$NA
Stock of domestic credit:
$1.824 trillion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 10 $1.684 trillion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$456.2 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 18 $956.5 billion (31 December 2007)
$779.6 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; livestock
Industries:
agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, construction, microelectronics, fishing
Industrial production growth rate:
2.9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 87
Electricity - production:
97.19 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 32
Electricity - consumption:
110.2 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 28
Electricity - exports:
9.28 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
25.01 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
72,090 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 56
Oil - consumption:
962,900 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 19
Oil - exports:
1.647 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 14
Oil - imports:
2.678 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 7
Oil - proved reserves:
100 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 68
Natural gas - production:
84.69 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 8
Natural gas - consumption:
48.34 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 17
Natural gas - exports:
61.72 billion cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 4
Natural gas - imports:
25.34 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 12
Natural gas - proved reserves:
1.416 trillion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 23
Current account balance:
$41.93 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 9 $59.51 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$531.7 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 8 $461 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels; foodstuffs
Exports - partners:
Germany 25.5%, Belgium 13.8%, France 8.9%, UK 8.8%, Italy 5.2% (2008)
Imports:
$474.8 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 9 $406.2 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs, clothing
Imports - partners:
Germany 16.6%, China 10.1%, Belgium 8.7%, US 7.5%, UK 5.8%, Russia 5.4%, France 4.4% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$28.51 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 45 $26.98 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$2.461 trillion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 5 $2.59 trillion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$644.6 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 8 $724.1 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$843.7 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 5 $876.9 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6827 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Communications ::Netherlands
Telephones - main lines in use:
7.324 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 25
Telephones - mobile cellular:
19.927 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 39
Telephone system:
general assessment: highly developed and well maintained
domestic: extensive fixed-line fiber-optic network; large cellular telephone system with 5 major operators utilizing the third generation of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) technology; one in five households now use Voice over the Internet Protocol (VoIP) services
international: country code - 31; submarine cables provide links to the US and Europe; satellite earth stations - 5 (3 Intelsat - 1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean, 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 4, FM 567, shortwave 1 (2008)
Television broadcast stations:
342 (2008)
Internet country code:
.nl
Internet hosts:
12.388 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 9
Internet users:
14.273 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 26
Transportation ::Netherlands
Airports:
27 (2009) country comparison to the world: 124
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 20
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 4 (2009)
Heliports:
1 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 3,816 km; oil 365 km; refined products 716 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 2,811 km country comparison to the world: 57 standard gauge: 2,811 km 1.435-m gauge (2,064 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 135,470 km (includes 2,582 km of expressways) (2007) country comparison to the world: 35
Waterways:
6,215 km (navigable for ships of 50 tons) (2007) country comparison to the world: 22
Merchant marine:
total: 622 country comparison to the world: 18 by type: bulk carrier 9, cargo 381, carrier 19, chemical tanker 44, container 76, liquefied gas 15, passenger 16, passenger/cargo 15, petroleum tanker 11, refrigerated cargo 10, roll on/roll off 23, specialized tanker 3
foreign-owned: 203 (Belgium 2, Cyprus 8, Denmark 29, Finland 14, France 1, Germany 75, Ireland 10, Italy 1, South Korea 1, Norway 12, Sweden 28, Turkey 1, UAE 5, UK 2, US 14)
registered in other countries: 178 (Antigua and Barbuda 20, Australia 2, Austria 2, Bahamas 9, Cambodia 1, Canada 1, Cyprus 22, Germany 1, Gibraltar 21, Isle of Man 1, Liberia 6, Luxembourg 2, Marshall Islands 8, Netherlands Antilles 38, Panama 14, Paraguay 1, Philippines 23, Portugal 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3, US 1, unknown 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Amsterdam, IJmuiden, Rotterdam, Terneuzen, Vlissingen
Military ::Netherlands
Military branches:
Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy (includes Naval Air
Service and Marine Corps), Royal Netherlands Air Force (Koninklijke
Luchtmacht, KLu), Royal Military Police (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
20 years of age for an all-volunteer force (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 3,950,825
females age 16-49: 3,850,800 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 3,224,790
females age 16-49: 3,143,096 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 105,194
female: 100,341 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.6% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 101
Transnational Issues ::Netherlands
Disputes - international:
none
Illicit drugs:
major European producer of synthetic drugs, including ecstasy, and cannabis cultivator; important gateway for cocaine, heroin, and hashish entering Europe; major source of US-bound ecstasy; large financial sector vulnerable to money laundering; significant consumer of ecstasy
page last updated on November 11, 2009
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@Netherlands Antilles (Central America and Caribbean)
Introduction ::Netherlands Antilles
Background:
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 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, called Saint Martin, is an overseas collectivity of France.
