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Compare Netherlands Antilles (2005) - Swaziland (2004)

Compare Netherlands Antilles (2005) z Swaziland (2004)

 Netherlands Antilles (2005)Swaziland (2004)
 Netherlands AntillesSwaziland
Administrative divisions none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)


note: each island has its own government
4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni
Age structure 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.)
0-14 years: 41% (male 242,090; female 237,395)


15-64 years: 55.3% (male 323,004; female 324,029)


65 years and over: 3.7% (male 18,685; female 24,038) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit sugarcane, cotton, corn, tobacco, rice, citrus, pineapples, sorghum, peanuts; cattle, goats, sheep
Airports 5 (2004 est.) 18 (2003 est.)
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 (2004 est.)
total: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 17


914 to 1,523 m: 7


under 914 m: 10 (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: 17,363 sq km


land: 17,203 sq km


water: 160 sq km
Area - comparative more than five times the size of Washington, DC slightly smaller than New Jersey
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 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). Autonomy for the Swazis of southern Africa was guaranteed by the British in the late 19th century; independence was granted in 1968. Student and labor unrest during the 1990s pressured the monarchy (one of the oldest on the continent) to grudgingly allow political reform and greater democracy. Swaziland recently surpassed Botswana as the country with the world's highest known rates of HIV/AIDS infection
Birth rate 15 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) 28.55 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget revenues: $710.8 million


expenditures: $741.6 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1997 est.)
revenues: $462.4 million


expenditures: $563.4 million, including capital expenditures of $147 million (2003)
Capital Willemstad; note - located on Curacao, the largest of the islands Mbabane; note - Lobamba is the royal and legislative capital
Climate tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds varies from tropical to near temperate
Coastline 364 km 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution 29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as amended a constitution was adopted 14 November 2003
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: Kingdom of Swaziland


conventional short form: Swaziland
Currency - lilangeni (SZL)
Death rate 6.41 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) 23.06 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external $1.35 billion (1996) $320 million (2002 est.)
Dependency status 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 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
chief of mission: Ambassador James D. McGEE


embassy: Central Bank Building, Warner Street, Mbabane


mailing address: P. O. Box 199, Mbabane


telephone: [268] 404-6441 through 404-6445


FAX: [268] 404-5959
Diplomatic representation in the US none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands) chief of mission: Ambassador Mary Madzandza KANYA


chancery: 3400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 362-6683


FAX: [1] (202) 244-8059
Disputes - international none none
Economic aid - recipient IMF provided $61 million in 2000, and the Netherlands continued its support with $40 million (2000) $104 million (2001)
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 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. In this small, landlocked economy, subsistence agriculture occupies more than 80% of the population. The manufacturing sector has diversified since the mid-1980s. Sugar and wood pulp remain important foreign exchange earners. Mining has declined in importance in recent years with only coal and quarry stone mines remaining active. Surrounded by South Africa, except for a short border with Mozambique, Swaziland is heavily dependent on South Africa from which it receives about nine-tenths of its imports and to which it sends nearly three-quarters of its exports. Customs duties from the Southern African Customs Union and worker remittances from South Africa substantially supplement domestically earned income. The government is trying to improve the atmosphere for foreign investment. Overgrazing, soil depletion, drought, and sometimes floods persist as problems for the future. More than one-fourth of the population needed emergency food aid in 2002 because of drought, and more than one-third of the adult population was infected by HIV/AIDS.
Electricity - consumption 934.3 million kWh (2002) 962.9 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2002) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2002) 639 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2001)
Electricity - production 1.005 billion kWh (2002) 348.3 million kWh (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Mount Scenery 862 m
lowest point: Great Usutu River 21 m


highest point: Emlembe 1,862 m
Environment - current issues NA limited supplies of potable water; wildlife populations being depleted because of excessive hunting; overgrazing; soil degradation; soil erosion
Environment - international agreements - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection


signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Ethnic groups mixed black 85%, Carib Amerindian, white, East Asian African 97%, European 3%
Exchange rates Netherlands Antillean guilders per US dollar - 1.79 (2004), 1.79 (2003), 1.79 (2002), 1.79 (2001), 1.79 (2000) emalangeni per US dollar - 7.5648 (2003), 10.5407 (2002), 8.6092 (2001), 6.9398 (2000), 6.1095 (1999)
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 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
chief of state: King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986)


head of government: Prime Minister Absolom Themba DLAMINI (since 14 November 2003)


cabinet: Cabinet recommended by the prime minister and confirmed by the monarch


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch
Exports NA NA (2001)
Exports - commodities petroleum products soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood pulp, cotton yarn, refrigerators, citrus and canned fruit
Exports - partners US 20.4%, Panama 11.2%, Guatemala 8.8%, Haiti 7.1%, Bahamas, The 5.6%, Honduras 4.2% (2004) South Africa 72%, EU 14.2%, Mozambique 3.7%, US 3.5% (1999)
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 three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple width), and blue; the red band is edged in yellow; centered in the red band is a large black and white shield covering two spears and a staff decorated with feather tassels, all placed horizontally
GDP - purchasing power parity - $5.702 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 1%


