Map of Netherlands Antilles

Status: Part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Governor: Frits Goedgedrag (2002)

Prime Minister: Emily de Jongh-Elhage (2006)

Current government officials

Total area: 371 sq mi (961 sq km)

Population (2008 est.): 225,369 (growth rate: 0.7%); birth rate: 14.3/1000; infant mortality rate: 9.3/1000; life expectancy: 76.4; density per sq mi: 234

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Willemstad, 60,100

Monetary unit: Netherlands Antillean guilder

Languages: Dutch (official), Papiamento predominates, English widely spoken, Spanish

Ethnicity/race: mixed black 85%, Carib Amerindian, white, East Asian

Religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Seventh-Day Adventist

National Holiday: Queen's Day, April 30

Literacy rate: 97% (2003 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2004 est.): $2.8 billion; per capita $16,000. Real growth rate: 1%. Inflation: 2.1% (2003 est.). Unemployment: 17% (2002 est.). Arable land: 10%. Agriculture: aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit. Labor force: 83,600 (2005); agriculture 1%, industry 20%, services 79% (2005 est.). Industries: tourism (Curacao, Sint Maarten, and Bonaire), petroleum refining (Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curacao). Natural resources: phosphates (Curaçao only), salt (Bonaire only). Exports: $2.076 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.): petroleum products. Imports: $4.383 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.): crude petroleum, food, manufactures. Major trading partners: U.S., Panama, Guatemala, Haiti, Bahamas, Honduras, Venezuela, Netherlands (2004).

Major sources and definitions