Overview:
Tourism, petroleum refining, and offshore finance are the mainstays of
the economy. The islands enjoy a high per capita income and a
well-developed infrastructure as 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 Venezuela and the US being the major
suppliers.
National product:
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $1.8 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
2% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
$9,700 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
16.4% (1991 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
$209 million
expenditures:
$232 million, including capital expenditures of $8 million (1992 est.)
Exports:
$240 million (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities:
petroleum products 98%
partners:
US 39%, Brazil 9%, Colombia 6%
Imports:
$1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities:
crude petroleum 64%, food, manufactures
partners:
Venezuela 26%, US 18%, Colombia 6%, Netherlands 6%, Japan 5%
External debt:
$701 million (December 1987)
Industrial production:
growth rate NA%
Electricity:
capacity:
125,000 kW
production:
365 million kWh
consumption per capita:
1,980 kWh (1992)
Industries:
tourism (Curacao and Sint Maarten), petroleum refining (Curacao),
petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire), light
manufacturing (Curacao)
Agriculture:
hampered by poor soils and scarcity of water; chief products - aloes,
sorghum, peanuts, fresh vegetables, tropical fruit; not
self-sufficient in food
Illicit drugs:
money-laundering center; transshipment point for South American
cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and Europe
Economic aid:
recipient:
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-89), $513 million
Currency:
1 Netherlands Antillean guilder, gulden, or florin (NAf.) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
Netherlands Antillean guilders, gulden, or florins (NAf.) per US$1 -
1.79 (fixed rate since 1989; 1.80 fixed rate 1971-88)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
@Netherlands Antilles, Communications
Highways:
total:
950 km
paved:
300 km
unpaved:
gravel, earth 650 km
Ports:
Willemstad, Philipsburg, Kralendijk
Merchant marine:
113 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 966,797 GRT/1,251,871 DWT, bulk
1, cargo 43, chemical tanker 7, combination ore/oil 1, container 3,
liquefied gas 5, multifunction large-load carrier 18, oil tanker 1,
passenger 4, refrigerated cargo 23, roll-on/roll-off cargo 7
note:
all but a few are foreign owned, mostly in the Netherlands
Airports:
total:
5
usable:
4
with permanent-surface runways:
4
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
1
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
3
Telecommunications:
generally adequate facilities; extensive interisland microwave radio
relay links; broadcast stations - 9 AM, 4 FM, 1 TV; 2 submarine
cables; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
@Netherlands Antilles, Defense Forces
Branches:
Royal Netherlands Navy, Marine Corps, Royal Netherlands Air Force,
National Guard, Police Force
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 48,866; fit for military service 27,421; reach
military age (20) annually 1,595 (1994 est.)
Note:
defense is responsibility of the Netherlands
@New Caledonia
Header Affiliation: (overseas territory of France)
@New Caledonia, Geography
Location: Oceania, Melanesia, in the South Pacific Ocean, 1,750 km east of Australia Map references: Oceania Area: total area: 19,060 sq km land area: 18,760 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 2,254 km Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm International disputes: none Climate: tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid Terrain: coastal plains with interior mountains Natural resources: nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 14% forest and woodland: 51% other: 35% Irrigated land: NA sq km Environment: current issues: NA natural hazards: typhoons most frequent from November to March international agreements: NA
@New Caledonia, People