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NetherlandsAntilles
Overview:
TheNetherlandsAntilleslocatedintheCaribbeanisasub-nationalpartoftheKingdomoftheNetherlandsconsistingoffiveislands,eachwiththeirown
localgovernments.TheislandsareBonaire,Curacao,Saba,St.Eustatius(Statia)andDutchSintMaarten(whichsharestheislandofSaintMartinwith
Saint-Martin,apartoftheFrenchoverseasterritoryofGuadaloupe).
Territory:
TwoLeewardIslandsofBonaireandCuracaoareofmixedvolcanicandcoralorigin.ThethreeWindwardIslandsofSaba,SintEustatius,andSint
Maarten(DutchpartoftheislandofSaintMartin)areallofvolcanicoriginandhilly,withlittleagriculturalland.Totallandarea:960sqkm;Totalareaof
water:0sqkmCoastline:364km.Curacao-444sqkm;Bonaire-288sqkm;Saba-13sqkm;SintEustatius(Statia)-21sqkm;SintMaarten(Dutch
side)-34sqkm.Shareslandborder(10.2km)withFrenchSaint-Martin-54sqkm.HighestElevation:MountScenery(Saba)862m.
Location:
TheNetherlandsAntillesisdividedgeographicallyintothenortherngroupofSaba,SintEustatiusandSintMaarten(situatedintheWindwardIslands
eastoftheVirginIslands)andthesoutherngroupofBonaireandCuracao(situatedintheLeewardIslandsoffthecoastofVenezuela).
LatitudeandLongitude:
1215N,6845W
TimeZone:
GMT-4
TotalLandArea:
960
EEZ:
12
Climate:
Tropical;amelioratedbynortheasttradewinds.CuracaoandBonairearesouthofCaribbeanhurricanebeltandarerarelythreatened;SintMaarten,
Saba,andSintEustatiusaresubjecttohurricanesfromJulytoOctober
NaturalResources:
phosphates(Curacaoonly),salt(Bonaireonly).
PleistocenecoralreefterraceslocatedonCuraçao:
AsequenceofatleastthreeLateandMiddlePleistocenecoralreefterracesisconservedonCuraçao.ThelessupliftedLowerterraceconsistsoftwo
differentcoralreefformations:theHatounitandtheunderlyingCortaleinunit.KSRagesindicateaLastInterglacialageoftheHatounitofabout122ky
BP,andacorrelationwiththeLastInterglacialsealevelmaximum.TheESRageoftheunderlyingCortaleinunitisabout216kyBP.Palaeosealevel
calculationsimplyacorrelationwiththeyoungestofthreePenultimatecoralreefterraceslocatedontheislandofBarbados,whichwasupliftedmore
stronglythantheislandofCuraçao.
AmarinesanctuarysurroundsSaba,thesmallestofthefiveislandsoftheNetherlandsAntilles.Theprimaryfocusoftheparkispreservationofitsfish,
mammals,reptilesandplantlife.TheparkexistsunderauspicesoftheNetherlandsAntillesNationalParkFoundation.
ECONOMY:
TotalGDP:
2003
2,450,000,000.00USD
PerCapitaGDP:
2003
11,400.00USD
%ofGDPperSector:
Primary
Secondary
Tertiary
2000
86%
13%
1%
%ofPopulationEmployedbySector
Primary
Secondary
Tertiary
2000
86%
13%
1%
ExternalAid/Remittances:
IMFprovided$61millionin2000,andtheNetherlandscontinueditssupportwith$40million(2000)
Growth:
0.5%(2003est.)
LabourForce:
2000
89,000
Unemployment
Year:
UnemploymentRate(%ofpop.)
2002
15%
Industry:
Tourism(Curacao,SintMaarten,andBonaire),petroleumrefining(Curacao),petroleumtransshipmentfacilities(CuracaoandBonaire),light
manufacturing(Curacao).Tourism,petroleumrefining,andoffshorefinancearethemainstaysofthissmalleconomy,whichiscloselytiedtotheoutside
world.AlthoughGDPhasdeclinedorgrownslightlyineachofthepastsevenyears,theislandsenjoyahighpercapitaincomeandawell-developed
infrastructurecomparedwithothercountriesintheregion.Almostallconsumerandcapitalgoodsareimported,theUSandMexicobeingthemajor
suppliers.Poorsoilsandinadequatewatersupplieshamperthedevelopmentofagriculture.Budgetaryproblemshamperreformofthehealthand
pensionsystemsofanagingpopulation.
