Netherlands Antilles (2006) | Dominica (2001) | |
Administrative divisions | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
note: each island has its own government |
10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick, Saint Paul, Saint Peter |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 23.9% (male 27,197/female 25,886)
15-64 years: 67.3% (male 71,622/female 77,710) 65 years and over: 8.7% (male 7,925/female 11,396) (2006 est.) |
0-14 years:
28.72% (male 10,300; female 10,027) 15-64 years: 63.45% (male 23,056; female 21,855) 65 years and over: 7.83% (male 2,267; female 3,281) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit | bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops, coconuts, cocoa; forest and fishery potential not exploited |
Airports | 5 (2006) | 2 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 5
over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006) |
total:
2 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2000 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:
754 sq km land: 754 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | more than five times the size of Washington, DC | slightly more than four times 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 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). | Dominica was the last of the Caribbean islands to be colonized by Europeans, due chiefly to the fierce resistance of the native Caribs. France ceded possession to Great Britain in 1763, which made the island a colony in 1805. In 1980, two years after independence, Dominica's fortunes improved when a corrupt and tyrannical administration was replaced by that of Mary Eugenia CHARLES, the first female prime minister in the Caribbean, who remained in office for 15 years. |
Birth rate | 14.78 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 17.81 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $757.9 million
expenditures: $949.5 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2004) |
revenues:
$72 million expenditures: $79.9 million, including capital expenditures of $11.5 million (FY97/98) |
Capital | name: Willemstad (on Curacao)
geographic coordinates: 12 06 N, 68 56 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Roseau |
Climate | tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds | tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall |
Coastline | 364 km | 148 km |
Constitution | 29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as amended | 3 November 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:
Commonwealth of Dominica conventional short form: Dominica |
Currency | - | East Caribbean dollar (XCD) |
Death rate | 6.45 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 7.19 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $2.68 billion (2004) | $108.9 million (1999) |
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, 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 Dominica; US interests are served by the embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands); note - Mr. Jeffrey CORRION, Minister Plenipotentiary for Aruba at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands | chief of mission:
Ambassador Nicholas J. O. LIVERPOOL (resident in Dominica) chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6781 FAX: [1] (202) 364-6791 consulate(s) general: New York |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $21.5 million IMF provided $61 million in 2000, and the Netherlands continued its support with $40 million (2004) | $24.4 million (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 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. | The economy depends on agriculture and is highly vulnerable to climatic conditions, notably tropical storms. Agriculture, primarily bananas, accounts for 21% of GDP and employs 40% of the labor force. Development of the tourist industry remains difficult because of the rugged coastline, lack of beaches, and the lack of an international airport. Hurricane Luis devastated the country's banana crop in September 1995; tropical storms had wiped out one-quarter of the crop in 1994 as well. The subsequent recovery has been fueled by increases in construction, soap production, and tourist arrivals. The government is attempting to develop an offshore financial industry in order to diversify the island's production base. |
Electricity - consumption | 945.8 million kWh (2003) | 57.7 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2003) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2003) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 1.017 billion kWh (2003) | 62 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
48.39% hydro: 51.61% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Scenery 862 m |
lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Morne Diablatins 1,447 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | NA |
Environment - international agreements | - | party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | mixed black 85%, Carib Amerindian, white, East Asian | black, Carib Amerindian |
Exchange rates | Netherlands Antillean guilders per US dollar - 1.79 (2005), 1.79 (2004), 1.79 (2003), 1.79 (2002), 1.79 (2001) | East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976) |
