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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).
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Common Name: Netherlands Antilles
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Local Official Name: Netherlands Antilles
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Abbreviated Name: Netherlands Antilles
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Official Name: Netherlands Antilles
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Official Script Name:
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Local Common Name: Netherlands Antilles
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Former Name: Curacao and Dependencies
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Territory of:
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Head of State: Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands
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Government Type: parliamentary
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Independence: none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
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Constitution: 1954 December 29, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as amended
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National Holiday: Queen's Day, 30 April
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International Organization Participation: ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCL, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate)
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Administrative Divisions: none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
note: each island has its own government
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Dependent Areas: 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
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Legal System: based on Dutch civil law system with some English common law influence
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Suffrage: 18 years
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Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches: Executive Branches:
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
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
Judicial Branches:
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Party 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
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International Disputes:
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Illicit Drugs: transshipment point for South American drugs bound for the US and Europe; money-laundering center
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Location of Netherlands Antilles: 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
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Continent: North America
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Land Area Total: 960 sq km
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Region: Caribbean |
Land Area Land: 960 sq km
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Capitol City: Willemstad
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Land Area Water: 0 sq km
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Current: -4
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Latitude: 012 15 N
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Border Boundary Land: 15 km
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Longitude: 068 45 W
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Border Boundary Coastline: 364 km
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Arable Land: 10.00 %
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Pastures: 0.00 %
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Crops: 0.00 %
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Woodlands and Forests: 0.00
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Highest Elevation: 862 m
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Location: Mount Scenery
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Lowest Elevation: 0 m
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Location: Caribbean Sea
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Largest City in Netherlands Antilles:
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Largest City Population: 0
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Threatened Species: 0
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Environmental Issues:
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Environmental Agreements:
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Irrigated Land: 0
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Bordering Countries: Guadeloupe (Saint-Martin)
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Natural Resources: phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only)
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Geographical Terrain: generally hilly, volcanic interiors
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Comparative Area of Netherlands Antilles: more than five times the size of Washington, DC
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Netherlands Antilles's Geography: 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)
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Click Here for detailed information about the weather conditions in Netherlands Antilles.
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General Climate: tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds
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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
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Economic 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.
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GDP: $2,800,000,000 USD
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Currency: Netherlands Antillean guilder
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GDP per Capita: $16,000 USD
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Currency Code: ANG
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GDP Growth Rate: 1.00 %
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One $USD Equals: %fincurrencyequals% ANG
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Currency Exchange Rate History: Netherlands Antillean guilders per US dollar - 1.79 (2005), 1.79 (2004), 1.79 (2003), 1.79 (2002), 1.79 (2001)
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GDP of Agriculture: 1.00 %
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GDP of Industry: 15.00 %
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GDP of Services: 84.00 % |
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Inflation Rate: 2.10 % |
Population in Poverty: 0.00 %
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Unemployment Rate: 17.00 %
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Tourism: 0.00 visitors each year
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Consumption by lowest 10%: 0.00 %
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Budget Revenue in USD: $757,900,000 USD
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Consumption by upper 10%: 0.00 %
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Budget Expenditures in USD: $949,500,000 USD
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Electricity Production: 1,017,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Exports: 0 kWh
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Electricity Consumption: 945,800,000 kWh
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Electricity Imports: 0 kWh
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Electricity Production by Source:
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Fossil Fuel Electricity Production: 0.00%
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Nuclear Electricity Production: 0.00%
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Hydro Electricity Production: 0.00%
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Other Electricity Production: 0.00%
