Revenues come from the export of phosphates, the reserves of which are
expected to be exhausted by the year 2000. Phosphates have given Nauruans
one of the highest per capita incomes in the Third World - $10,000 annually.
Few other resources exist, so most necessities must be imported, including
fresh water from Australia. The rehabilitation of mined land and the
replacement of income from phosphates are serious long-term problems.
Substantial amounts of phosphate income are invested in trust funds to help
cushion the transition.
GNP:
exchange rate conversion - over $90 million, per capita $10,000; real growth
rate NA% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA%
Unemployment rate:
0%
Budget:
revenues $69.7 million; expenditures $51.5 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA (FY86 est.)
Exports:
$93 million (f.o.b., 1984)
commodities:
phosphates
partners:
Australia, NZ
Imports:
$73 million (c.i.f., 1984)
commodities:
food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery
partners:
Australia, UK, NZ, Japan
External debt:
$33.3 million
Industrial production:
growth rate NA%
Electricity:
14,000 kW capacity; 50 million kWh produced, 5,430 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
phosphate mining, financial services, coconuts
Agriculture:
negligible; almost completely dependent on imports for food and water
Economic aid:
Western (non-US) countries (1970-89), $2 million
Currency:
Australian dollar (plural - dollars); 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.3177 (March 1992), 1.2834 (1991),
1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
:Nauru Communications
Railroads:
3.9 km; used to haul phosphates from the center of the island to processing
facilities on the southwest coast
Highways:
about 27 km total; 21 km paved, 6 km improved earth
Ports:
Nauru
Merchant marine:
1 bulk ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,426 GRT/5,750 DWT
Civil air:
3 major transport aircraft, one on order
Airports:
1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
adequate local and international radio communications provided via
Australian facilities; 1,600 telephones; 4,000 radios; broadcast stations -
1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
:Nauru Defense Forces
Branches:
no regular armed forces; Directorate of the Nauru Police Force
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, NA; NA fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
$NA - no formal defense structure
:Navassa Island Geography
Total area:
5.2 km2
Land area:
5.2 km2
Comparative area:
about nine times the size of the Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
8 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone:
12 nm
Continental shelf:
200 m (depth)
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
claimed by Haiti
Climate:
marine, tropical
Terrain:
raised coral and limestone plateau, flat to undulating; ringed by vertical
white cliffs (9 to 15 meters high)
Natural resources:
guano
Land use:
arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 10%; forest and
woodland 0%; other 90%
Environment:
mostly exposed rock, but enough grassland to support goat herds; dense
stands of fig-like trees, scattered cactus
Note:
strategic location between Cuba, Haiti, and Jamaica in the Caribbean Sea;
160 km south of the US Naval Base at Guantanamo, Cuba
:Navassa Island People
Population:
uninhabited; transient Haitian fishermen and others camp on the island
:Navassa Island Government
Long-form name:
none (territory of the US)
Type:
unincorporated territory of the US administered by the US Coast Guard
Capital:
none; administered from Washington, DC
:Navassa Island Economy
Overview:
no economic activity
:Navassa Island Communications
Ports:
none; offshore anchorage only
:Navassa Island Defense Forces
Note:
defense is the responsibility of the US
:Nepal Geography
Total area:
140,800 km2
Land area:
136,800 km2
Comparative area:
slightly larger than Arkansas
Land boundaries:
2,926 km total; China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km
Coastline:
none - landlocked
Maritime claims:
none - landlocked
Disputes:
none
Climate:
varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers
and mild winters in south
Terrain:
Terai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill region,
rugged Himalayas in north
Natural resources:
quartz, water, timber, hydroelectric potential, scenic beauty; small
deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore
Land use:
arable land 17%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 13%; forest and
woodland 33%; other 37%; includes irrigated 2%
Environment:
contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks; deforestation; soil erosion;
water pollution
Note:
landlocked; strategic location between China and India
:Nepal People
Population:
20,086,455 (July 1992), growth rate 2.4% (1992)
Birth rate:
38 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
14 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
90 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
51 years male, 51 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
5.4 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Nepalese (singular and plural); adjective - Nepalese
Ethnic divisions:
Newars, Indians, Tibetans, Gurungs, Magars, Tamangs, Bhotias, Rais, Limbus,
Sherpas, as well as many smaller groups
Religions:
only official Hindu state in world, although no sharp distinction between
many Hindu (about 90% of population) and Buddhist groups (about 5% of
population); Muslims 3%, other 2% (1981)
Languages:
Nepali (official); 20 languages divided into numerous dialects
Literacy:
26% (male 38%, female 13%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
8,500,000 (1991 est.); agriculture 93%, services 5%, industry 2%; severe
lack of skilled labor
Organized labor:
Teachers' Union and many other nonofficially recognized unions
:Nepal Government
Long-form name:
Kingdom of Nepal
Type:
parliamentary democracy as of 12 May 1991
Capital:
Kathmandu
Administrative divisions:
14 zones (anchal, singular and plural); Bagmati, Bheri, Dhawalagiri,
Gandaki, Janakpur, Karnali, Kosi, Lumbini, Mahakali, Mechi, Narayani, Rapti,
Sagarmatha, Seti
Independence:
1768, unified by Prithyi Narayan Shah
Constitution:
9 November 1990
Legal system:
based on Hindu legal concepts and English common law; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
Birthday of His Majesty the King, 28 December (1945)
Executive branch:
monarch, prime minister, Council of Ministers
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or National Council and a
lower house or House of Representatives
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (Sarbochha Adalat)
Leaders:
Chief of State:
King BIRENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev (since 31 January 1972, crowned King 24
February 1985); Heir Apparent Crown Prince DIPENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev, son
of the King (born 21 June 1971)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Girija Prasad KOIRALA (since 29 May 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
ruling party:
Nepali Congress Party (NCP), Girija Prasad KOIRALA, Ganesh Man SINGH,
Krishna Prasad BHATTARAI
center:
the NDP has two factions: National Democratic Party/Chand (NDP/Chand),
Lokinra Bahadur CHAND, and National Democratic Party/Thapa (NDP/Thapa),
Surya Bahadur THAPA - the two factions announced a merger in late 1991;
Terai Rights Sadbhavana (Goodwill) Party, G. N. Naryan SINGH
Communist:
Communist Party of Nepal/United Marxist and Leninist (CPN/UML), Man Mohan
ADIKHARY; United People's Front (UPF), N. K. PRASAI, Lila Mani POKHAREL;
Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, leader NA; Rohit Party, N. M. BIJUKCHHE;
Democratic Party, leader NA
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
House of Representatives:
last held on 12 May 1991 (next to be held May 1996); results - NCP 38%,
CPN/UML 28%, NDP/Chand 6%, UPF 5%, NDP/Thapa 5%, Terai Rights Sadbhavana
Party 4%, Rohit 2%, CPN (Democratic) 1%, independents 4%, other 7%; seats -
(205 total) NCP 110, CPN/UML 69, UPF 9, Terai Rights Sadbhavana Party 6,
NDP/Chand 3, Rohit 2, CPN (Democratic) 2, NDP/Thapa 1, independents 3; note
- the new Constitution of 9 November 1990 gives Nepal a multiparty democracy
system for the first time in 32 years
:Nepal Government
Communists:
Communist Party of Nepal (CPN)
Other political or pressure groups:
numerous small, left-leaning student groups in the capital; several small,
radical Nepalese antimonarchist groups
Member of:
AsDB, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UNIFIL, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Yog Prasad UPADHYAYA; Chancery at 2131 Leroy Place NW,
Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 667-4550; there is a Nepalese
Consulate General in New York
US:
Ambassador Julia Chang BLOCH; Embassy at Pani Pokhari, Kathmandu; telephone
[977] (1) 411179 or 412718, 411604, 411613, 413890; FAX [977] (1) 419963
Flag:
red with a blue border around the unique shape of two overlapping right
triangles; the smaller, upper triangle bears a white stylized moon and the
larger, lower triangle bears a white 12-pointed sun
:Nepal Economy
Overview:
Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world.
Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood for over
90% of the population and accounting for 60% of GDP. Industrial activity is
limited, mainly involving the processing of agricultural produce (jute,
sugarcane, tobacco, and grain). Production of textiles and carpets has
expanded recently and accounted for 87% of foreign exchange earnings in
FY89. Apart from agricultural land and forests, the only other exploitable
natural resources are mica, hydropower, and tourism. Agricultural production
in the late 1980s grew by about 5%, as compared with annual population
growth of 2.6%. Forty percent or more of the population is undernourished
partly because of poor distribution. Since May 1991, the government has been
encouraging privatization and foreign investment. It has introduced policies
to eliminate many business licenses and registration requirements in order
to simplify domestic and foreign investment procedures. Economic prospects
for the 1990s remain poor because the economy starts from such a low base.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $3.2 billion, per capita $165; real growth rate
3.5% (FY91)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
15.0% (December 1991)
Unemployment rate:
5%; underemployment estimated at 25-40% (1987)
Budget:
revenues $294.0 million; expenditures $624.0 million, including capital
expenditures of $396 (FY92 est.)
Exports:
$180 million (f.o.b., FY91) but does not include unrecorded border trade
with India
commodities:
clothing, carpets, leather goods, grain
partners:
US, India, Germany, UK
Imports:
$545 million (c.i.f., FY91 est.)
commodities:
petroleum products 20%, fertilizer 11%, machinery 10%
partners:
India, Singapore, Japan, Germany
External debt:
$2.5 billion (April 1990 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 6% (FY91 est.); accounts for 7% of GDP
Electricity:
280,000 kW capacity; 540 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarette, textile, carpet,
cement, and brick production; tourism
Agriculture:
accounts for 60% of GDP and 90% of work force; farm products - rice, corn,
wheat, sugarcane, root crops, milk, buffalo meat; not self-sufficient in
food, particularly in drought years
Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic and international drug markets
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $304 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $2,230 million; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $30 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $286
million
:Nepal Economy
Currency:
Nepalese rupee (plural - rupees); 1 Nepalese rupee (NR) = 100 paisa
Exchange rates:
Nepalese rupees (NRs) per US$1 - 42.7 (January 1992), 37.255 (1991), 29.370
(1990), 27.189 (1989), 23.289 (1988), 21.819 (1987)
Fiscal year:
16 July - 15 July
:Nepal Communications
Railroads:
52 km (1990), all 0.762-meter narrow gauge; all in Terai close to Indian
border; 10 km from Raxaul to Birganj is government owned
Highways:
7,080 km total (1990); 2,898 km paved, 1,660 km gravel or crushed stone;
also 2,522 km of seasonally motorable tracks
Civil air:
5 major and 11 minor transport aircraft
Airports:
37 total, 37 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 8 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
poor telephone and telegraph service; fair radio communication and broadcast
service; international radio communication service is poor; 50,000
telephones (1990); broadcast stations - 88 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean
INTELSAT earth station
:Nepal Defense Forces
Branches:
Royal Nepalese Army, Royal Nepalese Army Air Service, Nepalese Police Force
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 4,798,984; 2,488,749 fit for military service; 225,873 reach
military age (17) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $34 million, 2% of GDP (FY92)
:Netherlands Geography
Total area:
37,330 km2
Land area:
33,920 km2
Comparative area:
slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey
Land boundaries:
1,027 km total; Belgium 450 km, Germany 577 km
Coastline:
451 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf:
not specific
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
none
Climate:
temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters
Terrain:
mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast
Natural resources:
natural gas, crude oil, fertile soil
Land use:
arable land 26%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 32%; forest and
woodland 9%; other 32%; includes irrigated 16%
Environment:
27% of the land area is below sea level and protected from the North Sea by
dikes
Note:
located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or Meuse,
Schelde)
:Netherlands People
Population:
15,112,064 (July 1992), growth rate 0.6% (1992)
Birth rate:
13 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
8 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
7 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
75 years male, 81 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
1.6 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women); adjective - Dutch
Ethnic divisions:
Dutch 96%, Moroccans, Turks, and other 4% (1988)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 36%, Protestant 27%, other 6%, unaffiliated 31% (1988)
Languages:
Dutch
Literacy:
99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1979 est.)