NicheIndustry:
Bonaire:Scubadiving,snorkeling,windsurfing,kayaking,cycling,mountainbiking.
Curacao:DivingandSnorkeling.
St.Maarten:TheSt.MaartenZoo.
Saba:Sabalace,or"Spanishwork",isacottageindustryontheisland.Scubadiving,rockclimbing.
St.Eustatius(Statia):Ecotourism-Divesitesrangefromcoralreefs,drop-offsandcanyonstohistoricalandrecentwrecks.Therearealsobotanical
gardens,hikingtrails,andanextinctvolcanotoenjoy.ThreeNationalParkareas(St.EustatiusMarinePark,QuillBovenNationalPark,MiriamC.
SchmidtBotanicalGardens)protectthehighbiodiversityanduniquetropicalecosystemspresentonbothlandandseaandthetotalprotectedarea
covers33km2-almosttwicethesizeoftheislandofStEustatius.ThenationalparkssystemwasinitiatedbytheIslandGovernmentin1996toprotect
diversehabitatsonandaroundtheisland.TheGovernmentdelegatedmanagementauthorityfortheparkstoalocalNGO–StEustatiusNational
ParksFoundation.Numerousendangeredorcriticallyendangeredspeciesareprotectedthroughactiveresearchandmonitoringprogrammes,including
threespeciesofseaturtles,theAntilleanIguana,RedBelliedRacerSnake,orchids,cactiandtheendemicvine‘StatiaMorningGlory’.
Tourism:
ImportsandExports:
exportvaluesf.o.b.
Tot.ValueofImports
1,579,000,000.00USD(2002)
FromEu:
ImportPartners(EU:)
Imports-partners:Netherlands7.8%(2003)
PartnersOutsideEU:
ImportPartners:
Imports-partners:Venezuela64.8%,US13.6%,(2003)Total
valueofimports:$2.233billionf.o.b.(2002)
Tot.ValueofExports
1579000000USD(2002)
ToEu:
ExportPartners:
PartnersOutsideEU::
Exports-partners:US21.3%,Venezuela16%,Bahamas,The
7.6%,Singapore5.2%,Honduras4.9%,Guatemala4.4%(2003)
Exports:$1.579billionf.o.b.(2002)Exports-commodities:
petroleumproducts
ExportPartners:
MainImports:
Commodities:crudepetroleum,food,manufactures
MainExports:
TRANSPORTATION/ACCESS
External:
NumberofAirports:5
5civilianairports:Bonaire:Flamingo(code:BON)paved7800ft.Curacao:Wilenstaad/HatoInternational(code:CUR)paved11,100ft.Saba:Yrausquin
(SAB)paved.St.Eustatius:St.Eustatius/F.D.Roosevelt(EUX)paved4,200ft.St.Maartin:PrincessJulianaIntl.(SMX)paved7,000ft.
NumberofMainPorts:3
Portsandharbors:Kralendijk,Philipsburg,Willemstad
Internal:
Air
2Yrausquin;St.Eustatius/F.D.Roosevelt
Road:
Highways:total:600kmpaved:300kmunpaved:300km
Sea:
n/a
OtherFormsofTransportation:
EconomicZones:
ImportsCuracaoFreeZoneSITCSection(2005):777,577,000NAf.ExportsCuracaoFreeZoneSITCSection(2005):984,549,000NAf.Imports
CuracaoSITCSection(2005):1,504,000NAf.ExportsCuracaoSITCSection(2005):145,000NAf.ImportsBonaireSITCSection(2005):126,000NAf.
ExportsBonaireSITCSection(2005):23,000NAf.Oilandoilproductsnotincluded.
EnergyPolicy:
Type
Sector
TotalEnergy
TotalEnergy
Public
Public
Thermic Geothermic Other
Domestic Commercial
Industry
Year Production
Consumption
Service
Lighting
(Mwh)
(Mwh)
(Mwh)
(Mwh)
(Mwh)
(Mwh)
(Mwh)
(Mwh)
(Mwh)
(Mwh)
2001 1,061,000,000 0
0
0
986,800,000
0
0
0
0
0
OfficialCurrency:
Neth.AntillesGulden(ANG)
BankingandInsurance:
NumberofBanksandCreditUnions:
NumberofAgriculturalCreditUnions:
NumberofInsuranceCompanies:
Well-developedNetherlandsAntillesbankingsystem.EuropeanandNorthAmericanbankbranches.Mostbankshaveinternationalties.
