People | Geography | History | Economy | Government



PEOPLE

Curaçao
The Arawaks are recognized as the first human civilization to inhabit the Netherlands Antilles. A Spanish expedition led by Alonso de Ojeda claimed the island of Curaçao for Spain in 1499 and it remained under Spanish rule until the Dutch took control in 1634. Curaçao was a strategically important point for Dutch military advances against the Spanish and as the center of the Caribbean slave trade. Curaçao became the seat of the Netherlands Antilles Government in 1954.

Bonaire
With origins similar to Curaçao, the Dutch captured Bonaire in 1663, and it became a granary for the Dutch East Indian Company until 1791 when the government reclaimed control.

Sint Eustatius
The first settlement in Sint Eustatius was established in 1636 and changed hands between the Dutch, French, and Spanish 22 times in it's history. In the 18th century the island became a duty free port for overburdened colonizers shipping back to the homeland, which propelled it into a major port with rapid population growth that lost momentum after the American-British peace treaty in 1783.

Saba
Columbus was the first to sight Saba, but it was the Dutch who colonized the island in 1640 with a party from Sint Eustacia. Because of it's difficult terrain, the island progressed slowly and remains the least populated island in the Dutch Kingdom.

Sint Maarten
The Dutch were the first to colonize Sint Maarten in 1631, but within 2 years the Spanish invaded and evacuated the settlers. The Dutch made a failing attempt to regain the island in 1644, but 4 years later the Spanish abandoned the island on their own accord. In 1648 the island was divided between the Dutch and the French; however, complete control of the island was seized numerous times in a series of conflicts. The British became involved as well, taking power for a 6- and 10-year stint. Finally, in 1817, the current partition line was established. The island flourished under a slave-based plantation economy and the exportation of salt until abolition of slavery in 1863.

Unification
In 1845 the Dutch Windward islands united with Curaçao, Bonaire, and Aruba in a political unit. The islands' economy remained weak until the 20th century, when oil was discovered in Venezuela’s Lake Maracaibo and a refinery was established on Curaçao. In addition, during the same period, an offshore financial sector was created to serve Dutch business interests. Since 1954, the federation of the Netherlands Antilles (Curacao, Bonaire, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten), which is a constituent part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, has been semi-autonomous in most internal affairs. The Kingdom retains authority over foreign affairs, defense, final judicial review, and "Kingdom matters" including human rights and good governance. Aruba was part of this federation until January 1, 1986, when it gained a separate status within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

About 85% of Curacao's population is of African derivation. The remaining 15% is made up of various races and nationalities, including Dutch, Portuguese, North Americans, natives from other Caribbean islands, Latin Americans, Sephardic Jews, Lebanese, and Asians. Roman Catholicism predominates, but several other religions are represented, which include Anglican, Jewish, Muslim, Protestant, Mormon, Baptist, Islam, and Hindu. The Jewish community is the oldest in the Western Hemisphere, dating back to 1634. While faltering economic conditions caused the Netherlands Antilles to experience high rates of migration by citizens to the Netherlands from 1998-2002, this trend has largely been reversed in recent years.

Nationality: Noun and adjective--Dutch.
Population (2009): 199,929.
Annual population growth rate (2009): 0.73%.
Ethnic groups: Mixed black 85%, other 15% (mixed Latin American, white, East Asian).
Religions: Roman Catholic (72%), Pentecostal (4.9%), Protestant (3.5%), Seventh-Day Adventist (3.1%), Jehovah’s Witness (1.7%), other Christian (4.2%), Jewish (1.3%), other (1.2%), none (5.2%).
Languages: Dutch (official), Papiamento predominates, English is widely spoken, Spanish.
Education: Literacy--96.7% Curaçao; 96.3% Netherlands Antilles (2003).
Health: Infant mortality rate--6.1 deaths/1,000 live births; 62.6 live births per 1,000 women 15 to 44 years old. Life expectancy--female, 79.9 yrs.; male, 72.8 yrs.
Work force (95,000; 2009): Agriculture--1%; industry--15%; services--84%.


