all · meadows and pastures 0% in all
Total area
960km2
land area: 960 km2; includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten (Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin)Comparative area: slightly less than 5.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Coastline
364km
land boundaries: noneTerritorial sea: 12 nm

Climate

tropical; modified by northeast trade winds

Terrain

generally hilly, volcanic interiors

Natural resources

phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only)

Environment

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

Note

consists of two island groups--Curacao and Bonaire are located off the coast of Venezuela, and Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius lie 800 km to the north

People

14 fields
Population
183,503
(July 1990), growth rate 0.2% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth
18Death
5

Net migration rate

- 11 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Infant mortality rate

9 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth

74 years male, 79 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate

2.0 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality

noun--Netherlands Antillean(s); adjective--Netherlands Antillean

Ethnic divisions

85% mixed African; remainder Carib Indian, European, Latin, and Oriental

Religion

predominantly Roman Catholic; Protestant, Jewish, Seventh-Day Adventist

Language

  • Dutch (official);
  • Papiamento, a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect predominates;
  • English widely spoken;
  • Spanish

Labor force

89,000; 65% government, 28% industry and commerce (1983)

Organized labor

60-70% of labor force

Government

Part of the Dutch realm--full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954

17 fields

Parliament, 22 seats, elected 22 November 1985one dot, one seat

PNP 6MAN 4DP-Curacao 3DP-St. Maarten 3DP-Bonaire 2DP-St. Eustatius 1FOL 1UPB 1WIPM 1

Type

part of the Dutch realm--full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954

Capital

Willemstad

Administrative divisions

none (part of the Dutch realm)

Independence

none (part of the Dutch realm)

Constitution

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

National holiday

Queen's Day, 30 April (1938)

Executive branch

Dutch monarch, governor, prime minister, vice prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch

Parliament (Staten)

Judicial branch

  • Joint High Court of Justice Chief of State--Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Jaime SALEH (since October 1989);
  • Head of Government--Prime Minister Maria LIBERIA-PETERS (since 17 May 1988, previously served from September 1984 to November 1985)

Political parties and leaders

political parties are indigenous to each island:
  • Curacao--National People's Party (NVP), Maria Liberia-Peters;
  • New Antilles Movement (MAN), Domenico Felip Martina;
  • Democratic Party of Curacao (DP), Augustus Diaz;
  • Workers' Liberation Front (FOL), Wilson (Papa) Godett;
  • Socialist Independent (SI), George Hueck and Nelson Monte;
  • Bonaire--New Force, Rudy Ellis;
  • Democratic Party of Bonaire (PDB), John Evert (Jopie) Abraham;
  • Sint Maarten--Democratic Party of Sint Maarten, Claude Wathey;
  • Patriotic Movement of Sint Maarten, Romeo Paplophlet;
  • Sint Eustatius--Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius, Albert K. Van Putten;
  • Windward Islands People's Movement (WIPM), Eric Henriquez;
  • Saba--Windward Islands People's Movement (WIPM Saba), Will Johnston;
  • Saba Democratic Labor Movement, Vernon Hassell;
  • Saba Unity Party, Carmen Simmonds

Suffrage

  • universal at age 18 Parliament--last held on 22 November 1985 (next to be held November 1989);
  • results--percent of vote by party NA;
  • seats--(22 total) PNP 6, MAN 4, DP-Curacao 3, DP-St. Maarten 3, DP-Bonaire 2, DP-St. Eustatius 1, FOL 1, UPB 1, WIPM 1;
  • note--the government of Prime Minister Maria Liberia-Peters is a coalition of several parties

Communists

small leftist groups

Member of

  • EC (associate), INTERPOL;
  • associated with UN through the Netherlands;
  • UPU, WMO

Diplomatic representation

  • as an autonomous part of the Netherlands, Netherlands Antillean interests in the US are represented by the Netherlands;
  • US--Consul General Sharon P. WILKINSON;
  • Consulate General at St. Anna Boulevard 19, Willemstad, Curacao (mailing address P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao);
  • telephone [599] (9) 613066

Flag

  • 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

Tourism, petroleum refining, and offshore finance are the mainstays of the economy.

16 fields
GDP, purchasing power parity
$1.0billion
per capita $5,500; real growth rate 3% (1988 est.)
External debt
$701.2million
(December 1987)

Budget

Revenues
$180 millionExpenditures
$289 million
expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (1987 est.)

Overview

Tourism, petroleum refining, and offshore finance are the mainstays of the economy. The islands enjoy a comparatively high per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure compared with other countries in the region. Unlike many Latin American countries, the Netherlands Antilles has avoided large international debt.

Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, with the US being the major supplier. The economy has suffered somewhat in recent years because of the depressed state of the world oil market and declining tax revenues. In 1983 the drop in oil prices led to the devaluation of the Venezuelan bolivar, which ended a substantial flow of Venezuelan tourists to the islands. As a result of a decline in tax revenues, the government has been seeking financial support from the Netherlands.

Exports

  • $1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1988);
  • commodities--petroleum products 98%;
  • partners--US 55%, UK 7%, Jamaica 5%

Imports

  • $1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1988);
  • commodities--crude petroleum 64%, food, manufactures;
  • partners--Venezuela 52%, Nigeria 15%, US 12%

Industrial production

growth rate NA%

Electricity

125,000 kW capacity; 365 million kWh produced, 1,990 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

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

Agriculture

  • hampered by poor soils and scarcity of water;
  • chief products--aloes, sorghum, peanuts, fresh vegetables, tropical fruit;
  • not self-sufficient in food

Aid

Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-79), $353 million

Currency

Netherlands Antillean guilder, gulden, or florin (plural--guilders, gulden, or florins); 1 Netherlands Antillean guilder, gulden, or florin (NAf.) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

Netherlands Antillean guilders, gulden, or florins (NAf.) per US$1--1.80 (fixed rate since 1971)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

6 fields

Merchant marine, 52 ships by typeone square, one ship

passenger 4cargo 19refrigerated cargo 5container 7roll-on/roll-off cargo 4multifunction large-load carrier 6petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker 1chemical tanker 2liquefied gas 2bulk; note--all but a few are foreign owned 252 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 418,206 GRT/414,325 DWT

Airports, 7 total, 7 usable

permanent-surface runways
7runways over 3,659 m
nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m
2runways 1,220-2,439 m
2

Highways

950 km total; 300 km paved, 650 km gravel and earth

Ports

Willemstad, Philipsburg, Kralendijk

Civil air

5 major transport aircraft

Telecommunications

  • generally adequate facilities;
  • extensive interisland radio relay links;
  • stations--9 AM, 4 FM, 1 TV;
  • 2 submarine cables;
  • 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations

Defense Forces

2 fields

Military Manpower

  • males 15-49 49,299;
  • 27,888 fit for military service;
  • 1,678 reach military age (20) annually

Note

defense is responsibility of the Netherlands

Central Intelligence Agency. “Netherlands Antilles.” The World Factbook 1990. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/netherlands-antilles/1990.

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