Curacao

Introduction

Background

The original Arawak Indian settlers who arrived on the island from South America in about 1000, were largely enslaved by the Spanish early in the 16th century and forcibly relocated to other colonies where labor was needed. Curacao was seized by the Dutch from the Spanish in 1634. Once the center of the Caribbean slave trade, Curacao was hard hit economically 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 the Isla Refineria to service the newly discovered Venezuelan oil fields. In 1954, Curacao and several other Dutch Caribbean possessions were reorganized as the Netherlands Antilles, part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In referenda in 2005 and 2009, the citizens of Curacao voted to become a self-governing country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The change in status became effective in October 2010 with the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles.

Geography

Location

Caribbean, an island in the Caribbean Sea, 55 km off the coast of Venezuela

Geographic coordinates

12 10 N, 69 00 W

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Area

total: 444 sq km
land: 444 sq km
water: 0 sq km
country comparison to the world: 200

Area - comparative

more than twice the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries

0

Coastline

364 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12nm
exclusive economic zone: 200nm

Climate

tropical marine climate, ameliorated by northeast trade winds, results in mild temperatures; semiarid with average rainfall of 60 cm/year

Terrain

generally low, hilly terrain

Elevation

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mt. Christoffel 372 m

Natural resources

calcium phosphates, aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit

Land use

agricultural land: 10% (2011 est.)
arable land: 10%/permanent crops: 0%/permanent pasture: 0% (2011 est.)
forest: 0% (2011 est.)
other: 90% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land

NA

Population distribution

largest concentration on the island is Willemstad; smaller settlements near the coast can be found throughout the island, particularly in the northwest

Natural hazards

Curacao is south of the Caribbean hurricane belt and is rarely threatened

Environment - current issues

problems in waste management that threaten environmental sustainability on the island include pollution of marine areas from domestic sewage, inadequate sewage treatment facilities, industrial effluents and agricultural runoff, the mismanagement of toxic substances, and ineffective regulations; the refinery in Sint Anna Bay, at the eastern edge of Willemstad’s large natural harbor, processes heavy crude oil from Venezuela; it has caused significant environmental damage to the surrounding area because of neglect and a lack of strict environmental controls; the release of noxious fumes and potentially hazardous particles causes schools downwind to regularly close

Geography - note

Curacao is a part of the Windward Islands (southern) group in the Lesser Antilles

People and Society

Population

150,241 (July 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 188

Nationality

noun: Curacaoan
adjective: Curacaoan; Dutch

Ethnic groups

Curacaoan 75.4%, Dutch 6%, Dominican 3.6%, Colombian 3%, Bonairean, Sint Eustatian, Saban 1.5%, Haitian 1.2%, Surinamese 1.2%, Venezuelan 1.1%, Aruban 1.1%, other 5%, unspecified 0.9% (2011 est.)

Languages

Papiamento (official) (a creole language that is a mixture of Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, English, and, to a lesser extent, French, as well as elements of African languages and the language of the Arawak) 79.9%, Dutch (official) 8.8%, Spanish 5.6%, English (official) 3.1%, other 2.9%, unspecified .3% (2001 census)
note: data represent most spoken language in household

Religions

Roman Catholic 72.8%, Pentecostal6.6%, Protestant 3.2%, Adventist 3%, Jehovah's Witness2%, Evangelical 1.9%, other 3.8%, none 6%, unspecified 0.6% (2011 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 19.88%(male 15,250 /female 14,613)
15-24 years: 14.05%(male 10,957 /female 10,158)
25-54 years: 36.66%(male 27,278 /female 27,802)
55-64 years: 13.84%(male 9,018 /female 11,769)
65 years and over: 15.57%(male 9,547 /female 13,849) (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 52.4 (2015 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 28.7 (2015 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 23.6 (2015 est.)
potential support ratio: 4.2 (2015 est.)

Median age

total: 36.3 years (2018 est.)
male: 33.8 years
female: 39.6 years
country comparison to the world: 75

Population growth rate

0.39% (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 163

Birth rate

13.7 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139

Death rate

8.5 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 77

Net migration rate

-1.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 148

Population distribution

largest concentration on the island is Willemstad; smaller settlements near the coast can be found throughout the island, particularly in the northwest

Urbanization

urban population: 89.1% of total population (2018)
rate of urbanization: 0.62% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Major urban areas - population

144000 WILLEMSTAD (capital) (2018)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.77 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 7.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)
male: 7.9 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.8 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 159

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 78.6 years (2018 est.)
male: 76.3 years
female: 81.1 years
country comparison to the world: 61

Total fertility rate

2.03 children born/woman (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 113

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

Major infectious diseases

note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus

Education expenditures

4.9% of GDP (2013)
country comparison to the world: 65

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 18 years
male: 18 years
female: 19 years (2013)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 29.7%
male: NA
female: NA (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30