Labor force:
5,300,000; services 50.1%, manufacturing and construction 28.2%, government
15.9%, agriculture 5.8% (1986)
Organized labor:
29% of labor force
:Netherlands Government
Long-form name:
Kingdom of the Netherlands
Type:
constitutional monarchy
Capital:
Amsterdam; The Hague is the seat of government
Administrative divisions:
12 provinces (provincien, singular - provincie); Drenthe, Flevoland,
Friesland, Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant, Noord-Holland,
Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland, Zuid-Holland
Independence:
1579 (from Spain)
Constitution:
17 February 1983
Dependent areas:
Aruba, Netherlands Antilles
Legal system:
civil law system incorporating French penal theory; judicial review in the
Supreme Court of legislation of lower order rather than Acts of the States
General; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday:
Queen's Day, 30 April (1938)
Executive branch:
monarch, prime minister, vice prime minister, Cabinet, Cabinet of Ministers
Legislative branch:
bicameral legislature (Staten Generaal) consists of an upper chamber or
First Chamber (Eerste Kamer) and a lower chamber or Second Chamber (Tweede
Kamer)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (De Hoge Raad)
Leaders:
Chief of State:
Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April 1980); Heir Apparent
WILLEM-ALEXANDER, Prince of Orange, son of Queen Beatrix (born 27 April
1967)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Ruud (Rudolph) F. M. LUBBERS (since 4 November 1982); Vice
Prime Minister Wim KOK (since 2 November 1989)
Political parties and leaders:
Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), Willem van VELZEN; Labor (PvdA), Wim KOK;
Liberal (VVD), Joris VOORHOEVE; Democrats '66 (D'66), Hans van MIERIO; a
host of minor parties
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
First Chamber:
last held on 9 June l991 (next to be held 9 June 1995); results - elected by
the country's 12 provincial councils; seats - (75 total) percent of seats by
party NA
Second Chamber:
last held on 6 September 1989 (next to be held by September 1993); results -
CDA 35.3%, PvdA 31. 9%, VVD 14.6%, D'66 7.9%, other 10.3%; seats - (150
total) CDA 54, PvdA 49, VVD 22, D'66 12, other 13
Communists:
about 6,000
:Netherlands Government
Other political or pressure groups:
large multinational firms; Federation of Netherlands Trade Union Movement
(comprising Socialist and Catholic trade unions) and a Protestant trade
union; Federation of Catholic and Protestant Employers Associations; the
nondenominational Federation of Netherlands Enterprises; and IKV -
Interchurch Peace Council
Member of:
AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN,
COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMS, ESA, ESCAP, FAO, G-10, GATT,
IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MTCR, NACC, NATO,
NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Johan Hendrick MEESMAN; Chancery at 4200 Linnean Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 244-5300; there are Dutch Consulates
General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco
US:
Ambassador C. Howard WILKINS, Jr.; Embassy at Lange Voorhout 102, The Hague
(mailing address PSC 71, Box 1000, APO AE 09715); telephone [31] (70)
310-9209; FAX [31] (70) 361-4688; there is a US Consulate General in
Amsterdam
Flag:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue; similar to the
flag of Luxembourg, which uses a lighter blue and is longer
:Netherlands Economy
Overview:
This highly developed and affluent economy is based on private enterprise.
The government makes its presence felt, however, through many regulations,
permit requirements, and welfare programs affecting most aspects of economic
activity. The trade and financial services sector contributes over 50% of
GDP. Industrial activity provides about 25% of GDP and is led by the
food-processing, oil-refining, and metalworking industries. The highly
mechanized agricultural sector employs only 5% of the labor force, but
provides large surpluses for export and the domestic food-processing
industry. An unemployment rate of 6.2% and a sizable budget deficit are
currently the most serious economic problems.
GDP:
purchasing power equivalent - $249.6 billion, per capita $16,600; real
growth rate 2.2% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.6% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
6.2% (1991 est.)
