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Compare Netherlands Antilles (2003) - Jamaica (2008)

Compare Netherlands Antilles (2003) z Jamaica (2008)

 Netherlands Antilles (2003)Jamaica (2008)
 Netherlands AntillesJamaica
Administrative divisions none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)


note: each island has its own government
14 parishes; Clarendon, Hanover, Kingston, Manchester, Portland, Saint Andrew, Saint Ann, Saint Catherine, Saint Elizabeth, Saint James, Saint Mary, Saint Thomas, Trelawny, Westmoreland


note: for local government purposes, Kingston and Saint Andrew were amalgamated in 1923 into the present single corporate body known as the Kingston and Saint Andrew Corporation
Age structure 0-14 years: 24.7% (male 27,383; female 26,122)


15-64 years: 67.1% (male 69,233; female 75,956)


65 years and over: 8.1% (male 7,244; female 10,288) (2003 est.)
0-14 years: 32.5% (male 459,968/female 444,963)


15-64 years: 60.1% (male 822,486/female 848,310)


65 years and over: 7.4% (male 91,856/female 112,549) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, yams, ackees, vegetables; poultry, goats, milk; crustaceans, mollusks
Airports 5 (2002) 34 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways 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 (2002)
total: 11


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 5 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 23


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 21 (2007)
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: 10,991 sq km


land: 10,831 sq km


water: 160 sq km
Area - comparative more than five times the size of Washington, DC slightly smaller than Connecticut
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 Saint Martin is shared with France; its northern portion is named Saint-Martin and is part of Guadeloupe, and its southern portion is named Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles. The island - discovered by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1494 - was settled by the Spanish early in the 16th century. The native Taino Indians, who had inhabited Jamaica for centuries, were gradually exterminated and replaced by African slaves. England seized the island in 1655 and established a plantation economy based on sugar, cocoa, and coffee. The abolition of slavery in 1834 freed a quarter million slaves, many of whom became small farmers. Jamaica gradually obtained increasing independence from Britain, and in 1958 it joined other British Caribbean colonies in forming the Federation of the West Indies. Jamaica gained full independence when it withdrew from the Federation in 1962. Deteriorating economic conditions during the 1970s led to recurrent violence as rival gangs affiliated with the major political parties evolved into powerful organized crime networks involved in international drug smuggling and money laundering. Violent crime, drug trafficking, and poverty pose significant challenges to the government today. Nonetheless, many rural and resort areas remain relatively safe and contribute substantially to the economy.
Birth rate 15.76 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 20.44 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $710.8 million


expenditures: $741.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)
revenues: $3.441 billion


expenditures: $3.905 billion (2007 est.)
Capital Willemstad name: Kingston


geographic coordinates: 18 00 N, 76 48 W


time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior
Coastline 364 km 1,022 km
Constitution 29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as amended 6 August 1962
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: Jamaica
Currency Netherlands Antillean guilder (ANG) -
Death rate 6.4 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 6.59 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $1.35 billion (1996) $7.138 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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 Deborah A. BOLTON


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
chief of mission: Ambassador Brenda LaGrange JOHNSON


embassy: 142 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6


mailing address: P.O. Box 541, Kingston 5


telephone: [1] (876) 702-6000


FAX: [1] (876) 702-6348
Diplomatic representation in the US none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands) chief of mission: Ambassador Gordon SHIRLEY


