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Compare Netherlands Antilles (2001) - Solomon Islands (2005)

Compare Netherlands Antilles (2001) z Solomon Islands (2005)

 Netherlands Antilles (2001)Solomon Islands (2005)
 Netherlands AntillesSolomon Islands
Administrative divisions none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

note:
each island has its own government
9 provinces and 1 capital territory*; Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, Western
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: 41.9% (male 114,860/female 110,404)


15-64 years: 54.9% (male 149,400/female 145,970)


65 years and over: 3.2% (male 8,371/female 9,027) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit cocoa beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs; timber; fish
Airports 5 (2000 est.) 33 (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: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 31


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 9


under 914 m: 21 (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: 28,450 sq km


land: 27,540 sq km


water: 910 sq km
Area - comparative more than five times the size of Washington, DC slightly smaller than Maryland
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. The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the 1890s. Some of the bitterest fighting of World War II occurred on these islands. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and independence two years later. Ethnic violence, government malfeasance, and endemic crime have undermined stability and civil society. In June 2003, Prime Minister Sir Allen KEMAKEZA sought the assistance of Australia in reestablishing law and order; the following month, an Australian-led multinational force arrived to restore peace and disarm ethnic militias. The Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) has been very effective in restoring law and order and rebuilding government institutions.
Birth rate 16.55 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 30.74 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget revenues:
$710.8 million

expenditures:
$741.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)
revenues: $49.7 million


expenditures: $75.1 million, including capital expenditures of $0 (2003)
Capital Willemstad Honiara
Climate tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather
Coastline 364 km 5,313 km
Constitution 29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as amended 7 July 1978
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: none


conventional short form: Solomon Islands


former: British Solomon Islands
Currency Netherlands Antillean guilder (ANG) -
Death rate 6.41 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 3.98 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external $1.35 billion (1996) $180.4 million (2002)
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 -
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
the US does not have an embassy in Solomon Islands (embassy closed July 1993); the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to the Solomon Islands
Diplomatic representation in the US none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands) chief of mission: Ambassador Collin David BECK


chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017


telephone: [1] (212) 599-6192, 6193


FAX: [1] (212) 661-8925
Disputes - international none Australian Defense Force leads the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) at the invitation of the Solomon Islands' Government to maintain civil and political order and reinforce regional security
Economic aid - recipient IMF provided $61 million in 2000, and the Netherlands continued its support with $40 million $28 million annually, mainly from Australia (2003 est.)
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. The bulk of the population depends on agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of their livelihood. Most manufactured goods and petroleum products must be imported. The islands are rich in undeveloped mineral resources such as lead, zinc, nickel, and gold. Prior to the arrival of the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI), severe ethnic violence, the closing of key businesses, and an empty government treasury culminated in economic collapse. RAMSI has enabled a return to law and order, a new period of economic stability, and modest growth as the economy rebuilds.
Electricity - consumption 1.032 billion kWh (1999) 29.76 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - production 1.11 billion kWh (1999) 32 million kWh (2002)
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: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m
Environment - current issues NA deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying
Environment - international agreements - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups mixed black 85%, Carib Amerindian, white, East Asian Melanesian 94.5%, Polynesian 3%, Micronesian 1.2%, other 1.1%, unspecified 0.2% (1999 census)
Exchange rates Netherlands Antillean guilders per US dollar - 1.790 (fixed rate since 1989) Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - 7.4847 (2004), 7.5059 (2003), 6.7488 (2002), 5.278 (2001), 5.0889 (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: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Nathaniel WAENA (since 7 July 2004)


head of government: Prime Minister Sir Allan KEMAKEZA (since 17 December 2001); Deputy Prime Minister Snyder RINI (since 17 December 2001)


cabinet: Cabinet consists of 20 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of Parliament


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of Parliament for up to five years; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by Parliament; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of Parliament
Exports $276 million (f.o.b., 2000) NA
Exports - commodities petroleum products timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa
Exports - partners US 17.5%, Guatemala 8%, Costa Rica 6.5%, The Bahamas 4.6%, Jamaica 4.1%, Chile 3.4% (1998) China 27.8%, South Korea 17.1%, Thailand 15.7%, Japan 9.7%, Philippines 4.8% (2004)
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 divided diagonally by a thin yellow stripe from the lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is blue with five white five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern; the lower triangle is green
GDP purchasing power parity - $2.4 billion (2000 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
1%

