Netherlands Antilles (2001) | Mayotte (2005) | |
Administrative divisions | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
note: each island has its own government |
none (territorial collectivity of France) |
Age structure | 0-14 years:
25.21% (male 27,332; female 26,169) 15-64 years: 66.99% (male 67,562; female 74,599) 65 years and over: 7.8% (male 6,874; female 9,690) (2001 est.) |
0-14 years: 46.2% (male 44,926/female 44,521)
15-64 years: 52.1% (male 54,713/female 46,156) 65 years and over: 1.7% (male 1,666/female 1,651) (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit | vanilla, ylang-ylang (perfume essence), coffee, copra |
Airports | 5 (2000 est.) | 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
5 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Area | 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) |
total: 374 sq km
land: 374 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | more than five times the size of Washington, DC | slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC |
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 the newly discovered Venezuelan oil fields. The island of Sint Maarten is shared with France; its northern portion is named Saint Martin and is part of Guadeloupe. | Mayotte was ceded to France along with the other islands of the Comoros group in 1843. It was the only island in the archipelago that voted in 1974 to retain its link with France and forego independence. |
Birth rate | 16.55 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 41.58 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$710.8 million expenditures: $741.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.) |
revenues: NA
expenditures: $73 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1991 est.) |
Capital | Willemstad | Mamoutzou |
Climate | tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds | tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to November) |
Coastline | 364 km | 185.2 km |
Constitution | 29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as amended | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) |
Country name | conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Netherlands Antilles local long form: none local short form: Nederlandse Antillen former: Curacao and Dependencies |
conventional long form: Territorial Collectivity of Mayotte
conventional short form: Mayotte |
Currency | Netherlands Antillean guilder (ANG) | - |
Death rate | 6.41 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 7.9 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | $1.35 billion (1996) | $NA |
Dependency status | part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs | territorial collectivity of France |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission:
Consul General Barbara J. STEPHENSON 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 |
none (territorial collectivity of France) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands) | none (territorial collectivity of France) |
Disputes - international | none | claimed by Comoros |
Economic aid - recipient | IMF provided $61 million in 2000, and the Netherlands continued its support with $40 million | $107.7 million; note - extensive French financial assistance (1995) |
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 slightly in each of the past five years, the islands enjoy a high per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure as compared with other countries in the region. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, with Venezuela, the US, and Mexico being the major suppliers. Poor soils and inadequate water supplies hamper the development of agriculture. | Economic activity is based primarily on the agricultural sector, including fishing and livestock raising. Mayotte is not self-sufficient and must import a large portion of its food requirements, mainly from France. The economy and future development of the island are heavily dependent on French financial assistance, an important supplement to GDP. Mayotte's remote location is an obstacle to the development of tourism. |
Electricity - consumption | 1.032 billion kWh (1999) | NA kWh |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | - |
Electricity - production | 1.11 billion kWh (1999) | NA kWh |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Scenery 862 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Benara 660 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | NA |
Ethnic groups | mixed black 85%, Carib Amerindian, white, East Asian | NA |
Exchange rates | Netherlands Antillean guilders per US dollar - 1.790 (fixed rate since 1989) | euros per US dollar - 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000) |
Executive branch | chief of state:
Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Jaime SALEH (since NA October 1989) head of government: Prime Minister Miguel POURIER (since 8 November 1999); Deputy Prime Minister Susanne CAMELIA-ROMER (since NA) note: Miguel POURIER assumed prime ministership following the resignation of Susanne CAMELIA-ROMER cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Staten 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 30 January 1998 (next to be held by NA 2002) note: government coalition - PDB, DP-St. M, FOL, PLKP, PNP |
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Jean-Paul KIHL (since 17 January 2005)
head of government: President of the General Council Said Omar OILI (since NA 2004) cabinet: NA elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of the Interior; president of the General Council elected by the members of the General Council for a six-year term |
Exports | $276 million (f.o.b., 2000) | $3.44 million f.o.b. (1997) |
Exports - commodities | petroleum products | ylang-ylang (perfume essence), vanilla, copra, coconuts, coffee, cinnamon |
Exports - partners | US 17.5%, Guatemala 8%, Costa Rica 6.5%, The Bahamas 4.6%, Jamaica 4.1%, Chile 3.4% (1998) | France 80%, Comoros 15%, Reunion (2000) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
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 | the flag of France is used |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $2.4 billion (2000 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
1% industry: 15% services: 84% (1996 est.) |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $11,400 (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $2,600 (2003 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | -3.5% (2000 est.) | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 12 15 N, 68 45 W | 12 50 S, 45 10 E |
Geography - note | - | part of Comoro Archipelago; 18 islands |
Highways | total:
600 km paved: 300 km unpaved: 300 km (1992) |
total: 93 km
paved: 72 km unpaved: 21 km |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | money-laundering center; transshipment point for South American drugs bound for the US and Europe | - |
Imports | $1.5 billion (f.o.b., 2000) | $141.3 million f.o.b. (1997) |
Imports - commodities | crude petroleum, food, manufactures | food, machinery and equipment, transportation equipment, metals, chemicals |
Imports - partners | Venezuela 35.3%, US 21%, Mexico 9.8%, Italy 5.4%, Netherlands 4.8%, Brazil 3.1% (1998) | France 66%, Africa 14%, Southeast Asia 11% (2000 est.) |
Independence | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) | none (territorial collectivity of France) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | NA% |
Industries | tourism (Curacao, Sint Maarten, and Bonaire), petroleum refining (Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curacao) | newly created lobster and shrimp industry, construction |