chancery: 1520 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036


telephone: [1] (202) 452-0660


FAX: [1] (202) 452-0081


consulate(s) general: Miami, New York
Disputes - international none none
Economic aid - recipient IMF provided $61 million in 2000, and the Netherlands continued its support with $40 million $35.74 million (2005)
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 remained even in each of the past six 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. The Jamaican economy is heavily dependent on services, which now account for more than 60% of GDP. The country continues to derive most of its foreign exchange from tourism, remittances, and bauxite/alumina. Remittances account for nearly 20% of GDP and are equivalent to tourism revenues. Jamaica's economy, already saddled with a record of sluggish growth, will suffer an economic setback from damages caused by Hurricane Dean in August 2007. The economy faces serious long-term problems: high but declining interest rates, increased foreign competition, exchange rate instability, a sizable merchandise trade deficit, large-scale unemployment and underemployment, and a debt-to-GDP ratio of 135%. Jamaica's onerous debt burden - the fourth highest per capita - is the result of government bailouts to ailing sectors of the economy, most notably the financial sector in the mid-to-late 1990s. Inflation also has declined, standing at about 7% at the end of 2007. High unemployment exacerbates the serious crime problem, including gang violence that is fueled by the drug trade. The GOLDING administration faces the difficult prospect of having to achieve fiscal discipline in order to maintain debt payments while simultaneously attacking a serious and growing crime problem that is hampering economic growth.
Electricity - consumption 986.8 million kWh (2001) 6.131 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 1.061 billion kWh (2001) 6.985 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Mount Scenery 862 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m
Environment - current issues NA heavy rates of deforestation; coastal waters polluted by industrial waste, sewage, and oil spills; damage to coral reefs; air pollution in Kingston results from vehicle emissions
Environment - international agreements - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups mixed black 85%, Carib Amerindian, white, East Asian black 91.2%, mixed 6.2%, other or unknown 2.6% (2001 census)
Exchange rates Netherlands Antillean guilders per US dollar - 1.79 (2002), 1.79 (2001), 1.79 (2000), 1.79 (1999), 1.79 (1998) Jamaican dollars per US dollar - 69.034 (2007), 65.768 (2006), 62.51 (2005), 61.197 (2004), 57.741 (2003)
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 Mirna LOUISA-GODETT (since 11 August 2003)


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 18 January 2002 (next to be held by NA 2006)


note: government coalition - PDB, DP-St. M, FOL, PLKP, PNP
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Kenneth O. HALL (since 15 February 2006)


head of government: Prime Minister Bruce GOLDING (since 11 September 2007)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition in the House of Representatives is appointed prime minister by the governor general; the deputy prime minister is recommended by the prime minister
Exports NA (2001) 1,531 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities petroleum products alumina, bauxite, sugar, bananas, rum, coffee, yams, beverages, chemicals, wearing apparel, mineral fuels
Exports - partners US 20.9%, Guatemala 12%, Venezuela 10.5%, Guyana 6.6%, Singapore 4.4%, Cuba 4% (2002) US 30.2%, Canada 15.6%, China 15.2%, UK 10.3%, Netherlands 7%, Norway 4.6% (2006)
Fiscal year calendar year 1 April - 31 March
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 diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles - green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and outer side)
GDP purchasing power parity - $2.4 billion (2002 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 1%


industry: 15%


services: 84% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 5%


industry: 34%


services: 61% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $11,400 (2002 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 0% (2002 est.) 1.5% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates 12 15 N, 68 45 W 18 15 N, 77 30 W
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) strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal
Highways total: 600 km


paved: 300 km


unpaved: 300 km
-
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: 2.1%


highest 10%: 35.8% (2004)
Illicit drugs transshipment point for South American drugs bound for the US and Europe; money-laundering center transshipment point for cocaine from South America to North America and Europe; illicit cultivation and consumption of cannabis; government has an active manual cannabis eradication program; corruption is a major concern; substantial money-laundering activity; Colombian narcotics traffickers favor Jamaica for illicit financial transactions
Imports NA (2001) 71,420 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities crude petroleum, food, manufactures food and other consumer goods, industrial supplies, fuel, parts and accessories of capital goods, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials
Imports - partners Venezuela 60.8%, Mexico 11.7%, US 9.7% (2002) US 39.3%, Trinidad and Tobago 13.6%, Venezuela 9.5% (2006)
Independence none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) 6 August 1962 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 2% (2007 est.)
Industries tourism (Curacao, Sint Maarten, and Bonaire), petroleum refining (Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curacao) tourism, bauxite/alumina, agro processing, light manufactures, rum, cement, metal, paper, chemical products, telecommunications
Infant mortality rate total: 10.71 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 11.54 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 9.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
total: 15.73 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 16.4 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 15.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 0.4% (2002 est.) 7.1% (2007 est.)
International organization participation Caricom (observer), ECLAC (associate), Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), WCL, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate) ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 6 -
Irrigated land NA sq km 250 sq km (2002)
Judicial branch Joint High Court of Justice (judges appointed by the monarch) Supreme Court (judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister); Court of Appeal
Labor force 89,000 1.255 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 1%, industry 13%, services 86% (2000 est.) agriculture: 17%


industry: 19%


services: 64% (2006)
Land boundaries total: 10.2 km


border countries: Guadeloupe (Saint Martin) 10.2 km
0 km
Land use arable land: 10%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 90% (1998 est.)
arable land: 15.83%


permanent crops: 10.01%


other: 74.16% (2005)
Languages Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect) predominates, English widely spoken, Spanish English, English patois
Legal system based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral States or Staten (22 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 18 January 2002 (next to be held NA 2006)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FOL 5, PAR 4, PNP 3, PLKP 2, DP-St.M 2, UPB 2, DP 1, MAN 1, PDB 1, WIPM 1


