Guernsey (2002) | Netherlands Antilles (2005) | |
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Administrative divisions | none (British crown dependency); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 10 parishes including St. Peter Port, St. Sampson, Vale, Castel, St. Saviour, St. Pierre du Bois, Torteval, Forest, St. Martin, St. Andrew | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
note: each island has its own government |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 16% (male 5,250; female 5,101)
15-64 years: 66.7% (male 21,356; female 21,728) 65 years and over: 17.3% (male 4,622; female 6,530) (2002 est.) |
0-14 years: 24.2% (male 27,302/female 26,002)
15-64 years: 67.3% (male 70,838/female 77,148) 65 years and over: 8.5% (male 7,673/female 10,995) (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | tomatoes, greenhouse flowers, sweet peppers, eggplant, fruit; Guernsey cattle | aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit |
Airports | 2 (2001) | 5 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 5
over 3,047 m: 1 2038 to 3047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 78 sq km
land: 78 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other smaller islands |
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 | slightly larger than Washington, DC | more than five times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | The island of Guernsey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy, which held sway in both France and England. The islands were the only British soil occupied by German troops in World War II. | 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 the 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 is called Saint-Martin and is part of Guadeloupe (France). |
Birth rate | 9.69 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 15 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $381.3 million
expenditures: $368.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
revenues: $710.8 million
expenditures: $741.6 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1997 est.) |
Capital | St. Peter Port | Willemstad; note - located on Curacao, the largest of the islands |
Climate | temperate with mild winters and cool summers; about 50% of days are overcast | tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds |
Coastline | 50 km | 364 km |
Constitution | unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice | 29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as amended |
Country name | conventional long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey
conventional short form: Guernsey |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Netherlands Antilles local long form: none local short form: Nederlandse Antillen former: Curacao and Dependencies |
Currency | British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Guernsey pound | - |
Death rate | 9.86 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 6.41 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | $1.35 billion (1996) |
Dependency status | British crown dependency | 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 |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (British crown dependency) | chief of mission: Consul General Robert E. SORENSON
consulate(s) general: J. B. Gorsiraweg #1, Willemstad AN, Curacao mailing address: P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao telephone: [599] (9) 4613066 FAX: [599] (9) 4616489 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (British crown dependency) | none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands) |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | IMF provided $61 million in 2000, and the Netherlands continued its support with $40 million (2000) |
Economy - overview | Financial services - banking, fund management, insurance, etc. - account for about 55% of total income in this tiny Channel Island economy. Tourism, manufacturing, and horticulture, mainly tomatoes and cut flowers, have been declining. Light tax and death duties make Guernsey a popular tax haven. The evolving economic integration of the EU nations is changing the rules of the game under which Guernsey operates. | 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. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, the US 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. |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | 934.3 million kWh (2002) |
Electricity - exports | NA kWh | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | NA kWh | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production | NA kWh | 1.005 billion kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: NA%
hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA% |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Sark 114 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Scenery 862 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | NA |
Ethnic groups | UK and Norman-French descent | mixed black 85%, Carib Amerindian, white, East Asian |
Exchange rates | Guernsey pounds per US dollar - 0.6944 (January 2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997); note - the Guernsey pound is at par with the British pound | Netherlands Antillean guilders per US dollar - 1.79 (2004), 1.79 (2003), 1.79 (2002), 1.79 (2001), 1.79 (2000) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief Lt. Gen. Sir John FOLEY (since NA 2000) and Bailiff De Vic G. CAREY (since NA) cabinet: Advisory and Finance Committee appointed by the Assembly of the States elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch; bailiff appointed by the monarch |
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 Etienne YS (since 3 June 2004) 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 18 January 2002 (next to be held by NA 2006) note: government coalition - PAR, PNP, PLKP, DP St. Maarten, UP Bonaire, WIPM Saba, DP Statia |
Exports | $NA | NA |
Exports - commodities | tomatoes, flowers and ferns, sweet peppers, eggplant, other vegetables | petroleum products |
Exports - partners | UK (regarded as internal trade) | US 20.4%, Panama 11.2%, Guatemala 8.8%, Haiti 7.1%, Bahamas, The 5.6%, Honduras 4.2% (2004) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | white with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) extending to the edges of the flag and a yellow equal-armed cross of William the Conqueror superimposed on the Saint George cross | 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 |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $1.3 billion (1999 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 3%
industry: 10% services: 87% (2000) |
agriculture: 1%
industry: 15% services: 84% (2000 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $20,000 (1999 est.) | purchasing power parity - $11,400 (2003 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 5.7% (1999 est.) | 0.5% (2003 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 49 28 N, 2 35 W | 12 15 N, 68 45 W |
Geography - note | large, deepwater harbor at Saint Peter Port | 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) |
Highways | total: NA km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km |
total: 600 km
paved: 300 km unpaved: 300 km |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Illicit drugs | - | transshipment point for South American drugs bound for the US and Europe; money-laundering center |
Imports | $NA | NA |
