Netherlands Antilles

• 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

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.92 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.7 male(s)/female

total population:

0.93 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

noun:

Dutch Antillean(s)

adjective:

Dutch Antillean

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Netherlands Antilles

local long form:

none

local short form:

Nederlandse Antillen

former:

Curacao and Dependencies

• an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands;
• full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954;
• Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs

chief of state:

Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Frits GOEDGEDRAG (since 1 July 2002)

head of government:

Prime Minister Etienne YS (since 3 June 2004)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers elected by the Staten (legislature)

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 18 January 2002 (next to be held by NA 2006)

note: government coalition - PAR, PNP, PLKP, DP St. Maarten, UP Bonaire, WIPM Saba, DP Statia

• Antillean Restructuring Party or PAR [Etienne YS];
• 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 Alliance [William MARLIN];
• National People's Party or PNP [Susanne F. C. CAMELIA-ROMER];
• New Antilles Movement or MAN [Kenneth GIJSBERTHA];
• Patriotic Union of Bonaire or UP Bonaire [Ramonsito 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

chief of mission:

Consul General Robert E. SORENSON

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

• 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

general assessment:

generally adequate facilities

domestic:

extensive interisland microwave radio relay links

international:

• country code - 599;
• submarine cables - 2;
• satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

total:

600 km

paved:

300 km

unpaved:

300 km