note: the government of Prime Minister Mirna LOUISA-GODETT 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
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (a 21-member body appointed by the governor general on the recommendations of the prime minister and the leader of the opposition; ruling party is allocated 13 seats, and the opposition is allocated 8 seats) and the House of Representatives (60 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: last held 3 September 2007 (next to be held no later than October 2012)


election results: percent of vote by party - JLP 50.1%, PNP 49.8%; seats by party - JLP 33, PNP 27
Life expectancy at birth total population: 75.38 years


male: 73.16 years


female: 77.7 years (2003 est.)
total population: 73.12 years


male: 71.43 years


female: 74.9 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 96.7%


male: 96.7%


female: 96.8% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school


total population: 87.9%


male: 84.1%


female: 91.6% (2003 est.)
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 Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba
Map references Central America and the Caribbean Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims exclusive fishing zone: 12 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines


territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin
Merchant marine total: 147 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,122,189 GRT/1,398,649 DWT


ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 56, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 1, combination ore/oil 3, container 27, liquefied gas 5, multi-functional large-load carrier 15, passenger 1, refrigerated cargo 27, roll on/roll off 8, specialized tanker 1


note: includes foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Belgium 3, Denmark 2, Germany 43, Monaco 8, Netherlands 52, New Zealand 1, Norway 3, Peru 1, Spain 1, Sweden 3, UK 5 (2002 est.)
total: 13 ships (1000 GRT or over) 161,700 GRT/241,663 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 2, carrier 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 3


foreign-owned: 12 (Denmark 1, Germany 1, Greece 8, Latvia 2)


registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2007)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands -
Military branches no regular indigenous military forces; Royal Netherlands Navy, Marine Corps, Royal Netherlands Air Force, National Guard, Police Force Jamaica Defense Force: Ground Forces, Coast Guard, Air Wing (2007)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 0.6% (2006 est.)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 55,155 (2003 est.) -
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 30,840 (2003 est.) -
Military manpower - military age 20 years of age (2003 est.) -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 1,643 (2003 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, 6 August (1962)
Nationality noun: Dutch Antillean(s)


adjective: Dutch Antillean
noun: Jamaican(s)


adjective: Jamaican
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 hurricanes (especially July to November)
Natural resources phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only) bauxite, gypsum, limestone
Net migration rate -0.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) -6.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 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
Jamaica Labor Party or JLP [Bruce GOLDING]; People's National Party or PNP [Portia SIMPSON-MILLER]; National Democratic Movement or NDM [Michael WILLIAMS]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA New Beginnings Movement or NBM; Rastafarians (black religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists)
Population 216,226 (July 2003 est.) 2,780,132 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 14.8% (2003 est.)
Population growth rate 0.9% (2003 est.) 0.777% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors Kralendijk, Philipsburg, Willemstad -
Radio broadcast stations AM 9, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 10, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998)
Railways 0 km -
Religions Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Seventh-Day Adventist Protestant 62.5% (Seventh-Day Adventist 10.8%, Pentecostal 9.5%, Other Church of God 8.3%, Baptist 7.2%, New Testament Church of God 6.3%, Church of God in Jamaica 4.8%, Church of God of Prophecy 4.3%, Anglican 3.6%, other Christian 7.7%), Roman Catholic 2.6%, other or unspecified 14.2%, none 20.9%, (2001 census)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female


total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.034 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.816 male(s)/female


total population: 0.978 male(s)/female (2007 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: fully automatic domestic telephone network


domestic: the 1999 agreement to open the market for telecommunications services resulted in rapid growth in mobile-cellular telephone usage; mobile-cellular teledensity now exceeds 100 per 100 persons; the number of fixed-lines in use has been declining


international: country code - 1-876; the Fibralink submarine cable network provides enhanced delivery of business and broadband traffic and is linked to the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) submarine cable in the Dominican Republic; the link to ARCOS-1 provides seamless connectivity to US, parts of the Caribbean, Central America, and South America; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 76,000 (1995) 319,000 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular 13,977 (1996) 2.804 million (2005)
Television broadcast stations 3 (there is also a cable service, which supplies programs received from various US satellite networks and two Venezuelan channels) (1997) 7 (1997)
Terrain generally hilly, volcanic interiors mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
Total fertility rate 2.04 children born/woman (2003 est.) 2.36 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 15% (1998 est.) 10.2% (2007 est.)
Waterways none -
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