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 85% of foreign
exchange earnings in FY94. Apart from agricultural land and forests,
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%. More than 40% of the
population is undernourished. Since May 1991, the government has been
encouraging trade and foreign investment, e.g., by eliminating
business licenses and registration requirements in order to simplify
domestic and foreign investment. The government also has been cutting
public expenditures by reducing subsidies, privatizing state
industries, and laying off civil servants. Prospects for foreign trade
and investment in the 1990s remain poor, however, because of the small
size of the economy, its technological backwardness, its remoteness,
and susceptibility to natural disaster. Nepal experienced severe
flooding in August 1993 which caused at least $50 million in damage to
the country's infrastructure.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $20.5 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
2.9% (FY93)
National product per capita:
$1,000 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
9% (September 1993)
Unemployment rate:
5%; underemployment estimated at 25%-40% (1987)
Budget:
revenues:
$457 million
expenditures:
$725 million, including capital expenditures of $427 million (FY93
est.)
Exports:
$369 million (f.o.b., FY93) but does not include unrecorded border
trade with India
commodities:
carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods, grain
partners:
US, Germany, India, UK
Imports:
$789 million (c.i.f., FY93 est.)
commodities:
petroleum products 20%, fertilizer 11%, machinery 10%
partners:
India, Singapore, Japan, Germany
External debt:
$2 billion (FY93 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 6% (FY91 est.); accounts for 16% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
300,000 kW
production:
1 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
50 kWh (1992)
Industries:
small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarette, textile,
carpet, cement, and brick production; tourism
Agriculture:
accounts for 60% of GDP and 93% 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; transit point for heroin from Southeast Asia to the West
Economic aid:
recipient:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $304 million; Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $2.23
billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $30 million; Communist
countries (1970-89), $286 million
Currency:
1 Nepalese rupee (NR) = 100 paisa
Exchange rates:
Nepalese rupees (NRs) per US$1 - 49.240 (January 1994), 48.607 (1993),
42.742 (1992), 37.255 (1991), 29.370 (1990), 27.189 (1989)
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:
total:
7,080 km
paved:
2,898 km
unpaved:
gravel, crushed stone 1,660 km; seasonally motorable tracks 2,522 km
(1990)
Airports:
total:
37
usable:
37
with permanent-surface runways:
5
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
1
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
8
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 age 15-49 5,003,661; fit for military service 2,598,507; reach
military age (17) annually 241,405 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $34 million, 2% of GDP (FY91/92)
@Netherlands,
@Netherlands, Geography
Location:
Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between Belgium and Germany
Map references:
Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
37,330 sq km
land area:
33,920 sq km
comparative area:
slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey
Land boundaries:
total 1,027 km, Belgium 450 km, Germany 577 km
Coastline:
451 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
not specified
exclusive fishing zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International 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, petroleum, fertile soil
Land use:
arable land:
26%
permanent crops:
1%
meadows and pastures:
32%
forest and woodland:
9%
other:
32%
Irrigated land:
5,500 sq km (1989 est.)
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
natural hazards:
the extensive system of dikes and dams, protects nearly one-half of
the total area from being flooded
international agreements:
party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulphur, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber, Wetlands, Whaling;
signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Law of the Sea
Note:
located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine, Maas or
Meuse, Schelde)
@Netherlands, People
Population:
15,367,928 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.58% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
12.62 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
8.5 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
1.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
6.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
77.75 years
male:
74.69 years
female:
80.97 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.58 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women)
adjective:
Dutch
Ethnic divisions:
Dutch 96%, Moroccans, Turks, and other 4% (1988)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 34%, Protestant 25%, Muslim 3%, other 2%, unaffiliated
36% (1991)
Languages:
Dutch
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1979 est.)