GEOGRAPHY

Location: Caribbean, two island groups in the Caribbean Sea - one includes Curacao and Bonaire north of Venezuela; the other is east of the Virgin Islands

Geographic coordinates: 12 15 N, 68 45 W

Map references: North America

Area:
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)

Area - comparative: more than five times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
total: 10.2 km
border countries: Guadeloupe (Saint Martin) 10.2 km

Coastline: 364 km

Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 12 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds

Terrain: generally hilly, volcanic interiors

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Scenery 862 m

Natural resources: phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only)

Land use:
arable land: 10%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 90% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: 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

Environment - current issues: NA

Geography - note: 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)


HISTORY

Unification
In 1845 the Dutch Windward islands united with Curaçao, Bonaire, and Aruba in a political unit. The abolition of slavery hurt the islands' economy until the 20th century, when oil was discovered off the shores of Venezuela and a refinery was established on Curaçao. In addition, during the same period, an offshore financial sector was created to serve Dutch business interests. Since 1945, the federation of the Netherlands Antilles--Curacao, Bonaire, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten--have been autonomous in internal affairs. Aruba was part of this federation until January 1, 1986, when it gained status apart within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

About 85% of Curacao's population is of African derivation. The remaining 15% is made up of various races and nationalities, including Dutch, Portuguese, North Americans, natives from other Caribbean islands, Latin Americans, Sephardic Jews, Lebanese, and Asians. Roman Catholicism predominates, but several other religions are represented, which include Anglican, Jewish, Muslim, Protestant, Mormon, Baptist, Islam, and Hindu. The Jewish community is the oldest in the Western Hemisphere, dating back to 1634. While faltering economic conditions caused the Netherlands Antilles to experience high rates of migration by citizens to the Netherlands from 1998-2002, this trend has largely been reversed in recent years.


ECONOMY

Tourism and the financial services sector have been the mainstays of the Netherlands Antilles' economy since the 1970s. The Central Bank reported that the economy of the Netherlands Antilles fared relatively well during the first half of 2009 amidst the global recession. Debt relief played an important role in this outcome, contributing to surpluses in the fiscal accounts and the current account of the balance of payments. The economy of the Netherlands Antilles continued to grow but at a slower pace. Real GDP growth in the second quarter of 2009 was estimated at 0.7% compared to 2.1% in 2008’s second quarter. The construction, wholesale and retail trade, restaurants and hotels, and financial services sectors were primarily accountable for the contraction in the private sector. The slowdown in economic growth was attributable entirely to a contraction in private spending that resulted from a decline in investment. Private consumption growth slowed significantly but remained positive. The contraction in private spending was offset by an increase in government spending and in net foreign demand. The increase in net foreign demand resulted from a stronger decline in imports than in exports, related partly to the decline in oil prices. Lower oil prices also accounted for the further decline in the inflation rate. The annual quarterly inflation rate moderated to 1.7% and the 12-month average inflation rate to 4.8%. The unemployment rate in Curacao fell to 9.7% in 2009.

A decline in stay-over tourism contributed to fewer activities in the restaurants and hotels and wholesale and retail trade sectors. St. Maarten and Bonaire accounted for the decline, while Curacao still noted a small growth. This diverging development can be explained by the more diversified market structure of Curacao’s tourism industry; St. Maarten and Bonaire rely relatively heavily on the U.S. market. By contrast, cruise tourism continued to grow, supported by Curacao and Bonaire, while St. Maarten saw a decline in the number of cruise visitors. Overall, the islands enjoy a high per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure compared with other countries in the region.

GDP (2009 est.): $4.04 billion.
Real growth rate (2009 est.): 0.7%.
GDP per capita (2007 est.): $19,000.
Natural resources: Beaches and offshore diving sites.
Tourism/services (84% of GDP): Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire.
Industry (15% of GDP): Types--petroleum refining (Curaçao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curaçao and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curaçao).
Agriculture (1% of GDP): Products--aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit.
Trade: Exports ($3.71 billion)--petroleum products. Major markets--U.S. 18.9%, Mexico 13.3%, Panama 11.4%, Singapore 6.9%, Haiti 6.6%, The Bahamas 5.3%. Imports ($15.74 billion)--machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil (for refining and re-export), chemicals, foodstuffs. Major suppliers--Venezuela 59.1%, U.S. 17.7%, Brazil 7.1%.
Exchange rate (2005): U.S.$1=1.78 ANG (fixed).


GOVERNMENT

Current political relations between the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba stem from 1954 and are based on the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands, a voluntary arrangement between the Netherlands, Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles. At the time, the Charter represented an end to colonial relations and the acceptance of a new legal system in which each nation would look after their own interests independently, look after their common interests on the basis of equality and provide each other with mutual assistance. In 1975, Suriname left the Kingdom's political alliance. Since 1986, Aruba has had separate status within the Kingdom and is no longer part of the Netherlands Antilles. The Netherlands Antilles enjoys semi-autonomy on most internal matters and defers to the Kingdom of the Netherlands in matters of defense, foreign policy, final judicial review, human rights, and good governance.

The Antilles is governed by a popularly elected unicameral "Staten" (parliament) of 22 members. It chooses a prime minister (called minister president) and a Council of Ministers, consisting of six to eight other ministers. A governor, who serves a 6-year term, represents the monarch of the Netherlands. Local government is assigned authority independently on each island. Under the direction of a Kingdom-appointed island governor, these local governments have an Executive Council made up of commissioners who head the separate governmental departments.

