Netherlands Antilles

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 (whose northern portion is named Saint Martin and is part of Guadeloupe).

• 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

0-14 years:

25% (male 27,320; female 26,230)

15-64 years:

67% (male 66,653; female 73,813)

65 years and over:

8% (male 6,701; female 9,417) (2000 est.)

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:

0.71 male(s)/female

total population:

0.92 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

noun:

Netherlands Antillean(s)

adjective:

Netherlands Antillean

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Netherlands Antilles

local long form:

none

local short form:

Nederlandse Antillen

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 8 November 1999)

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)

election results:

Miguel POURIER elected prime minister; percent of legislative vote - NA

note: government coalition - PDB, DP-St. M, FOL, PLKP, PNP

• 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 [Ephraim JONCKHEER];
• Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius or DP-St. E [Julian WOODLEY];
• Democratic Party of Sint Maarten or DP-St. M [Sarah WESTCOTT-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 [Suzy ROMER];
• New Antilles Movement or MAN [Domenico Felip Don MARTINA];
• Nos Patria [Chin BEHILIA];
• Patriotic Movement of Sint Maarten or SPA [William MARLIN];
• Patriotic Union of Bonaire or UPB [Rudy ELLIS];
• 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 [Ingrid WHITFIELD];
• Serious Alternative People's Party or SAPP [Julian ROLLOCKS];
• Social Action Cause or KAS [Benny DEMEI];
• Socialist Independent or SI [George HUECK];
• Windward Islands People's Movement or WIPM [Ray HASSELL];
• Workers' Liberation Front or FOL [Wilson GODETT, Jr.]

note: political parties are indigenous to each island

chief of mission:

Consul General Barbara J. STEPHENSON

consulate(s) general:

J. B. Gorsiraweg #1, Curacao

mailing address:

P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao

telephone:

[599] (9) 4613066

FAX:

[599] (9) 4616489

• 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

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

total:

600 km

paved:

300 km

unpaved:

300 km (1992 est.)