1579; during the 17th century, they became a leading seafaring and
commercial power, with settlements and colonies around the world.
After a 20-year French occupation, a Kingdom of the Netherlands was
formed in 1815. In 1830 Belgium seceded and formed a separate
kingdom. The Netherlands remained neutral in World War I, but
suffered invasion and occupation by Germany in World War II. A
modern, industrialized nation, the Netherlands is also a large
exporter of agricultural products. The country was a founding member
of NATO and the EEC (now the EU), and participated in the
introduction of the euro in 1999.
Geography
Netherlands
Location:
Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany
Geographic coordinates:
52 30 N, 5 45 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 41,526 sq km
land: 33,883 sq km
water: 7,643 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey
Land boundaries:
total: 1,027 km
border countries: Belgium 450 km, Germany 577 km
Coastline:
451 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate:
temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters
Terrain:
mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in
southeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Zuidplaspolder -7 m
highest point: Vaalserberg 322 m
Natural resources:
natural gas, petroleum, peat, limestone, salt, sand and gravel,
arable land
Land use:
arable land: 21.96%
permanent crops: 0.77%
other: 77.27% (2005)
Irrigated land:
5,650 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
89.7 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 8.86 cu km/yr (6%/60%/34%)
per capita: 544 cu m/yr (2001)
Natural hazards:
flooding
Environment - current issues:
water pollution in the form of heavy metals, organic compounds, and
nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates; air pollution from
vehicles and refining activities; acid rain
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea,
Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands,
Whaling
Geography - note:
located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or
Meuse, and Schelde)
People
Netherlands
Population:
16,645,313 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 17.6% (male 1,496,348/female 1,427,297)
15-64 years: 67.8% (male 5,705,003/female 5,583,787)
65 years and over: 14.6% (male 1,040,932/female 1,391,946) (2008
est.)
Median age:
total: 40 years
male: 39.2 years
female: 40.9 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.436% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
10.53 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
8.71 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
2.55 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.81 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.34 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.25 years
male: 76.66 years
female: 81.98 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.66 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
19,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women)
adjective: Dutch
Ethnic groups:
Dutch 80.7%, EU 5%, Indonesian 2.4%, Turkish 2.2%, Surinamese 2%,
Moroccan 2%, Netherlands Antilles & Aruba 0.8%, other 4.8% (2008
est.)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 30%, Dutch Reformed 11%, Calvinist 6%, other
Protestant 3%, Muslim 5.8%, other 2.2%, none 42% (2006)
Languages:
Dutch (official), Frisian (official)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 16 years
male: 17 years
female: 16 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
5.3% of GDP (2005)
Government
Netherlands
Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of the Netherlands
conventional short form: Netherlands
local long form: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden
local short form: Nederland
Government type:
constitutional monarchy
Capital:
name: Amsterdam
geographic coordinates: 52 23 N, 4 54 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October
note: The Hague is the seat of government; time descriptions apply
to the continental Netherlands only, not to the Caribbean components
Administrative divisions:
12 provinces (provincies, singular - provincie); Drenthe, Flevoland,
Friesland (Fryslan), Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant
(North Brabant), Noord-Holland (North Holland), Overijssel, Utrecht,
Zeeland (Zealand), Zuid-Holland (South Holland)
Dependent areas:
Aruba, Netherlands Antilles
Independence:
23 January 1579 (the northern provinces of the Low Countries
conclude the Union of Utrecht breaking with Spain; on 26 July 1581
they formally declared their independence with an Act of Abjuration;
however, it was not until 30 January 1648 and the Peace of
Westphalia that Spain recognized this independence)
National holiday:
Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA and accession to the
throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX), 30 April (1909 and 1980)
Constitution:
adopted 1815; amended many times, most recently in 2002
Legal system:
based on civil law system incorporating French penal theory;
constitution does not permit judicial review of acts of the States
General; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen BEATRIX (since 30 April 1980); Heir Apparent
WILLEM-ALEXANDER (born 27 April 1967), son of the monarch
head of government: Prime Minister Jan Peter BALKENENDE (since 22
July 2002); Deputy Prime Ministers Wouter BOS (since 22 February
2007) and Andre ROUVOET (since 22 February 2007)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; following Second Chamber
elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority
coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch; deputy
prime ministers appointed by the monarch
note: there is also a Council of State composed of the monarch, heir
apparent, and councilors that provides consultations to the cabinet
on legislative and administrative policy
Legislative branch:
bicameral States General or Staten Generaal consists of the First
Chamber or Eerste Kamer (75 seats; members indirectly elected by the
country's 12 provincial councils to serve four-year terms) and the
Second Chamber or Tweede Kamer (150 seats; members directly elected
by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: First Chamber - last held 29 May 2007 (next to be held in
May 2011); Second Chamber - last held 22 November 2006 (next to be
held by early 2011)
election results: First Chamber - percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - CDA 21, PvdA 14, VVD 14, Socialist Party 11,
Christian Union 4, Green Left Party 4, D66 2, other 5; Second
Chamber - percent of vote by party - CDA 26.5%, PvdA 21.2%,
Socialist Party 16.6%, VVD 14.6%, Party for Freedom 5.9%, Green
Party 4.6%, Christian Union 4.0%, other 6.6%; seats by party - CDA
41, PvdA 33, Socialist Party 25, VVD 22, Party for Freedom 9, Green
Party 7, Christian Union 6, other 7
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Hoge Raad (justices are nominated for life by the