FinancialServices:
Locallyestablishedinsurancecompaniesassubsidiariesorrepresentativesofinternationalinsurancecompanies.
TheSeptember2007articleintheNationalJournalbyPeterH.StonereportsontheoverseaslobbyingbusinessofPattonBoggsandtheLivingston
Group.LivingstonGroupisrepresentingtheNetherlandsAntillesforafeeof$40,000amonth.Thetopmissionofthefirmistohelpnegotiateatax
treatywiththeU.S.thatwouldenhancethefinancialcredibilityofCuracao.
Communications/E-Commerce:
Outwardandopen.Governmentandprivatewebsitesoneconomyandtourismextensive.Englishand/orDutch.
Telephonesystem:generalassessment:generallyadequatefacilitiesdomestic:extensiveinterislandmicrowaveradiorelaylinks
international:countrycode-599;submarinecables-2;satelliteearthstations-2Intelsat(AtlanticOcean)
Radiobroadcaststations:AM8,FM19,shortwave0(2004)
Radios:217,000(1997)
Televisionbroadcaststations:3(thereisalsoacableservice,whichsuppliesprogramsreceivedfromvariousUSsatellitenetworksandtwoVenezuelan
channels)(2004)
Televisions:69,000(1997)
Internetcountrycode:.an
Internethosts:119(2001)
InternetServiceProviders(ISPs):6
Internetusers:2,000(2000)
PublicOwnership:
CompaniespartiallyorcompletelyownedunderafoundationofthelocalgovernmentExecutiveCouncil:WEBNV(water&electricity);TELBONV
(telecommunications);SELIBONNV(wastemanagement);TCBNV(tourismpromotion);andothers.
LandUse:
Arableland:10%;permanentcrops:0;other:90%(2001).
Agriculture/Forestry:
Poorsoilsandinadequatewatersupplieshamperthedevelopmentofagriculture.Agriculturerepresents1%oftheGDP.
MarineActivity:
Fishing:
Territorialsea,exclusivefishingzone:12nm
MarineLife:
Coastline:364km
Maritimeclaims:territorialsea:12nm
exclusivefishingzone:12nm
CriticalIssues:
JURISDICTIONALRESOURCES
Capital:
Willemstad.
PoliticalSystem:
Parliamentary.
ItispartoftheKingdomoftheNetherlands;fullautonomyininternalaffairsgrantedin1954;DutchGovernmentresponsiblefordefenseandforeign
affairs.
ThelegalsystembasedonDutchcivillawsystemwithsomeEnglishcommonlawinfluence.
PoliticalParties:
AntilleanRestructuringPartyorPAR[EtienneYS];C93[StanleyBROWN];DemocraticPartyofBonaireorPDB[JopiABRAHAM];DemocraticPartyof
CuracaoorDP[ErrolHERNANDEZ];DemocraticPartyofSintEustatiusorDP-St.E[JulianWOODLEY];DemocraticPartyofSintMaartenorDP-St.M
[SarahWESCOTT-WILLIAMS];FoundationEnergeticManagementAnti-NarcoticsorFAME[EricLODEWIJKS];LaborPartyPeople'sCrusadeorPLKP
[ErrolCOVA];NationalAlliance[WilliamMARLIN];NationalPeople'sPartyorPNP[SusanneF.C.CAMELIA-ROMER];NewAntillesMovementorMAN
[KennethGIJSBERTHA];PatrioticUnionofBonaireorUPB[RamonsitoBOOI];PatrioticMovementofSintMaartenorSPA[VanceJAMES,Jr.];People's
PartyorPAPU[RichardHODI];ProCuracaoPartyorPPK[WinstonLOURENS];SabaDemocraticLaborMovement[SteveHASSELL];SabaUnity
Party[CarmenSIMMONDS];St.EustatiusAllianceorSEA[KennethVANPUTTEN];SeriousAlternativePeople'sPartyorSapp[JulianROLLOCKS];
SocialActionCauseorKAS[BennyDEMEI];WindwardIslandsPeople'sMovementorWIPM[WillJOHNSTON];Workers'LiberationFrontorFOL
[AnthonyGODETT,RignaldLAK,EdithaWRIGHT]
note:politicalpartiesareindigenoustoeachisland.