Infant mortality rate | 11.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | total: 62.4 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 68.51 deaths/1,000 live births female: 56.11 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 6.4% (2000 est.) | NA% |
International organization participation | Caricom (observer), ECLAC (associate), Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCL, WMO, WToO (associate) | UPU |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 6 | - |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Joint High Court of Justice (judges appointed by the monarch) | Supreme Court or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel |
Labor force | 89,000 | 48,800 (2000) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 1%, industry 13%, services 86% (1994 est.) | - |
Land boundaries | total:
10.2 km border countries: Guadeloupe (Saint Martin) 10.2 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land:
10% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 90% (1993 est.) |
arable land: NA%
permanent crops: NA% other: NA% |
Languages | Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect) predominates, English widely spoken, Spanish | Mahorian (a Swahili dialect), French (official language) spoken by 35% of the population |
Legal system | based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence | French law |
Legislative branch | unicameral States or Staten (22 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 30 January 1998 (next to be held by NA 2002) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PAR 4, PNP 3, SPA 1, PDB 2, UPB 1, MAN 2, PLKP 3, WIPM 1, SEA 1, DP-St. M 2, FOL 2; no party won enough seats to form a government note: the government of Prime Minister Miguel POURIER is a coalition of several parties; current seats by party - PAR 4, PNP 3, FOL 2, MAN 2, UPB 2, DP-St. M 2, PDB 1, SEA 1, WIPM 1, other 4 |
unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 21 and 28 March 2004 (next to be held NA 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - MDM 23.3%, UMP 22.8%, PS 10.2%, MRC 8.9%, FRAP 6.5%, MPM 1.2%; seats by party - MDM 6, UMP 9, MRC 2, MPM 1, diverse left 1 note: Mayotte elects one member of the French Senate; elections last held 24 September 2001 (next to be held September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; Mayotte also elects one member to the French National Assembly; elections last held 16 June 2002 (next to be held as a special election in June 2005); results - percent of vote by party - UMP-RPR 55.08%, UDF 44.92%; seats by party - UMP-RPR 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
74.94 years male: 72.76 years female: 77.22 years (2001 est.) |
total population: 61.39 years
male: 59.22 years female: 63.62 years (2005 est.) |
Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98% male: 98% female: 99% (1981 est.) |
definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Caribbean, two island groups in the Caribbean Sea - one includes Curacao and Bonaire north of Venezuela; the other is east of the Virgin Islands | Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel, about one-half of the way from northern Madagascar to northern Mozambique |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Africa |
Maritime claims | exclusive fishing zone:
12 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | total:
123 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,113,774 GRT/1,397,841 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 35, chemical tanker 2, combination ore/oil 3, container 19, liquefied gas 4, multi-functional large-load carrier 19, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 28, roll on/roll off 7 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Belgium 8, Germany 1, Italy 1 (2000 est.) |
- |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands | defense is the responsibility of France; small contingent of French forces stationed on the island |
Military branches | Royal Netherlands Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, National Guard, Police Force | - |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49:
54,284 (2001 est.) |
- |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49:
30,405 (2001 est.) |
- |
Military manpower - military age | 20 years of age | - |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males:
1,610 (2001 est.) |
- |
National holiday | Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA in 1909 and accession to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX in 1980), 30 April | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) |
Nationality | noun:
Dutch Antillean(s) adjective: Dutch Antillean |
noun: Mahorais (singular and plural)
adjective: Mahoran |
Natural hazards | 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 | cyclones during rainy season |
Natural resources | phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only) | NEGL |
Net migration rate | -0.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 5.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | Antillean Restructuring Party or PAR [Miguel POURIER]; 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 People's Party or PNP [Susanne F. C. CAMELIA-ROMER]; New Antilles Movement or MAN [Kenneth GIJSBERTHA]; Patriotic Union of Bonaire or UPB [Ramon 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 |
Democratic Front or FD [Youssouf MOUSSA]; Mahoran Popular Movement or MPM [Ahmed MADI]; FARC [leader NA]; Federation of Mahorans or RPR (UMP) [Mansour KAMARDINE]; Movement for Department Status Mayotte or MDM [Mouhoutar SALIM]; Renewed Communist Party of Mayotte or MRC [Omar SIMBA]; Socialist Party or PS (local branch of French Parti Socialiste) [Ibrahim ABUBACAR]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Henri JEAN-BAPTISTE] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 212,226 (July 2001 est.) | 193,633 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 0.97% (2001 est.) | 3.93% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Kralendijk, Philipsburg, Willemstad | Dzaoudzi |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 9, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2001) |
Radios | 217,000 (1997) | - |
Railways | 0 km | - |
Religions | Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Seventh-Day Adventist | Muslim 97%, Christian (mostly Roman Catholic) |
Sex ratio | at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.18 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment:
generally adequate facilities domestic: extensive interisland microwave radio relay links international: submarine cables - 2; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
general assessment: small system administered by French Department of Posts and Telecommunications
domestic: NA international: country code - 269; microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone communications to Comoros (2001) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 76,000 (1995) | 10,000 (2001) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 13,977 (1996) | 21,700 (2002) |
Television broadcast stations | 3 (there is also a cable service which supplies programs received from various US satellite networks and two Venezuelan channels) (1997) | 3 (2001) |
Terrain | generally hilly, volcanic interiors | generally undulating, with deep ravines and ancient volcanic peaks |
Total fertility rate | 2.07 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 5.89 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 14.9% (1998 est.) | 38% (1999) |
Waterways | none | - |