POLITICAL CONDITIONS
In the parliamentary elections of January 22, 2010, the governing Party for the Restructured Antilles (PAR) increased from five to six seats in parliament and retained its leading position. A PAR-led coalition government was formed with support from the People's National Party (PNP), St. Maarten's National Alliance (NA), Bonaire's Patriotic Union of Bonaire (UPB), Saba’s Windward Islands People’s Movement (WIPM), and Sint Eustatius’s Democratic Party (DP). The opposition List for Change (Lista di Kambio - LdK) preserved its five parliamentary seats. The pro-independence opposition Sovereign Party (PS) entered parliament with two new seats. Coalition partner Workers' Liberation Front Party (FOL) lost the two parliamentary seats it had won in 2006, and support for the National Party (PNP) was cut in half from two seats to one.

Curacao continues to be a politically split island with a small edge favoring the Antilles dissolution process and current relations with Kingdom of the Netherlands partners. The government is preparing the Antilles for dissolution and pledged to keep the formation process of the new Kingdom political entities on course. St. Maarten and Curacao have opted for an autonomous status within the Kingdom of the Netherlands similar to Aruba's status. Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Bonaire have opted for closer ties (municipality-like) to the Netherlands. These entities are currently scheduled to emerge in October 2010, which will require new island elections in summer 2010. The target date for implementing these changes is October 10, 2010, but it is unclear if the target will be met.

Drug smuggling continues to be an issue for the Netherlands Antilles, but has been significantly reduced through intensive cooperation among Dutch and Antillean law enforcement authorities.

Principal Government Officials
Governor General--Frits M. d. l. S. Goedgedrag
Prime Minister--Emily S. de Jongh-Elhage
Deputy Prime Minister--Ersilia T.M. de Lannooy
Minister of Constitutional and Interior Affairs--Roland Duncan
Minister of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sports--Omayra V.E. Leeflang
Minister of Finance--Ersilia T.M. de Lannooy
Minister of General Affairs and Foreign Relations--Emily S. de Jongh-Elhage
Minister of Economic Affairs and Labor--Burney F. El Hage
Minister of Public Health and Social Development--Ersilia T.M. de Lannooy
Minister of Justice--David A. Dick
Minister of Transportation and Telecommunication--Omayra V.E. Leeflang
Minister Plenipotentiary to The Hague--Paul R.J. Comenencia
Minister Plenipotentiary to Washington, DC--Norberto V. Ribeiro
Director, Bank of the Netherlands Antilles--Emsley D. Tromp
Attorney General--Dick A. Piar

Type: Parliamentary.
Independence: Part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Constitution: December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as amended.
Branches: Executive--monarch represented by a governor-general (chief of state), prime minister (head of government), Cabinet. Legislative--unicameral parliament. Judicial--Joint High Court of Justice appointed by the monarch.
Subdivisions are by island: Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Curaçao.
Suffrage: Universal at 18.
Political parties:
Curaçao:
Partido Antia Restruktura (PAR); Frente Obrero Liberashon 30 di Mei (FOL); MAN; Partido Nashonal di Pueblo (PNP); Forsa Korsou; Niun Paso Atras (NPA); Partido Laboral Krusado Popular (PLKP); Pueblo Soberano; Partido Democraat (DP); Un Pueblo Nobo; Moviemenu Social Laboral (MSL); Curacao Nobo Nobo (CNN); Partido Adelanto Korsou (PAK); Vota Kontra; Geen Stap Terug (GST); Movementu Patriotiko Korsou (MPK); Socialistise Party Antilliaanse Nederlanders (SPAN); BanVota; PAPPS; E Mayoria; ModPOR; Akshon Pro Independensha; Partido Trafiko Sigur (PTS); Lista Patriotiko Korsou (LPK); P-100.
St. Maarten:
St. Maarten Democratic Party (DP--St. Maarten); National Democratic Party (NDP); National Alliance (NA) (note: the National Alliance is a joint effort by the St. Maarten Patriotic Alliance and National Progressive Party); St. Maarten People’s Party (SMPP); People’s Progressive Alliance (PPA); United People’s Labor Party (UPLP).
Bonaire:
Bonaire Democratic Party (DP--Bonaire); Patriotic Union of Bonaire (UPB); Bonaire Social Party (PABOSO); New Labor Party of Bonaire (POB).
St. Eustatius:
St. Eustatius Democratic Party (DP--St. Eustatius); St. Eustatius Alliance (SEA); People’s Labor Party (PLP).
Saba:
Saba Labor Party (SLP); Windward Islands People’s Movement (WIPM).



Back to Top