monarch)
Political parties and leaders:
Christian Democratic Appeal or CDA [Jan Peter BALKENENDE]; Christian
Union Party [Andre ROUVOET]; Democrats 66 or D66 [Alexander
PECHTOLD]; Green Left Party [Femke HALSEMA]; Labor Party or PvdA
[Wouter BOS]; Party for Freedom or PVV [Geert WILDERS]; Party for
the Animals or PvdD [Marianne THIEME]; People's Party for Freedom
and Democracy (Liberal) or VVD [Mark RUTTE]; Reformed Political
Party of SGP [Bas VAN DER VLIES]; Socialist Party [Jan MARIJNISSEN];
plus a few minor parties
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Christian Trade Union Federation or CNV [Rene PAAS]; Confederation
of Netherlands Industry and Employers or VNO-NCW [Bernard WIENTJES];
Federation for Small and Medium-sized businesses or MKB [Loek
HERMANS]; Netherlands Trade Union Federation or FNV [Agnes
JONGERIUS]; Social Economic Council or SER [Alexander RINNOOY Kan];
Trade Union Federation of Middle and High Personnel or MHP [Ad
VERHOEVEN]
International organization participation:
ADB (nonregional members), AfDB (nonregional members), Arctic
Council (observer), Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CBSS (observer),
CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G-10, IADB, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA,
NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris
Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Regina "Renee" JONES-BOS
chancery: 4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 244-5300, [1] 877-388-2443
FAX: [1] (202) 362-3430
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James B. CULBERTSON
embassy: Lange Voorhout 102, 2514 EJ, The Hague
mailing address: PSC 71, Box 1000, APO AE 09715
telephone: [31] (70) 310-2209
FAX: [31] (70) 361-4688
consulate(s) general: Amsterdam
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue; similar
to the flag of Luxembourg, which uses a lighter blue and is longer;
one of the oldest flags in constant use, originating with WILLIAM I,
Prince of Orange, in the latter half of the 16th century
Economy
Netherlands
Economy - overview:
The Netherlands has a prosperous and open economy, which depends
heavily on foreign trade. The economy is noted for stable industrial
relations, moderate unemployment and inflation, a sizable current
account surplus, and an important role as a European transportation
hub. Industrial activity is predominantly in food processing,
chemicals, petroleum refining, and electrical machinery. A highly
mechanized agricultural sector employs no more than 3% of the labor
force but provides large surpluses for the food-processing industry
and for exports. The Netherlands, along with 11 of its EU partners,
began circulating the euro currency on 1 January 2002. The country
continues to be one of the leading European nations for attracting
foreign direct investment and is one of the five largest investors
in the US. The economy experienced a slowdown in 2005 but in 2006
recovered to the fastest pace in six years on the back of increased
exports and strong investment. The pace of job growth reached
10-year highs in 2007.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$645.5 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$768.7 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.5% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$39,000 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2%
industry: 24.4%
services: 73.6% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
7.604 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 3%
industry: 21%
services: 76% (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate:
4.6% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
10.5% (2005)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.5%
highest 10%: 22.9% (1999)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
30.9 (2005)
Investment (gross fixed):
20% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $359.5 billion
expenditures: $356.5 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Public debt:
45.5% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.6% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
NA (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
8.72% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
NA
note: see entry for the European Union for money supply in the Euro
Area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for
the 15 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual
members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money and quasi
money circulating within their own borders
Stock of quasi money:
NA (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$1.876 trillion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; livestock
Industries:
agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery
and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, construction, microelectronics,
fishing
Industrial production growth rate:
3.1% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
97.33 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
109.6 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
5.565 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
23.14 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 89.9%
hydro: 0.1%
nuclear: 4.3%
other: 5.7% (2001)
Oil - production:
88,950 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
984,200 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - exports:
1.639 million bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
2.648 million bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
100 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)
Natural gas - production:
76.33 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
46.42 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
55.66 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
25.73 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
1.416 trillion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)
Current account balance:
$47.31 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$456.8 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels; foodstuffs
Exports - partners:
Germany 24.4%, Belgium 13.6%, UK 9.1%, France 8.5%, Italy 5.1%, US
4.3% (2007)
Imports:
$406.3 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs,
clothing
Imports - partners:
Germany 17.7%, China 10.5%, Belgium 9.3%, US 7.3%, UK 5.8%, Russia
5.1%, France 4.4% (2007)
Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $5.452 billion (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$26.98 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$2.277 trillion (30 June 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$673.4 billion (2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$851.3 billion (2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$924.4 billion (November 2007)
Currency (code):
euro (EUR)
Currency code:
EUR
Exchange rates:
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041
(2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)