Government

Country name

conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Curacao
local long form: Land Curacao (Dutch); Pais Korsou (Papiamento)
local short form: Curacao (Dutch); Korsou (Papiamento)
former: Netherlands Antilles; Curacao and Dependencies
etymology: the most plausible name derivation is that the island was designated Isla de la Curacion (Spanish meaning "Island of the Cure" or "Island of Healing") or Ilha da Curacao (Portuguese meaning the same) to reflect the locale's function as a recovery stop for sick crewmen

Dependency status

constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 2010; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Capital

name: Willemstad
geographic coordinates: 12 06 N, 68 55 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology - named after Prince William II of Orange (1626-1650), who served as stadtholder (Dutch head of state) from 1647 to 1650, shortly after the the Dutch captured Curacao from the Spanish in 1634

Administrative divisions

none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
note: Curacao is one of four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; the other three are the Netherlands, Aruba, and Sint Maarten

Independence

none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

National holiday

King's Day (birthday of King WILLEM-ALEXANDER), 27 April (1967); note - King's or Queen's Day are observed on the ruling monarch's birthday; celebrated on 26 April if 27 April is a Sunday

Constitution

history: previous 1947, 1955; latest adopted 5 September 2010, entered into force 10 October 2010 (regulates governance of Curacao but is subordinate to the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands); note - in October 2010, with the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles, Curacao became a semi-autonomous entity within the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Legal system

based on Dutch civil law

Citizenship

see the Netherlands

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state: King WILLEM-ALEXANDER of the Netherlands (since 30 April 2013); represented by Governor Lucille A. GEORGE-WOUT (since 4 November 2013)
head of government: Prime Minister Ivar ASJES (since 7 June 2013)
cabinet: Cabinet sworn-in by the governor
elections/appointments: the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually elected prime minister by the Parliament of Curacao; next election scheduled for 2016

Legislative branch

description: unicameral Parliament of Curacao (21 seats; members directly elected by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms)
elections: last held on 28 April 2017 (next to be held in 2021); early elections were held after Prime Minister Hensley KOEIMAN resigned on 12 February 2017, when the coalition government lost its majority
election results: percent of vote by party - PAR 23.3%, MAN 20.4%, MFK 19.9%, KdnT 9.4%, PIN 5.3%, PS 5.1%, MP 4.9%, other 11.7%; seats by party - PAR 6, MAN 5, MFK 5, KdnT 2, PIN 1, PS 1, MP 1; composition - men 15, women 6, percent of women 28.6%

Judicial branch

highest courts: Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten, and of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba or "Joint Court of Justice" (sits as a 3-judge panel); final appeals heard by the Supreme Court, in The Hague, Netherlands
judge selection and term of office: Joint Court judges appointed by the monarch for life
subordinate courts: first instance courts, appeals court; specialized courts

Political parties and leaders

Korsou di Nos Tur or KdnT [Amparo dos SANTOS]
Mayors for Liberec Region (Starostove pro Liberecky Kraj) or SLK [Martin PUTA]
Movementu Futuro Korsou or MFK [Gerrit SCHOTTE]
Movementu Progresivo or MP [Marylin MOSES]
Movishon Antia Nobo or MAN [Hensley KOEIMAN]
Partido Antia Restruktura or PAR [Eugene RHUGGENAATH]
Partido Inovashon Nashonal or PIN [Suzanne CAMELIA-ROMER]
Partido pa Adelanto I Inovashon Soshal or PAIS [Alex ROSARIA]
Partido Nashonal di Pueblo or PNP [Humphrey DAVELAAR]
Pueblo Soberano or PS
Un Korsou Hustu [Omayra LEEFLANG]

International organization participation

Caricom (observer), FATF, ILO, ITU, UNESCO (associate), UPU

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Consul General Allen GREENBERG (since June 2019); note - also accredited to Aruba and Sint Maarten
telephone: [599] (9) 4613066
mailing address: P. O. Box 158, J.B. Gorsiraweg #1, Willemstad, Curacao
FAX: [599] (9) 4616489

Flag description

on a blue field a horizontal yellow band somewhat below the center divides the flag into proportions of 5:1:2; two five-pointed white stars - the smaller above and to the left of the larger - appear in the canton; the blue of the upper and lower sections symbolizes the sky and sea respectively; yellow represents the sun; the stars symbolize Curacao and its uninhabited smaller sister island of Klein Curacao; the five star points signify the five continents from which Curacao's people derive

National symbol(s)

laraha (citrus tree); national colors: blue, yellow, white

National anthem

name: Himmo di Korsou (Anthem of Curacao)
lyrics/music: Guillermo ROSARIO, Mae HENRIQUEZ, Enrique MULLER, Betty DORAN/Frater Candidus NOWENS, Errol "El Toro" COLINA
note: adapted 1978; the lyrics, originally written in 1899, were rewritten in 1978 to make them less colonial in nature