Budget:
revenues $98.7 billion; expenditures $110.8 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1991)
Exports:
$131.5 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities:
agricultural products, processed foods and tobacco, natural gas, chemicals,
metal products, textiles, clothing
partners:
EC 74.9% (FRG 28.3%, Belgium-Luxembourg 14.2%, France 10.7%, UK 10.2%), US
4.7% (1988)
Imports:
$125.9 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
commodities:
raw materials and semifinished products, consumer goods, transportation
equipment, crude oil, food products
partners:
EC 63.8% (FRG 26.5%, Belgium-Luxembourg 23.1%, UK 8.1%), US 7.9% (1988)
External debt:
none
Industrial production:
growth rate 1.7% (1991 est.); accounts for 25% of GDP
Electricity:
22,216,000 kW capacity; 63,570 million kWh produced, 4,300 kWh per capita
(1991)
Industries:
agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and
equipment, chemicals, petroleum, fishing, construction, microelectronics
Agriculture:
accounts for 4% of GDP; animal production predominates; crops - grains,
potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; shortages of grain, fats, and
oils
Illicit drugs:
European producer of illicit amphetamines and other synethic drugs
Economic aid:
donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $19.4 billion
Currency:
Netherlands guilder, gulden, or florin (plural - guilders, gulden, or
florins); 1 Netherlands guilder, gulden, or florin (f.) = 100 cents
:Netherlands Economy
Exchange rates:
Netherlands guilders, gulden, or florins (f.) per US$1 - 1.7753 (January
1992), 1.8697 (1991), 1.8209 (1990), 2.1207 (1989), 1.9766 (1988), 2.0257
(1987)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:Netherlands Communications
Railroads:
3,037 km track (includes 1,871 km electrified and 1,800 km double track);
2,871 km 1.435-meter standard gauge operated by Netherlands Railways (NS);
166 km privately owned
Highways:
108,360 km total; 92,525 km paved (including 2,185 km of limited access,
divided highways); 15,835 km gravel, crushed stone
Inland waterways:
6,340 km, of which 35% is usable by craft of 1,000 metric ton capacity or
larger
Pipelines:
crude oil 418 km; petroleum products 965 km; natural gas 10,230 km
Ports:
maritime - Amsterdam, Delfzijl, Den Helder, Dordrecht, Eemshaven, Ijmuiden,
Rotterdam, Scheveningen, Terneuzen, Vlissingen; inland - 29 ports
Merchant marine:
345 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,630,962 GRT/3,687,598 DWT; includes
3 short-sea passenger, 191 cargo, 30 refrigerated cargo, 24 container, 12
roll-on/roll-off, 2 livestock carrier, 10 multifunction large-load carrier,
22 oil tanker, 27 chemical tanker, 10 liquefied gas, 2 specialized tanker, 9
bulk, 3 combination bulk; note - many Dutch-owned ships are also registered
on the captive Netherlands Antilles register
Civil air:
98 major transport aircraft
Airports:
28 total, 28 usable; 19 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
over 3,659 m; 11 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 6 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
highly developed, well maintained, and integrated; extensive redundant
system of multiconductor cables, supplemented by radio relay links;
9,418,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 3 (3 relays) AM, 12 (39
repeaters) FM, 8 (7 repeaters) TV; 5 submarine cables; 1 communication
satellite earth station operating in INTELSAT (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic
Ocean antenna) and EUTELSAT systems; nationwide mobile phone system
:Netherlands Defense Forces
Branches:
Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy (including Naval Air Service
and Marine Corps), Royal Netherlands Air Force, Royal Constabulary
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 4,144,477; 3,649,746 fit for military service; 111,952 reach
military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $7.2 billion, 2.9% of GDP (1991)
:Netherlands Antilles Geography
Total area:
960 km2
Land area:
960 km2; includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten
(Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin)
Comparative area:
slightly less than 5.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
364 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone:
12 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
none
Climate:
tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds
Terrain:
generally hilly, volcanic interiors
Natural resources:
phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only)
Land use:
arable land 8%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
woodland 0%; other 92%
Environment:
Curacao and Bonaire are south of Caribbean hurricane belt, so rarely
threatened; Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are subject to hurricanes
from July to October
Note:
consists of two island groups - Curacao and Bonaire are located off the
coast of Venezuela, and Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius lie 800 km to
the north
:Netherlands Antilles People