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National Map
Of |
Netherlands Antilles |
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National Flag
Of |
Netherlands Antilles |
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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
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National Emblem(Coat Of Arms)
Of |
Netherlands Antilles |
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National Anthem
Of |
Netherlands Antilles |
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Categories National Symbol Of |
Netherlands Antilles
(part of the Kingdom of the
Netherlands) |
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Background:
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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 Saint Martin is
shared with France; its southern portion is named Sint
Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles; its
northern portion is called Saint-Martin and is part of
Guadeloupe (France). |
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Location:
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Caribbean, two island groups in the Caribbean Sea -
composed of five islands, Curacao and Bonaire located
off the coast of Venezuela, and St. Maarten, Saba, and
St. Eustatius lie east of the US Virgin Islands |
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Geographic coordinates:
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12 15 N,
68 45 W |
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Map references:
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Central
America and the Caribbean |
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Area:
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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) |
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Area - comparative:
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more than
five times the size of Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
10.2 km
border countries: Guadeloupe (Saint-Martin) 10.2
km |
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Coastline:
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364 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm |
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Climate:
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tropical;
ameliorated by northeast trade winds |
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Terrain:
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generally
hilly, volcanic interiors |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Scenery 862 m |
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Natural resources:
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phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only) |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 10%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 90% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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NA sq km
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Natural hazards:
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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
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Environment - current issues:
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NA |
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Geography - note:
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the five
islands of the Netherlands Antilles are divided
geographically into the Leeward Islands (northern) group
(Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten) and the
Windward Islands (southern) group (Bonaire and Curacao)
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Population:
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219,958
(July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 24.2% (male 27,302/female 26,002)
15-64 years: 67.3% (male 70,838/female 77,148)
65 years and over: 8.5% (male 7,673/female
10,995) (2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
32.46 years
male: 30.86 years
female: 34.01 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.82%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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15
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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6.41
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-0.4
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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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.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
10.03 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 10.82 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 9.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 75.83 years
male: 73.58 years
female: 78.2 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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2
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Dutch Antillean(s)
adjective: Dutch Antillean |
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Ethnic groups:
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mixed
black 85%, Carib Amerindian, white, East Asian |
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Religions:
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Roman
Catholic 72%, Pentecostal 4.9%, Protestant 3.5%,
Seventh-Day Adventist 3.1%, Methodist 2.9%, Jehovah's
Witnesses 1.7%, other Christian 4.2%, Jewish 1.3%, other
or unspecified 1.2%, none 5.2% (2001 census) |
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Languages:
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Papiamento 65.4% (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English
dialect), English 15.9% (widely spoken), Dutch 7.3%
(official), Spanish 6.1%, Creole 1.6%, other 1.9%,
unspecified 1.8% (2001 census) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.7%
male: 96.7%
female: 96.8% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Netherlands Antilles
local long form: none
local short form: Nederlandse Antillen
former: Curacao and Dependencies |
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Dependency status:
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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 |
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Government type:
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parliamentary |
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Capital:
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Willemstad; note - located on Curacao, the largest of
the islands |
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Administrative divisions:
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none
(part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
note: each island has its own government |
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Independence:
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none
(part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) |
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National holiday:
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Queen's
Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA in 1909 and
accession to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX
in 1980), 30 April |
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Constitution:
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29
December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands,
as amended |
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Legal system:
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based on
Dutch civil law system with some English common law
influence |
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Suffrage:
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18 years
of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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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 |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral States or Staten (22 seats - Curacao 14,
Bonaire 3, St. Maarten 3, St. Eustatius 1, Saba 1;
members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year
terms)
elections: last held 18 January 2002 (next to be
held in 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - PAR 4, PNP 3, PLKP 2, DP St. M 2, UP
Bonaire 2, WIPM 1, DP
note: the government of Prime Minister Etienne YS
is a coalition of several parties; current government
formed after collapse of FOL led government on 4 April
2004 |
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Judicial branch:
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Joint
High Court of Justice (judges appointed by the monarch)
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Political parties and leaders:
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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 |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization participation:
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ILO, IMF,
Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCL, WCO, WMO,
WToO (associate) |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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none
(represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands) |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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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 |
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Flag description:
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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 |
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Economy - overview:
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Tourism,
petroleum refining, and offshore finance are the
mainstays of this small economy, which is closely tied
to the outside world. Although GDP has declined or grown
slightly in each of the past eight years, the islands
enjoy a high per capita income and a well-developed
infrastructure compared with other countries in the
region. Almost all consumer and capital goods are
imported, the US and Mexico being the major suppliers.