Economy

Economy - overview

Most of Curacao's GDP results from services. Tourism, petroleum refining and bunkering, offshore finance, and transportation and communications are the mainstays of this small island economy, which is closely tied to the outside world. Curacao has limited natural resources, poor soil, and inadequate water supplies, and budgetary problems complicate reform of the health and education systems. Although GDP grew only slightly during the past decade, Curacao enjoys a high per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure compared to other countries in the region.Curacao has an excellent natural harbor that can accommodate large oil tankers, and the port of Willemstad hosts a free trade zone and a dry dock. Venezuelan state-owned oil company PdVSA, under a contract in effect until 2019, leases the single refinery on the island from the government, directly employing some 1,000 people. Most of the oil for the refinery is imported from Venezuela and most of the refined products are exported to the US and Asia. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, with the US, the Netherlands, and Venezuela being the major suppliers.The government is attempting to diversify its industry and trade. Curacao is an Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) of the European Union. Nationals of Curacao are citizens of the European Union, even though it is not a member. Based on its OCT status, products that originate in Curacao have preferential access to the EU and are exempt from import duties. Curacao is a beneficiary of the Caribbean Basin Initiative and, as a result, products originating in Curacao can be imported tax free into the US if at least 35% has been added to the value of these products in Curacao. The island has state-of-the-art information and communication technology connectivity with the rest of the world, including a Tier IV datacenter. With several direct satellite and submarine optic fiber cables, Curacao has one of the best Internet speeds and reliability in the Western Hemisphere.

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$3.128 billion (2012 est.)
$3.02 billion (2011 est.)
$2.96 billion (2010 est.)
note: data are in 2012 US dollars
country comparison to the world: 189

GDP (official exchange rate)

$5.6 billion (2012 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

3.6% (2012 est.)
2% (2011 est.)
0.1% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$15,000 (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 66.9% (2016 est.)
government consumption: 33.6% (2016 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 19.4% (2016 est.)
investment in inventories: 0% (2016 est.)
exports of goods and services: 17.5% (2016 est.)
imports of goods and services: -37.5% (2016 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 0.7% (2012 est.)
industry: 15.5% (2012 est.)
services: 83.8% (2012 est.)

Agriculture - products

aloe, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit

Industries

tourism, petroleum refining, petroleum transshipment, light manufacturing, financial and business services

Industrial production growth rate

NA

Labor force

73,010 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 185

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 1.2%
industry: 16.9%
services: 81.8% (2008 est.)

Unemployment rate

13% (2013 est.)
9.8% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166

Taxes and other revenues

16.6% (of GDP) (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 177

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-0.4% (of GDP) (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56

Public debt

33.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
40.6% of GDP (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.6% (2013 est.)
2.8% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 124

Central bank discount rate

NA% (31 December 2010)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

14.5% (31 December 2011 est.)
14.5% (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 45

Stock of narrow money

$1.728 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
$1.618 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138

Stock of broad money

$4.953 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
$4.31 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109

Stock of domestic credit

$3.882 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
$3.799 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 133

Current account balance

-$400 million (2011 est.)
-$600 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112

Exports

$839.7 million (2017 est.)
$1.44 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 167

Exports - commodities

petroleum products

Imports

$540.3 billion (2018 est.)
$453.8 billion (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 8

Imports - commodities

crude petroleum, food, manufactures

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$0 (31 December 2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 191

Exchange rates

Netherlands Antillean guilders (ANG) per US dollar -
1.79 (2017 est.)
1.79 (2016 est.)
1.79 (2015 est.)
1.79 (2014 est.)
1.79 (2013 est.)

Energy

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2016)

Electricity - production

1.785 billion kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139

Electricity - consumption

968 million kWh (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 156

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 125

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 125

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112

Crude oil - imports

191,300 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 31

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 121

Refined petroleum products - production

189,800 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 53

Refined petroleum products - consumption

70,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93

Refined petroleum products - exports

167,500 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33

Refined petroleum products - imports

45,800 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 121

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126

Communications

Telephone system

international: country code - +599, PCCS submarine cable system to US, Caribbean and Central and South America (2019)

Broadcast media

government-run TeleCuracao operates a TV station and a radio station; 2 other privately owned TV stations and several privately owned radio stations (2019)

Internet country code

.cw

Internet users

total: 138,750
percent of population: 93.9% (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173

Military and Security

Military and security forces

no regular military forces; the Dutch Government controls foreign and defense policy.  The Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard (DCCG) provides maritime security. (2019)

Military service age and obligation

no conscription (2010)

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (2019)

Transportation

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 2 (2015)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 11 (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

PJ (2016)

Airports

1 (2017)
country comparison to the world: 219

Airports - with paved runways

total: 1 (2019)
over 3,047 m: 1

Roadways

total: 550 km
country comparison to the world: 187

Merchant marine

total: 82
by type: general cargo 11, oil tanker 1, other 70 (2018)
country comparison to the world: 95

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Willemstad
oil terminal(s): Bullen Baai (Curacao Terminal)
bulk cargo port(s): Fuik Bay (phosphate rock)

Flag of Curacao