total population:
99%
male:
NA%
female:
NA%
Labor force:
6.7 million (1991)
by occupation:
services 50.1%, manufacturing and construction 28.2%, government
15.9%, agriculture 5.8% (1986)
@Netherlands, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Kingdom of the Netherlands
conventional short form:
Netherlands
local long form:
Koninkrijk de Nederlanden
local short form:
Nederland
Digraph:
NL
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
Dependent areas:
Aruba, Netherlands Antilles
Independence:
1579 (from Spain)
National holiday:
Queen's Day, 30 April (1938)
Constitution:
17 February 1983
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
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
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 RUDOLPHUS (Ruud) F. M. LUBBERS (since 4 November 1982);
Vice Prime Minister Willem (Wim) KOK (since 2 November 1989) -
resigned after 3 May 1994 parliamentary elections; no new government
has been formed to date
cabinet:
Ministry of General Affairs; appointed by the prime minister
Legislative branch:
bicameral legislature (Staten Generaal)
First Chamber (Eerste Kamer):
elections 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 (Tweede Kamer):
elections last held on 3 May 1994 (next to be held in May 1999);
results - PvdA 24.3%, CDA 22.3%, VVD 20.4%, D'66 16.5%, other 16.5%;
seats - (150 total) PvdA 37, CDA 34, VVD 31, D'66 24, other 24
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (De Hoge Raad)
Political parties and leaders:
Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), Elco BRINKMAN; Labor (PvdA), Wim
KOK; Liberal (VVD), Frits BOLKESTEIN; Democrats '66 (D'66), Hans van
MIERLO; a host of minor parties
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 Interchurch Peace Council (IKV)
Member of:
AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CCC, CE,
CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, 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, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA,
UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOMUR, UNPROFOR, UNTAC,
UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Adriaan Pieter Roetert JACOBOVITS DE SZEGED
chancery:
4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
(202) 244-5300
FAX:
(202) 362-3430
consulate(s) general:
Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Manila (Trust Territories of the
Pacific Islands), New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Kirk Terry DORNBUSH
embassy:
Lange Voorhout 102, 2514 EJ The Hague
mailing address:
PSC 71, Box 1000, the Hague; APO AE 09715
telephone:
[31] (70) 310-9209
FAX:
[31] (70) 361-4688
consulate(s) general:
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. Rising unemployment
and a sizable budget deficit are currently the most serious economic
problems. Many of the economic issues of the 1990s will reflect the
course of European economic integration.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $262.8 billion (1993)
National product real growth rate:
-0.2% (1993)
National product per capita:
$17,200 (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.5% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
9.1% (March 1994)
Budget:
revenues:
$109.9 billion
expenditures:
$122.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992 est.)
Exports:
$139 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
metal products, chemicals, processed food and tobacco, agricultural
products
partners:
EC 77% (Germany 27%, Belgium-Luxembourg 15%, UK 10%), US 4% (1991)
Imports:
$130.3 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
raw materials and semifinished products, consumer goods,
transportation equipment, crude oil, food products
partners:
EC 64% (Germany 26%, Belgium-Luxembourg 14%, UK 8%), US 8% (1991)
External debt:
$0
Industrial production:
growth rate -1.5% (1993 est.); accounts for 25% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
22,216,000 kW
production:
63.5 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
4,200 kWh (1992)
Industries:
agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery
and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, fishing, construction,
microelectronics
Agriculture:
accounts for 4.6% of GDP; animal production predominates; crops -
grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; shortages of grain,
fats, and oils
Illicit drugs:
gateway for cocaine, heroin, and hashish entering Europe; European
producer of illicit amphetamines and other synthetic drugs
Economic aid:
donor:
ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $19.4 billion
Currency:
1 Netherlands guilder, gulden, or florin (f.) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
Netherlands guilders, gulden, or florins (f.) per US$1 - 1.9508
(January 1994), 1.8573 (1993), 1.7585 (1992), 1.8697 (1991), 1.8209
(1990), 2.1207 (1989)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
@Netherlands, Communications
Railroads:
2,828 km 1.435-meter standard gauge operated by Netherlands Railways
(NS) (includes 1,957 km electrified and 1,800 km double track)
Highways:
total:
104,590 km
paved:
92,525 km (including 2,185 km of expressway)
unpaved:
gravel, crushed stone 12,065 km (1990)