ImportantLegislation:
PrincipalTaxes:
AssociatedPower:
KingdomoftheNetherlands
Citizenship:
DutchAntillean
Paradiplomacy:
Caricom(observer),Interpol,IOC,UNESCO(associate),UPU,WCL,WCO,WMO,WTO(associate)
HUMANRESOURCES
Population:191,780(2007est.)Males:89,244;Females:102,537.
Totalfertilityrate:2.02childrenborn/woman(2004est.)
Medianage:total:32.1years
male:30.6years
female:33.6years(2004est.)
Populationdensitypersqkm:240.
2007
Island
Area(kmsq.)
Population
%ofTotalPopulation
NetherlandsAntilles
960
191,780
240%
Population:
Year
ResidentPopulation
AgeofPopulation:
0-14
15-24
25-49
50-64
65andup
2007
43401
24,880
72,595
32,505
18,299
2007
43501
24,880
72,595
32,505
18,299
Migration:
MigrationNetherlandsAntilles
ImmigrationEmmigration
199866879947
1999556011027
2000631715574
2001675411367
2002106727868
2003122359178
200488234997
CrudeBirthRate:
LifeExpedctancy:
totalpopulation:75.6years
male:73.37years
female:77.95years(2004est.)
CrudeDeathRate:
Ethnicity:
mixedblack85%,CaribAmerindian,white,EastAsian
ClassDivision:
Languages:
Dutch(official),Papiamento(aSpanish-Portuguese-Dutch-Englishdialect)predominates,Englishwidelyspoken,Spanish
Religion:
RomanCatholic,Protestant,Jewish,Seventh-DayAdventist
Literacy:
definition:age15andovercanreadandwrite
totalpopulation:96.7%
male:96.7%
female:96.8%(2003est.)
EducationSystem:
TotalPre-schools:()
TotalPrimarySchools
FirstLevel:
SecondLevel:
ThirdLevel:
TotalSecondarySchools:
TotalProfessionalSchools
Universities:
NumberofSchoolsperIsland:
Pre-school
Pub
NetherlandsAntilles
Priv
75
Elementary High-school Prof. University
1
116
2
3
Pub
29
5
Priv
Pub Priv
8
2
StudentsEnrolled:
Year:
Pre-School
Elementary
High-school
Prof.
University
2004
9,077
2,180
2,413
285
2,190
High-School
Prof.
University
Teachers
Year
Pre-School
Elementary
1
2
3
SABAUniversitySchoolofMedicine.
MedicalServices:
AsperDec.31,2006:Pharmacies:46
Physicianswithownpharmacy:3
Healthinstitutionwithownpharmacy:4
HISTORYANDCULTURE
History:
Referenda:
TheNetherlandsAntillesistobedisbandedonDecember15,2008.TherehasbeenanhistoricallackofsupportfortheislandgroupingwithAruba
beingthefirsttosecedein1986,thereafterformingitsownstatewithintheKingdomoftheNetherlands.
AcommissiononthegovernmentoftheNetherlandsAntilleswasconvenedin2004whichreportedonafuturestatusoftheNetherlandsAntilles.The
commissionadvisedarevisionoftheStatuteoftheKingdomoftheNetherlandsinordertoproceedwiththedissolutionoftheNetherlandsAntilles.
TwonewassociatedstateswithintheKingdomoftheNetherlandswouldbecreated,CuraçaoandSintMaarten.Bonaire,SabaandSintEustatius
wouldbecomeadirectpartoftheNetherlandsasspecialmunicipalities(bijzonderegemeente),aformof"publicbody"(openbaarlichaam)asoutlined
inarticle134oftheDutchConstitution.ThesenewmunicipalitieswillresembleordinaryDutchmunicipalitiesinmostwaysbyhavingamayor,aldermen
andamunicipalcouncil;andwillhavetointroducemostDutchlaw.ResidentsofthesethreeislandswillbeeligibletovoteinDutchnationaland
Europeanelections.
SomebenefitsoftheNetherlandsystemwillnotbetransferrabletotheseislands.Socialsecurity,forexample,willnotbeonthesamelevelasitisinthe
Netherlands,andtheislandsarenotobligedtointroducetheEuro;perhapsretainingtheAntilleanguilderpendingfurthernegotiations.Also,itis
unknownwhetherprostitutionandsame-sexmarriage,whicharelegalonthemainlandoftheNetherlands,willbecomelegalontheseislands.