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Oil Production: 0 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Production: 0 cu m
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Oil Consumption: 72,500 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Consumption: 0 cu m
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Oil Exports: 0 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Exports: 0 cu m
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Oil Imports: 0 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Imports: 0 cu m
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Proven Oil Reserves: 0 barrels
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Proven Natural Gas Reserves: 0 cu m
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External Debt: $2,680,000,000 USD |
Received in economic aid: $122,500,000 USD
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Donated in economic aid: $0 USD
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Agricultural Products: aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit
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Primary Industries: tourism (Curacao, Sint Maarten, and Bonaire), petroleum refining (Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curacao)
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Industrial Growth Rate: 0.00 %
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Import Amount in USD: $4,383,000,000 USD - crude petroleum, food, manufactures
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Import Partners: Venezuela 52.3%, US 21.4%, Italy 4.9%, Netherlands 4.6%
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Export Amount in USD: $2,076,000,000 USD - petroleum products
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Export Partners: US 29.4%, Panama 14.4%, Mexico 8.8%, Haiti 5.6%, Venezuela 4.9%, Bahamas, The 4.5%
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GINI Index: 0.00%
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Labor Force Number of People: 83,600
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Labor Force by Occupations: agriculture: 1%, industry: 20%, services: 79%
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Radio Broadcast Stations: 27 |
Number of People with Radios: 0 |
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Television Broadcast Stations: 3 |
Number of People with Televisions: 0 |
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Number of People with Mainline Telephones: 81,000 |
Number of People with Mobile Phones: 200,000 |
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Internet Service Providers: 19,204 |
Internet Users: 2,000 |
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Internet Country Code: .an |
Newspapers: 0 |
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Two Letter Country Code: NT |
Weights and Measures: |
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Phone Country Code: 599 |
Electricity Voltage: 127/220 Volts |
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Telephone Systems: 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)
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Highways: 0 km |
Railways: 0 km
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Gas And Oil Pipelines: 0 km |
Waterways: 0 km
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Airports: 5 |
Heliports: 0
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Motor Vehicles: 0 per 1,000 people |
CO2 Emissions: 0 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
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Per capita CO2 emissions: 0.00 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
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Merchant Marines: 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)
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Ports and Harbors: Bopec Terminal, Fuik Bay, Kralendijk, Willemstad
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Population: 221,736 people type - nationality |
Birth Rate: 14.78 births per 1,000 people |
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Population Density: 0.00 people per sq km |
Death Rate: 6.45 deaths per 1,000 people |
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Population Growth: 0.79% per year |
Fertility Rate per Women: 1.99 babies born per woman |
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Population Male 0-14: 27,197 |
Population Female 0-14: 25,886 |
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Population Male 15-64: 71,622 |
Population Female 15-64: 77,710 |
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Population Male 65+: 7,925 |
Population Female 65+: 11,396 |
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Population 0-14: 23.60% |
Literacy Rate: 96.70% |
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Population 15-64: 67.30% |
Literacy rate of Males: 96.70% |
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Population 65+: 8.70% |
Literacy rate of Females: 96.70% |
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Population that is Male: 52.50
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Population that is Female: 47.50% |
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Life expectancy at birth in years: 76.03 years |
Infant mortality rate - baby deaths per 1000 births: 9.76 Babies die per 1,000 births |
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Life expectancy at birth for Males: 73.76 years |
Life expectancy at birth for Females: 78.41 years |
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Rate of AIDS/HIV infection: 0.00%
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Number of people living with AIDS or HIV: 0
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Number of people who died of AIDS: 0 |
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Disease Risk:
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Diseases:
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Net Migration Rate per 1,000 people: -0.40
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Nationality: Dutch Antillean
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Ethnic Groups: mixed black 85%, Carib Amerindian, white, East Asian
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Primary Language: Papiamento
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Other 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%
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Primary Religion: Roman Catholic
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Other 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%
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Branches: no regular military forces; National Guard, Police Force
Note: defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
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Manpower Fit to Serve: 16 years
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Manpower Available: 111,068 People
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Manpower Fit to Serve: 92,439 People
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Amount of Manpower Available each Year: 3,377 People per year
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Expenditures: $0 USD per year
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Expenditures as a Percentage of GDP: 0.00
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Note: Phrasebase uses a variety of sources when compiling the facts and information presented above. This information is continually updated throughout the year.
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Netherlands Antilles Spa and Resort Directory
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Netherlands Antilles Home Exchanges and Home Swaps
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Netherlands Antilles Vacation Rentals And Holiday Villas
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Netherlands Antilles City Information Game Earn Real Money
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