Communications
Netherlands
Telephones - main lines in use:
7.334 million (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
17.3 million (2006)
Telephone system:
general assessment: highly developed and well maintained
domestic: extensive fixed-line fiber-optic network; large cellular
telephone system with 5 major operators utilizing the third
generation of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)
technology
international: country code - 31; submarine cables provide links to
the US and Europe; satellite earth stations - 5 (3 Intelsat - 1
Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean, 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 4, FM 246, shortwave 3 (2004)
Radios:
15.3 million (1996)
Television broadcast stations:
21 (plus 26 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions:
8.1 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.nl
Internet hosts:
10.983 million (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
52 (2000)
Internet users:
15 million (2007)
Transportation
Netherlands
Airports:
27 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 20
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 2 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 4 (2007)
Heliports:
1 (2007)
Pipelines:
condensate 81 km; gas 7,394 km; oil 578 km; refined products 716 km
(2007)
Railways:
total: 2,797 km
standard gauge: 2,797 km 1.435-m gauge (2,064 km electrified) (2006)
Roadways:
total: 134,981 km (includes 2,604 km of expressways) (2006)
Waterways:
6,211 km (navigable for ships of 50 tons) (2006)
Merchant marine:
total: 622
by type: bulk carrier 9, cargo 381, carrier 19, chemical tanker 44,
container 76, liquefied gas 15, passenger 16, passenger/cargo 15,
petroleum tanker 11, refrigerated cargo 10, roll on/roll off 23,
specialized tanker 3
foreign-owned: 203 (Belgium 2, Cyprus 8, Denmark 29, Finland 14,
France 1, Germany 75, Ireland 10, Italy 1, South Korea 1, Norway 12,
Sweden 28, Turkey 1, UAE 5, UK 2, US 14)
registered in other countries: 178 (Antigua and Barbuda 20,
Australia 2, Austria 2, Bahamas 9, Cambodia 1, Canada 1, Cyprus 22,
Germany 1, Gibraltar 21, Isle of Man 1, Liberia 6, Luxembourg 2,
Marshall Islands 8, Netherlands Antilles 38, Panama 14, Paraguay 1,
Philippines 23, Portugal 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3, US
1, unknown 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Amsterdam, IJmuiden, Rotterdam, Terneuzen, Vlissingen
Military
Netherlands
Military branches:
Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy (includes Naval Air
Service and Marine Corps), Royal Netherlands Air Force (Koninklijke
Luchtmacht, KLu), Royal Military Police (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
20 years of age for an all-volunteer force (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 3,950,825
females age 16-49: 3,850,800 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 3,233,773
females age 16-49: 3,150,790 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 105,735
female: 100,747 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.6% of GDP (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues
Netherlands
Disputes - international:
none
Illicit drugs:
major European producer of synthetic drugs, including ecstasy, and
cannabis cultivator; important gateway for cocaine, heroin, and
hashish entering Europe; major source of US-bound ecstasy; large
financial sector vulnerable to money laundering; significant
consumer of ecstasy
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Netherlands Antilles
Introduction
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, called
Saint Martin, is an overseas collectivity of France.
Geography
Netherlands Antilles
Location:
Caribbean, two island groups in the Caribbean Sea - composed of five
islands, Curacao and Bonaire located off the coast of Venezuela, and
Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius lie east of the US Virgin
Islands
Geographic coordinates:
Bonaire: 12 12 N, 68 15 W
Curacao: 12 10 N, 69 00 W
Saba: 17 38 N, 63 14 W
Sint Eustatius: 17 30 N, 62 58 W
Sint Maarten: 18 04 N, 63 04 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
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)
Area - comparative:
more than five times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
total: 15 km
border countries: Saint Martin 15 km
Coastline:
364 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
Climate:
tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds
Terrain:
generally hilly, volcanic interiors
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Scenery 862 m
Natural resources:
phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only)
Land use:
arable land: 10%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 90% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Natural hazards:
Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are subject to hurricanes
from July to October; Curacao and Bonaire are south of Caribbean
hurricane belt and are rarely threatened
Environment - current issues:
NA
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); the island of Saint Martin is the
smallest landmass in the world shared by two independent states, the
French territory of Saint Martin and the Dutch territory of Sint
Maarten
People
Netherlands Antilles
Population:
225,369 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 23.2% (male 26,749/female 25,467)
15-64 years: 67.5% (male 73,319/female 78,842)
65 years and over: 9.3% (male 8,541/female 12,451) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 33.4 years
male: 31.6 years
female: 35.2 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.754% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
14.37 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
6.43 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
-0.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 9.36 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 10.04 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 8.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.45 years
male: 74.15 years
female: 78.87 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.98 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Dutch Antillean(s)
adjective: Dutch Antillean
Ethnic groups:
mixed black 85%, other 15% (includes Carib Amerindian, white, East
Asian)
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)
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)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.7%
male: 96.7%
female: 96.8% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 14 years
male: 14 years
female: 15 years (2002)
Education expenditures:
NA
Government
Netherlands Antilles
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Netherlands Antilles
local long form: none
local short form: Nederlandse Antillen
former: Curacao and Dependencies
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
Government type:
parliamentary
Capital: