# The World Factbook (1990)/Netherlands Antilles

pages 222–224
​Netherlands Antilles (part of the Dutch realm)
See regional map III
Geography
Total area: 960 km²; land area: 960 km²; includes Bonaire, Curaçao, 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
Land boundaries: 14 km with Guadeloupe
Maritime claims:
    Exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
    Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; modified by northeast trade winds
Terrain: generally hilly, volcanic interiors
Natural resources: phosphates (Curaçao only), salt (Bonaire only)
Land use: 8% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 92% other
Environment: Curaçao 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—Curaçao and Bonaire are located off the coast of Venezuela, and Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius lie 800 km to the north
People
Population: 183,503 (July 1990), growth rate 0.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 18 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/1 ,000 population (1990)
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
Literacy: 95%
Labor force: 89,000; 65% government, 28% industry and commerce (1983)
Organized labor: 60-70% of labor force
Government
Long-form name: none
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
Legal system: based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence
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
Leaders: 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: Curaçao—National People's Party (NVP), Maria Liberia-Peters; New Antilles Movement (MAN), Domenico Felip Martina; Democratic Party of Curaçao (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
Elections: Parliament—last held on 22 November 1 985 (next to be held November 1989); results percent of vote by party NA; seats (22 total) PNP 6, MAN 4, DP-Curaçao 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, Curaçao (mailing address P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curaçao); 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, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten
Economy
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.
GDP: $1.0 billion, per capita $5,500; real growth rate 3% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.0% (1988)
Unemployment rate: 26.0% (1988)
Budget: revenues $180 million; expenditures $289 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1987 est.)
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%
External debt: $701.2 million (December 1987)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 125,000 kW capacity; 365 million kWh produced, 1,990 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: tourism (Curaçao and Sint Maarten), petroleum refining (Curaçao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curaçao and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curaçao)
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
Highways: 950 km total; 300 km paved, 650 km gravel and earth
Ports: Willemstad, Philipsburg, Kralendijk
Merchant marine: 52 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 418,206 GRT/414,325 DWT; includes 4 passenger, 19 cargo, 5 refrigerated cargo, 7 container, 4 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 6 multifunction large-load carrier, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 2 bulk; note—all but a few are foreign owned
​Civil air: 5 major transport aircraft
Airports: 7 total, 7 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
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
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