Netherlands Antilles

Netherlands Antilles 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.

Netherlands Antilles Information

• Population: 218,126 (July 2004 est.)
• Nationality: noun: Dutch Antillean(s) adjective: Dutch Antillean
• 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
• Religions:: Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Seventh-Day Adventist
• Ethnic Groups:: mixed black 85%, Carib Amerindian, white, East Asian
• Land Boundaries:: total: 10.2 km border countries: Guadeloupe (Saint Martin) 10.2 km
• Area: total: 960 sq km note: includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten (Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin) water: 0 sq km land: 960 sq km
• Coast Line: 364 km
• Climate: tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds
• Terrain: generally hilly, volcanic interiors
• Maritime Claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
• Land Use: arable land: 10% permanent crops: 0% other: 90% (2001)
• Environmental Issues: NA
• Natural Resources: phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only)
• Highways: total: 600 km paved: 300 km unpaved: 300 km
• Railways:
• Ports & Harbours: Kralendijk, Philipsburg, Willemstad
• Airports: 5 (2003 est.)