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 Emily de JONGH-ELHAGE (since 26 March 2006) 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 27 January 2006 (next to be held by 2007) note: government coalition - PAR, PNP, DP St. Maarten, UP Bonaire, WIPM Saba, DP Statia |
chief of state:
President Vernon Lordon SHAW (since 6 October 1998) head of government: Prime Minister Pierre CHARLES (since 1 October 2000); note - assumed post after death of Roosevelt DOUGLAS cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister elections: president elected by the House of Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 6 October 1998 (next to be held NA October 2003); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Vernon Lordon SHAW elected president; percent of legislative vote - NA% |
Exports | NA bbl/day | $60.7 million (2000 est.) |
Exports - commodities | petroleum products | bananas, soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges |
Exports - partners | US 29.4%, Panama 14.4%, Mexico 8.8%, Haiti 5.6%, Venezuela 4.9%, Bahamas, The 4.5% (2005) | Caricom countries 47%, UK 36%, US 7% (1996 est.) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 July - 30 June |
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 | green, with a centered cross of three equal bands - the vertical part is yellow (hoist side), black, and white and the horizontal part is yellow (top), black, and white; superimposed in the center of the cross is a red disk bearing a sisserou parrot encircled by 10 green, five-pointed stars edged in yellow; the 10 stars represent the 10 administrative divisions (parishes) |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $290 million (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 1%
industry: 15% services: 84% (2000 est.) |
agriculture:
21% industry: 16% services: 63% (1999 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $4,000 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 1% (2004 est.) | 0.5% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 12 15 N, 68 45 W | 15 25 N, 61 20 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) | - |
Highways | - | total:
750 km paved: 375 km unpaved: 375 km (2001) |
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 | transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; minor cannabis producer; banking industry is vulnerable to money laundering |
Imports | NA bbl/day | $126 million (2000 est.) |
Imports - commodities | crude petroleum, food, manufactures | manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals |
Imports - partners | Venezuela 52.3%, US 21.4%, Italy 4.9%, Netherlands 4.6% (2005) | US 41%, Caricom countries 25%, UK 13%, Netherlands, Canada (1996 est.) |
Independence | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) | 3 November 1978 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | -10% (1997 est.) |
Industries | tourism (Curacao, Sint Maarten, and Bonaire), petroleum refining (Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curacao) | soap, coconut oil, tourism, copra, furniture, cement blocks, shoes |
Infant mortality rate | total: 9.76 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 10.54 deaths/1,000 live births female: 8.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
16.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.1% (2003 est.) | 2.5% (2000 est.) |
International organization participation | ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCL, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate) | ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 16 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Joint High Court of Justice (judges appointed by the monarch) | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the Court of Appeal and the High Court (located in Saint Lucia; one of the six judges must reside in Dominica and preside over the Court of Summary Jurisdiction) |
Labor force | 83,600 (2005) | 25,000 |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 1%
industry: 20% services: 79% (2005 est.) |
agriculture 40%, industry and commerce 32%, services 28% |
Land boundaries | total: 15 km
border countries: Guadeloupe (Saint-Martin) 15 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: 10%
permanent crops: 0% other: 90% (2005) |
arable land:
9% permanent crops: 13% permanent pastures: 3% forests and woodland: 67% other: 8% (1993 est.) |
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), French patois |
Legal system | based on Dutch civil law system with some English common law influence | based on English common law |
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 27 January 2006 (next to be held in 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PAR 5, MAN 3, FOL 2, Forsa Korsou 2, National Alliance 2, PNP 2, UPB 2, DP St. E 1, DP St. M 1, BDP 1, WIPM 1 note: the government of Prime Minister Emily de JONGH-ELHAGE is a coalition of several parties |
unicameral House of Assembly (30 seats, 9 appointed senators, 21 elected by popular vote; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 31 January 2000 (next to be held by NA 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -DLP 11, UWP 8, DFP 2 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 76.03 years