ThefiveislandterritoriesmayalsocontinuetoaccesstheCommonCourtofJusticeofArubaandtheNetherlandsAntilles(withtheJointCourtprobably
receivinganewname).Bonaire,SabaandSintEustatiuswillhavetoinvolvetheDutchMinisterofForeignRelationsbeforetheycanmakeagreements
withcountriesintheregion.
Bonaire,SabaandSt.Eustatiuswereoriginallytobecalledthe"KingdomIslands"(Koninkrijkseilanden).TheKingdomgovernmentwouldconsistofthe
governmentoftheNetherlandsandonemandatedministerperCaribbeanstate.ThespecialmunicipalitieswouldberepresentedintheKingdom
GovernmentbytheNetherlands,astheycanvotefortheDutchparliament.Presently,theDutchprovinceofNorthHollandhasofferedthethreenew
municipalitiestheopportunitytobecomepartofitsprovince.
TheNetherlandshasproposedthatthenewEUconstitutionwillallowtheNetherlandsAntillesandArubatooptforthestatusofOutermostRegion
(OMR)alsocalledUltraPeripheralRegion(UPR),iftheywish.
Aspartoftheagreement,theDutchgovernmenthaveagreedtopayofftheNetherlandsAntilles$US2billiondebt.
RecentSignificantEvents:
Music,Dance,HandicraftandPatrimony:
Sources:
BusariO,VervoortM,HermansS,BlomJ.Medicaleducationinthenewmillennium–aCaribbeanperspective.MedicalEducation[serialonline].July
2001;35(7):703-706.BackgroundonmedicaleducationinNetherlandsAntilles.
BBCCaribbean.com.Antillesbreak-upcloser.Nov.3,2006.http://www.bbc.co.uk/caribbean/news/story/2006/11/061103_stmaarten.shtml.
StoneP.ForeignAffairs.NationalJournal[serialonline].September22,2007;39(36):60-60.
OostindieG.Dependenceandautonomyinsub-nationalislandjurisdictions:ThecaseoftheKingdomoftheNetherlands.RoundTable[serialonline].
September2006;95(386):609-626.
CIAWorldFactBook,2004/NetherlandsAntilles:http://www.answers.com/topic/cia-world-fact-book-2004-netherlands-antilles.2008CentralBureauof
StatisticsNetherlandsAntilles:http://www.cbs.an//population/population_b3.asp.AirportsinNetherlandsAntilles:http://www.aircraft-charterworld.com/airports/centralamerica/nethantilles.htm
Saba,CraterTreasureoftheIndies.NationalGeographic[serialonline].November1940;78(5):597.Historicalbackground.
McDonnellS.THEPERFECTMIX.IslandofCuraçaoinNetherlandsAntilles,oneofthesixUnitedNationsEducational,ScientificandCultural
OrganizationWorldHeritagesitesintheCaribbean.June2006;19(6):26-27.
FreemanM.It'snotalwaysaboutthefish.ChristianScienceMonitor[serialonline].January10,2000;92(33):12.Background:coralreefs.
CeaserM.Sun,Sand,andanM.D.ChronicleofHigherEducation[serialonline].October28,2005;52(10):A55-A60.MedicalschoolsinNetherlands
Antilles.
StewartK,StewartJ.CREATINGANUNDERSEAPARK.Oceans[serialonline].July1988;21(4):50-57.
WelkinsonB.Dutch,Curacao,St.MaartenagreetoautonomyforCaribbeanislands.NewYorkAmsterdamNews[serialonline].November09,
2006;97(46):14-14.
SchellmannG,RadtkeU,ScheffcrsA,WhelanF,KelletatD.ESRDatingofCoralReefTerracesonCuraçao(NetherlandsAntilles)withEstimatesof
YoungerPlestoceneSeaLevelElevations.JournalofCoastalResearch[serialonline].Fall2004;20(4):947-957.
UsefulLinks:
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www.upei.ca
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InstituteofIslandStudies
UniversityofPrinceEdwardIsland(UPEI)
550UniversityAve
Charlottetown,PE,Canada,C1A4P3
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Studies,UPEI.Educationaland
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