industry:
15%

services:
84% (1996 est.)
agriculture: 42%


industry: 11%


services: 47% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $11,400 (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate -3.5% (2000 est.) 5.8% (2003 est.)
Geographic coordinates 12 15 N, 68 45 W 8 00 S, 159 00 E
Geography - note - strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea
Government - note - June 2003 Prime Minister Sir Allan KEMAKEZA sought the intervention of Australia to aid in restoring order; parliament approved the request for intervention in July 2003; troops from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga arrived 24 July 2003. By the end of 2004 the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) had been scaled back to 302 police officers and 120 military in addition to civilian technical advisors.
Highways total:
600 km

paved:
300 km

unpaved:
300 km (1992)
total: 1,360 km


paved: 34 km


unpaved: 1,326 km (1999 est.)
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) NA
Imports - commodities crude petroleum, food, manufactures food, plant and equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals
Imports - partners Venezuela 35.3%, US 21%, Mexico 9.8%, Italy 5.4%, Netherlands 4.8%, Brazil 3.1% (1998) Australia 24.6%, Singapore 23.1%, New Zealand 7.7%, Fiji 4.8%, Papua New Guinea 4.7% (2004)
Independence none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) 7 July 1978 (from UK)
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) fish (tuna), mining, timber
Infant mortality rate 11.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) total: 21.29 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 24.27 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 18.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 6.4% (2000 est.) 10% (2003 est.)
International organization participation Caricom (observer), ECLAC (associate), Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCL, WMO, WToO (associate) ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 6 -
Irrigated land NA sq km NA
Judicial branch Joint High Court of Justice (judges appointed by the monarch) Court of Appeal
Labor force 89,000 26,840 (1999)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 1%, industry 13%, services 86% (1994 est.) agriculture 75%, industry 5%, services 20% (2000 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: 0.64%


permanent crops: 2%


other: 97.36% (2001)
Languages Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect) predominates, English widely spoken, Spanish Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca; English is official but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population


note: 120 indigenous languages
Legal system based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence English common law, which is widely disregarded
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 National Parliament (50 seats; members elected from single-member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 5 December 2001 (next to be held not later than December 2005)


election results: percent of vote by party - PAP 40%, SIACC 40%, PPP 20%; seats by party - PAP 16, SIACC 13, PPP 2, SILP 1, independents 18
Life expectancy at birth total population:
74.94 years

male:
72.76 years

female:
77.22 years (2001 est.)
total population: 72.66 years


male: 70.16 years


female: 75.28 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 Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea
Map references Central America and the Caribbean Oceania
Maritime claims exclusive fishing zone:
12 NM

territorial sea:
12 NM
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines


territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 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 -
Military branches Royal Netherlands Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, National Guard, Police Force no regular military forces; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP)
Military expenditures - dollar figure - NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - NA
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 Independence Day, 7 July (1978)
Nationality noun:
Dutch Antillean(s)

adjective:
Dutch Antillean
noun: Solomon Islander(s)


adjective: Solomon Islander
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 typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity
Natural resources phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only) fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel
Net migration rate -0.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) 0 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
Association of Independents [Snyder RINI]; People's Alliance Party or PAP [Allan KEMAKEZA]; People's Progressive Party or PPP [Mannaseh Damukana SOGAVARE]; Solomon Islands Alliance for Change Coalition or SIACC [Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU]; Solomon Islands Labor Party or SILP [Joses TUHANUKU]


note: in general, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid coalitions
Political pressure groups and leaders NA NA
Population 212,226 (July 2001 est.) 538,032 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA
Population growth rate 0.97% (2001 est.) 2.68% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors Kralendijk, Philipsburg, Willemstad Honiara, Malloco Bay, Shortland Harbor, Viru Harbor, Yandina
Radio broadcast stations AM 9, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2004)
Radios 217,000 (1997) -
Railways 0 km -
Religions Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Seventh-Day Adventist Church of Melanesia 32.8%, Roman Catholic 19%, South Seas Evangelical 17%, Seventh-Day Adventist 11.2%, United Church 10.3%, Christian Fellowship Church 2.4%, other Christian 4.4%, other 2.4%, unspecified 0.3%, none 0.2% (1999 census)
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: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female


total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 21 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: NA


domestic: NA


international: country code - 677; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 76,000 (1995) 6,600 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 13,977 (1996) 1,000 (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) -
Terrain generally hilly, volcanic interiors mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls
Total fertility rate 2.07 children born/woman (2001 est.) 4.04 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate 14.9% (1998 est.) NA%
Waterways none -
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