male: 73.76 years female: 78.41 years (2006 est.) |
total population:
73.6 years male: 70.74 years female: 76.61 years (2001 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: 94% male: 94% female: 94% (1970 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 | Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm |
contiguous zone:
24 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | total: 152 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,289,462 GRT/1,671,649 DWT
by type: barge carrier 3, bulk carrier 13, cargo 68, chemical tanker 3, container 19, liquefied gas 4, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 28, roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 3 foreign-owned: 143 (Belgium 4, Cuba 1, Denmark 1, Germany 60, Netherlands 54, Norway 5, Sweden 5, Turkey 9, UK 3, US 1) registered in other countries: 1 (Netherlands 1) (2006) |
none (2000 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands | - |
Military branches | no regular military forces; National Guard, Police Force (2005) | Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (includes Special Service Unit, Coast Guard) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $NA |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | NA% |
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, 3 November (1978) |
Nationality | noun: Dutch Antillean(s)
adjective: Dutch Antillean |
noun:
Dominican(s) adjective: Dominican |
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 | flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months |
Natural resources | phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only) | timber, hydropower, arable land |
Net migration rate | -0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | -20.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | Bonaire: Democratic Party of Bonaire or PDB [Jopi ABRAHAM]; Patriotic Union of Bonaire or UPB [Ramonsito BOOI]
Curacao: Ban Vota [Norbert GEORGE]; C-93 [Stanley BROWN]; Democratic Party of Curacao or DP [Errol HERNANDEZ]; E Mayoria [Aurelio PEDRO]; Forsa Korsou [Nelson NAVARRO]; Liste Ni'un Paso Atras [Nelson PIERRE]; Movemiento Patriotiko Korsou [Reginald LAK]; New Antilles Movement or MAN [Charles COOPER]; Partido Akshon Pa Prosperidat I Seguridat [Sonja BERKEMEYER]; Partido Laboral Krusada Popular or PLKP [Errol COVA]; Party for the Restructured Antilles or PAR [Emily de JONGH-ELHAGE]; People's National Party or PNP [Ersilia DE LANNOOY]; Pidjin [Jasmin PINEDO]; Pueblo Soberano [Herman WIELS]; Workers' Liberation Front or FOL [Anthony GODETT] Saba: Saba Labor Party [Akilah LEVENSTONE]; Windward Islands People's Movement or WIPM [Ray HASSELL] Sint Eustatius: Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius or DP-St. E [Julian WOODLEY]; Progressive Labor Party [Clyde VAN PUTTEN]; St. Eustatius Alliance [Ingrid HOUTMAN-WHITFIELD] Sint Maarten: Democratic Party of Sint Maarten or DP-St. M [Sarah WESCOTT-WILLIAMS]; Freedom Slate of National Democratic Party [Theophilus PRIEST]; National Alliance or NA [William MARLIN]; People's Progressive Alliance or PPA [Gracita ARRINDELL]; St. Maarten People's Party [Johan LEONARD]; United People's Labor Party [Bienvenido RICHARDSON] note: political parties are indigenous to each island |
Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Charles SAVARIN]; Dominica Labor Party or DLP [Pierre CHARLES]; United Workers Party or UWP [Edison JAMES] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Unions (AVBO) and Employers Association (VBC) | Dominica Liberation Movement or DLM (a small leftist party) |
Population | 221,736 (July 2006 est.) | 70,786 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 0.79% (2006 est.) | -0.98% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Portsmouth, Roseau |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 8, FM 19, shortwave 0 (2004) | AM 3, FM 10, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | - | 46,000 (1997) |
Railways | - | 0 km |
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) | Roman Catholic 77%, Protestant 15% (Methodist 5%, Pentecostal 3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Baptist 2%, other 2%), none 2%, other 6% |
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 (2006 est.) |
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2001 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: country code - 599; submarine cables - 2; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
general assessment:
NA domestic: fully automatic network international: microwave radio relay and SHF radiotelephone links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radiotelephone links to Saint Lucia |
Telephones - main lines in use | 81,000 (2001) | 19,000 (1996) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 200,000 (2004) | 461 (1996) |
Television broadcast stations | 3 (there is also a cable service, which supplies programs received from various US satellite networks and four Venezuelan channels) (2004) | 0 (however, there is one cable television company) (1997) |
Terrain | generally hilly, volcanic interiors | rugged mountains of volcanic origin |
Total fertility rate | 1.99 children born/woman (2006 est.) | 2.03 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 17% (2002 est.) | 20% (1999 est.) |
Waterways | - | none |