Poor soils and inadequate water supplies hamper the
development of agriculture. Budgetary problems hamper
reform of the health and pension systems of an aging
population. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$2.45
billion (2003 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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0.5%
(2003 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $11,400 (2003 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 1%
industry: 15%
services: 84% (2000 est.) |
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Labor force:
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89,000
(2000) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 1%, industry 13%, services 86% (2000 est.)
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Unemployment rate:
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15.6%
(2002 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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2.1%
(2003 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $710.8 million
expenditures: $741.6 million, including capital
expenditures of NA (1997 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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aloes,
sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit |
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Industries:
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tourism
(Curacao, Sint Maarten, and Bonaire), petroleum refining
(Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao
and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curacao) |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA% |
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Electricity - production:
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1.005
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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934.3
million kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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72,000
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA |
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Oil - imports:
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NA |
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Exports:
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$1.579
billion f.o.b. (2002) |
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Exports - commodities:
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petroleum
products |
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Exports - partners:
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US 20.4%,
Panama 11.2%, Guatemala 8.8%, Haiti 7.1%, Bahamas, The
5.6%, Honduras 4.2% (2004) |
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Imports:
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$2.233
billion f.o.b. (2002) |
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Imports - commodities:
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crude
petroleum, food, manufactures |
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Imports - partners:
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Venezuela
51.1%, US 21.9%, Netherlands 5% (2004) |
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Debt - external:
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$1.35
billion (1996) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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IMF
provided $61 million in 2000, and the Netherlands
continued its support with $40 million (2000) |
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Currency (code):
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Netherlands Antillean guilder (ANG) |
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Currency code:
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ANG |
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Exchange rates:
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Netherlands Antillean guilders per US dollar - 1.79
(2004), 1.79 (2003), 1.79 (2002), 1.79 (2001), 1.79
(2000) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar
year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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81,000
(2001) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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81,000
(2001) |
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Telephone system:
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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) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 8, FM
19, shortwave 0 (2004) |
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Radios:
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217,000
(1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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3 (there
is also a cable service, which supplies programs
received from various US satellite networks and two
Venezuelan channels) (2004) |
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Televisions:
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69,000
(1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.an |
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Internet hosts:
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119
(2001) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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6 |
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Internet users:
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2,000
(2000) |
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Highways:
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total:
600 km
paved: 300 km
unpaved: 300 km |
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Ports and harbors:
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Bopec
Terminal, Fuik Bay, Kralendijk, Willemstad |
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Merchant marine:
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total:
168 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,317,007 GRT/1,668,499
DWT
by type: barge carrier 3, bulk carrier 23, cargo
72, chemical tanker 2, container 21, liquefied gas 6,
passenger 2, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 30,
roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 2
foreign-owned: 158 (Belgium 5, Cyprus 1, Denmark
1, Germany 57, Hong Kong 3, Netherlands 71, Peru 1,
Sweden 9, Turkey 7, United Kingdom 2, United States 1)
(2005) |
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Airports:
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5 (2004
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total:
5
over 3,047 m: 1
2038 to 3047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
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Military branches:
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National
Guard, Police Force |
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Military service age and obligation:
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16 years
of age for military recruitment; no conscription (July
2002) |
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Manpower available for military service:
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males
age 16-49: 54,200 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males
age 16-49: 45,273 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower reaching military service age annually:
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males:
1,720 (2005 est.) |
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Military - note:
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defense
is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
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Disputes - international:
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none |
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Illicit drugs:
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transshipment point for South American drugs bound for
the US and Europe; money-laundering center |
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This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
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