Geography ::Netherlands Antilles
Location:
Caribbean, two island groups in the Caribbean Sea - composed of five
islands, Curacao and Bonaire located off the coast of Venezuela, and
Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius lie east of the US Virgin
Islands
Geographic coordinates:
Bonaire: 12 12 N, 68 15 W
Curacao: 12 10 N, 69 00 W
Saba: 17 38 N, 63 14 W
Sint Eustatius: 17 30 N, 62 58 W
Sint Maarten: 18 04 N, 63 04 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 800 sq km country comparison to the world: 187 land: 800 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: 15 km
border countries: Saint Martin 15 km
Coastline:
364 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 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%
other: 90% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Natural hazards:
Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are subject to hurricanes from July to October; Curacao and Bonaire are south of Caribbean hurricane belt and are rarely threatened
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); the island of Saint Martin is the smallest landmass in the world shared by two independent states, the French territory of Saint Martin and the Dutch territory of Sint Maarten
People ::Netherlands Antilles
Population:
227,049 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 182
Age structure:
0-14 years: 22.7% (male 26,429/female 25,162)
15-64 years: 67.7% (male 74,183/female 79,434)
65 years and over: 9.6% (male 8,875/female 12,966) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 33.7 years
male: 31.9 years
female: 35.5 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.732% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 144
Birth rate:
14.19 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 149
Death rate:
6.48 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 148
Net migration rate:
-0.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 105
Urbanization:
urban population: 93% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.6% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 9.09 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 156 male: 9.76 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 8.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.65 years country comparison to the world: 65 male: 74.33 years
female: 79.09 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.97 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 134
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Dutch Antillean(s)
adjective: Dutch Antillean
Ethnic groups:
mixed black 85%, other 15% (includes Carib Amerindian, white, East Asian)
Religions:
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)
Languages:
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)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.7%
male: 96.7%
female: 96.8% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 14 years
male: 14 years
female: 15 years (2002)
Education expenditures:
NA
Government ::Netherlands Antilles
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Netherlands Antilles
local long form: none
local short form: Nederlandse Antillen
former: Curacao and Dependencies
Dependency status:
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
Government type:
parliamentary
Capital:
name: Willemstad (on Curacao)
geographic coordinates: 12 06 N, 68 56 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
note: each island has its own government
Independence:
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
National holiday:
Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA and accession to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX), 30 April (1909 and 1980)
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
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
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 Emily de JONGH-ELHAGE (since 26 March 2006)
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 27 January 2006 (next to be held by 2010)
note: government coalition - PAR, PNP, DP-St. M, UPB, WIPM Saba, DP-St. E
Legislative branch:
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 27 January 2006 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PAR 5, MAN 3, FOL 2, Forsa Korsou 2, National Alliance 2, PNP 2, UPB 2, DP-St. E 1, DP-St. M 1, PDB 1, WIPM 1
note: the government is a coalition of several parties
Judicial branch:
Joint High Court of Justice (judges appointed by the monarch)
Political parties and leaders:
Bonaire: Democratic Party of Bonaire or PDB [Jopi ABRAHAM];
Patriotic Union of Bonaire or UPB [Ramonsito BOOI]
Curacao: Ban Vota [Norbert GEORGE]; C-93 [Stanley BROWN]; Democratic
Party of Curacao or DP [Errol HERNANDEZ]; E Mayoria [Aurelio PEDRO];
Forsa Korsou [Nelson NAVARRO]; Liste Ni'un Paso Atras [Nelson
PIERRE]; Movemiento Patriotiko Korsou [Reginald LAK]; New Antilles
Movement or MAN [Charles COOPER]; Partido Akshon Pa Prosperidat I
Seguridat [Sonja BERKEMEYER]; Partido Laboral Krusada Popular or
PLKP [Errol COVA]; Party for the Restructured Antilles or PAR [Emily
de JONGH-ELHAGE]; People's National Party or PNP [Ersilia DE
LANNOOY]; Pidjin [Jasmin PINEDO]; Pueblo Soberano [Herman WIELS];
Workers' Liberation Front or FOL [Anthony GODETT]
Saba: Saba Labor Party [Akilah LEVENSTONE]; Windward Islands
People's Movement or WIPM [Ray HASSELL]
Sint Eustatius: Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius or DP-St. E
[Julian WOODLEY]; Progressive Labor Party [Clyde VAN PUTTEN]; St.
Eustatius Alliance [Ingrid HOUTMAN-WHITFIELD]
Sint Maarten: Democratic Party of Sint Maarten or DP-St. M [Sarah
WESCOTT-WILLIAMS]; Freedom Slate of National Democratic Party
[Theophilus PRIEST]; National Alliance or NA [William MARLIN];
People's Progressive Alliance or PPA [Gracita ARRINDELL]; St.
Maarten People's Party [Johan LEONARD]; United People's Labor Party
[Bienvenido RICHARDSON]
note: political parties are indigenous to each island
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Employers Association (VBC); Unions (AVBO)
International organization participation:
Caricom (observer), ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate),
UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCL, WCO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands); note - Mr. Jeffrey CORRION, Minister Plenipotentiary for Aruba at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Consul General Robert E. SORENSON
consulate(s) general: J. B. Gorsiraweg #1, Willemstad, Curacao
mailing address: P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao
telephone: [599] (9) 461-3066
FAX: [599] (9) 461-6489
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
Economy ::Netherlands Antilles
Economy - overview:
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. Most of the oil Netherlands Antilles imports for its refineries come from Venezuela. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, the US, Italy, 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. The Netherlands provides financial aid to support the economy.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$2.8 billion (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 175
GDP (official exchange rate):