Imports - commodities | coal, gasoline, oil, machinery and equipment | crude petroleum, food, manufactures |
Imports - partners | UK (regarded as internal trade) | Venezuela 51.1%, US 21.9%, Netherlands 5% (2004) |
Independence | none (British crown dependency) | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | NA% |
Industries | tourism, banking | tourism (Curacao, Sint Maarten, and Bonaire), petroleum refining (Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curacao) |
Infant mortality rate | 4.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | total: 10.03 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 10.82 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.99% (2000 est.) | 2.1% (2003 est.) |
International organization participation | none | ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCL, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | NA | - |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Royal Court | Joint High Court of Justice (judges appointed by the monarch) |
Labor force | 31,322 (2000) | 89,000 (2000) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture 1%, industry 13%, services 86% (2000 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 10.2 km
border countries: Guadeloupe (Saint-Martin) 10.2 km |
Land use | arable land: NA%
permanent crops: NA% other: NA% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 10%
permanent crops: 0% other: 90% (2001) |
Languages | English, French, Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts | 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) |
Legal system | English law and local statute; justice is administered by the Royal Court | based on Dutch civil law system with some English common law influence |
Legislative branch | unicameral Assembly of the States; consists of the bailiff, 10 Douzaine (parish council) representatives, 45 people's deputies elected by popular vote, 2 representatives from Alderney, Her Majesty's Procureur (Attorney General), Her Majesty's Comptroller (Solicitor General) and Her Majesty's Greffier (Court Recorder and Registrar General); note - Alderney and Sark have their own parliaments
elections: last held 12 April 2000 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - all independents |
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 18 January 2002 (next to be held in 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PAR 4, PNP 3, PLKP 2, DP St. M 2, UP Bonaire 2, WIPM 1, DP note: the government of Prime Minister Etienne YS is a coalition of several parties; current government formed after collapse of FOL led government on 4 April 2004 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 79.9 years
male: 76.91 years female: 83.01 years (2002 est.) |
total population: 75.83 years
male: 73.58 years female: 78.2 years (2005 est.) |
Literacy | definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.7% male: 96.7% female: 96.8% (2003 est.) |
Location | Western Europe, islands in the English Channel, northwest of France | Caribbean, two island groups in the Caribbean Sea - composed of five islands, Curacao and Bonaire located off the coast of Venezuela, and St. Maarten, Saba, and St. Eustatius lie east of the US Virgin Islands |
Map references | Europe | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | exclusive fishing zone: 12 NM
territorial sea: 3 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm |
Merchant marine | none (2002 est.) | total: 168 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,317,007 GRT/1,668,499 DWT
by type: barge carrier 3, bulk carrier 23, cargo 72, chemical tanker 2, container 21, liquefied gas 6, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 30, roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 2 foreign-owned: 158 (Belgium 5, Cyprus 1, Denmark 1, Germany 57, Hong Kong 3, Netherlands 71, Peru 1, Sweden 9, Turkey 7, United Kingdom 2, United States 1) (2005) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK | defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands |
Military branches | - | National Guard, Police Force |
National holiday | Liberation Day, 9 May (1945) | Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA in 1909 and accession to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX in 1980), 30 April |
Nationality | noun: Channel Islander(s)
adjective: Channel Islander |
noun: Dutch Antillean(s)
adjective: Dutch Antillean |
Natural hazards | NA | 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 |
Natural resources | cropland | phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only) |
Net migration rate | 3.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | -0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | none; all independents | Antillean Restructuring Party or PAR [Etienne YS]; C 93 [Stanley BROWN]; Democratic Party of Bonaire or PDB [Jopi ABRAHAM]; Democratic Party of Curacao or DP [Errol HERNANDEZ]; Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius or DP-St. E [Julian WOODLEY]; Democratic Party of Sint Maarten or DP-St. M [Sarah WESCOTT-WILLIAMS]; Foundation Energetic Management Anti-Narcotics or FAME [Eric LODEWIJKS]; Labor Party People's Crusade or PLKP [Errol COVA]; National Alliance [William MARLIN]; National People's Party or PNP [Susanne F. C. CAMELIA-ROMER]; New Antilles Movement or MAN [Kenneth GIJSBERTHA]; Patriotic Union of Bonaire or UP Bonaire [Ramonsito BOOI]; Patriotic Movement of Sint Maarten or SPA [Vance JAMES, Jr.]; People's Party or PAPU [Richard HODI]; Pro Curacao Party or PPK [Winston LOURENS]; Saba Democratic Labor Movement [Steve HASSELL]; Saba Unity Party [Carmen SIMMONDS]; St. Eustatius Alliance or SEA [Kenneth VAN PUTTEN]; Serious Alternative People's Party or Sapp [Julian ROLLOCKS]; Social Action Cause or KAS [Benny DEMEI]; Windward Islands People's Movement or WIPM [Will JOHNSTON]; Workers' Liberation Front or FOL [Anthony GODETT, Rignald LAK, Editha WRIGHT]
note: political parties are indigenous to each island |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | NA |
Population | 64,587 (July 2002 est.) | 219,958 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA |
Population growth rate | 0.37% (2002 est.) | 0.82% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | St. Peter Port, Saint Sampson | Bopec Terminal, Fuik Bay, Kralendijk, Willemstad |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 8, FM 19, shortwave 0 (2004) |
Radios | NA | - |
Railways | 5 km | - |
Religions | Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist | 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) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: 1 submarine cable |
general assessment: generally adequate facilities
domestic: extensive interisland microwave radio relay links international: country code - 599; submarine cables - 2; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 44,000 (1996) | 81,000 (2001) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 12,000 (1997) | 81,000 (2001) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 3 (there is also a cable service, which supplies programs received from various US satellite networks and two Venezuelan channels) (2004) |
Terrain | mostly level with low hills in southwest | generally hilly, volcanic interiors |
Total fertility rate | 1.36 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 2 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 0.5% (1999 est.) | 15.6% (2002 est.) |
Waterways | none | - |