industry: 15%


services: 84% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 16.2%


industry: 43.2%


services: 40.5% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $11,400 (2003 est.) purchasing power parity - $4,900 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 0.5% (2003 est.) 2.2% (2003 est.)
Geographic coordinates 12 15 N, 68 45 W 26 30 S, 31 30 E
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) landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa
Highways total: 600 km


paved: 300 km


unpaved: 300 km
total: 3,247 km


paved: NA


unpaved: NA (1998)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
lowest 10%: 1%


highest 10%: 50.2% (1995)
Illicit drugs transshipment point for South American drugs bound for the US and Europe; money-laundering center -
Imports NA NA (2001)
Imports - commodities crude petroleum, food, manufactures motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals
Imports - partners Venezuela 51.1%, US 21.9%, Netherlands 5% (2004) South Africa 88.8%, EU 5.6%, Japan 0.6%, Singapore 0.4% (1999)
Independence none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) 6 September 1968 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 3.7% (FY95/96)
Industries tourism (Curacao, Sint Maarten, and Bonaire), petroleum refining (Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curacao) mining (coal), wood pulp, sugar, soft drink concentrates, textile and apparel
Infant mortality rate 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.)
total: 68.35 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 71.64 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 64.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2.1% (2003 est.) 7.3% (2003 est.)
International organization participation ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCL, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate) ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Irrigated land NA sq km 690 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Joint High Court of Justice (judges appointed by the monarch) High Court; Court of Appeal; judges for both courts are appointed by the monarch
Labor force 89,000 (2000) 383,200 (2000)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 1%, industry 13%, services 86% (2000 est.) NA
Land boundaries total: 10.2 km


border countries: Guadeloupe (Saint-Martin) 10.2 km
total: 535 km


border countries: Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km
Land use arable land: 10%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 90% (2001)
arable land: 10.35%


permanent crops: 0.7%


other: 88.95% (2001)
Languages 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) English (official, government business conducted in English), siSwati (official)
Legal system based on Dutch civil law system with some English common law influence based on South African Roman-Dutch law in statutory courts and Swazi traditional law and custom in traditional courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch 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
bicameral Parliament or Libandla, an advisory body, consists of the Senate (30 seats - 10 appointed by the House of Assembly and 20 appointed by the monarch; members serve five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (65 seats - 10 appointed by the monarch and 55 elected by popular vote; members serve five-year terms)


elections: House of Assembly - last held 18 October 2003 (next to be held NA October 2008)


election results: House of Assembly - balloting is done on a nonparty basis; candidates for election are nominated by the local council of each constituency and for each constituency the three candidates with the most votes in the first round of voting are narrowed to a single winner by a second round
Life expectancy at birth total population: 75.83 years


male: 73.58 years


female: 78.2 years (2005 est.)
total population: 37.54 years


male: 39.1 years


female: 35.94 years (2004 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 can read and write


total population: 81.6%


male: 82.6%


female: 80.8% (2003 est.)
Location 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 Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa
Map references Central America and the Caribbean Africa
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
none (landlocked)
Merchant marine 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 Kingdom of the Netherlands -
Military branches National Guard, Police Force Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force (Army, including Air Wing)
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $29 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 1.8% (2003)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 289,985 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 168,257 (2004 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 September (1968)
Nationality noun: Dutch Antillean(s)


adjective: Dutch Antillean
noun: Swazi(s)


adjective: Swazi
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 drought
Natural resources phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only) asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc
Net migration rate -0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Political parties and leaders 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 parties are banned by the constitution - the following are considered political associations; Imbokodvo National Movement or INM [leader NA]; Ngwane National Liberatory Congress or NNLC [Obed DLAMINI, president]; People's United Democratic Movement or PUDEMO [Mario MASUKU, president]; Swaziland National Front or SWANAFRO [Elmond SHONGWE, president]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA NA
Population 219,958 (July 2005 est.) 1,169,241


note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line NA 40% (1995)
Population growth rate 0.82% (2005 est.) 0.55% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors Bopec Terminal, Fuik Bay, Kralendijk, Willemstad none
Radio broadcast stations AM 8, FM 19, shortwave 0 (2004) AM 3, FM 2 plus 4 repeaters, shortwave 3 (2001)
Railways - total: 301 km


narrow gauge: 301 km 1.067-m gauge (2003)
Religions 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) Zionist (a blend of Christianity and indigenous ancestral worship) 40%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 10%, Anglican, Bahai, Methodist, Mormon, Jewish and other 30%
Sex ratio 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.)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female


total population: 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age
Telephone system 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)
general assessment: a somewhat modern but not an advanced system


domestic: system consists of carrier-equipped, open-wire lines and low-capacity, microwave radio relay


international: country code - 268; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 81,000 (2001) 46,200 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular 81,000 (2001) 88,000 (2003)
Television broadcast stations 3 (there is also a cable service, which supplies programs received from various US satellite networks and two Venezuelan channels) (2004) 5 plus 7 relay stations (2001)
Terrain generally hilly, volcanic interiors mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains
Total fertility rate 2 children born/woman (2005 est.) 3.81 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate 15.6% (2002 est.) 34% (2000 est.)
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