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:
coastal - Amsterdam, Delfzijl, Den Helder, Dordrecht, Eemshaven,
Ijmuiden, Rotterdam, Scheveningen, Terneuzen, Vlissingen; inland - 29
ports
Merchant marine:
324 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,507,112 GRT/3,208,838 DWT,
bulk 3, cargo 180, chemical tanker 21, combination bulk 3, container
32, liquefied gas 12, livestock carrier 1, multifunction large-load
carrier 4, oil tanker 27, railcar carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 20,
roll-on/roll-off cargo 15, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 2
note:
many Dutch-owned ships are also registered on the captive Netherlands
Antilles register
Airports:
total:
28
usable:
28
with permanent-surface runways:
19
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
10
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
7
Telecommunications:
highly developed, well maintained, and integrated; extensive redundant
system of multiconductor cables, supplemented by microwave radio relay
microwave 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 age 15-49 4,180,745; fit for military service 3,667,212; reach
military age (20) annually 98,479 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $6.8 billion, 2.3% of GDP (1993)
@Netherlands Antilles
Header
Affiliation:
(part of the Dutch realm)
@Netherlands Antilles, Geography
Location:
Caribbean, two island groups - Curacao and Bonaire in the southern
Caribbean Sea are about 70 km north of Venezuela near Aruba and the
rest of the country is about 800 km to the northeast about one-third
of the way between Antigua and Barbuda and Puerto Rico
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total area:
960 sq km
land area:
960 sq km
comparative area:
slightly less than 5.5 times the size of Washington, DC
note:
includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten
(Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin)
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
364 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone:
12 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International 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%
Irrigated land:
NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
NA
natural hazards:
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
international agreements:
party to - Whaling
@Netherlands Antilles, People
Population:
185,790 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.47% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
16.62 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
5.5 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
-6.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
9.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
76.32 years
male:
74.1 years
female:
78.66 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.96 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Netherlands Antillean(s)
adjective:
Netherlands Antillean
Ethnic divisions:
mixed African 85%, Carib Indian, European, Latin, Oriental
Religions:
Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Seventh-Day Adventist
Languages:
Dutch (official), Papiamento a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English
dialect predominates, English widely spoken, Spanish
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1981)
total population:
94%
male:
94%
female:
93%
Labor force:
89,000
by occupation:
government 65%, industry and commerce 28% (1983)
@Netherlands Antilles, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
Netherlands Antilles
local long form:
none
local short form:
Nederlandse Antillen
Digraph:
NA
Type:
part of the Dutch realm; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in
1954
Capital:
Willemstad
Administrative divisions:
none (part of the Dutch realm)
Independence:
none (part of the Dutch realm)
National holiday:
Queen's Day, 30 April (1938)
Constitution:
29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as amended
Legal system:
based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law
influence
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April 1980), represented by
Governor General Jaime SALEH (since NA October 1989)
head of government:
Prime Minister Miguel POURIER (since 25 February 1994)
cabinet:
Council of Ministers; appointed with the advice and approval of the
unicameral legislature
Legislative branch:
unicameral
Staten:
elections last held on 25 February 1994 (next to be held March 1998);
results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (23 total) PAR 8, PNP
3, SPA 2, PDB 2, UPB 1, MAN 2, DP 1, WIPM 1, DP-St. E 1, DP-St. M 1,
Nos Patria 1
note:
the government of Miguel POURIER is a coalition of several parties
Judicial branch:
Joint High Court of Justice
Political parties and leaders:
political parties are indigenous to each island
Bonaire:
Patriotic Union of Bonaire (UPB), Rudy ELLIS; Democratic Party of
Bonaire (PDB), Franklin CRESTIAN
Curacao:
Antillean Restructuring Party (PAR), Miguel POURIER; National People's
Party (PNP), Maria LIBERIA-PETERS; New Antilles Movement (MAN),
Domenico Felip Don MARTINA; Workers' Liberation Front (FOL), Wilson
(Papa) GODETT; Socialist Independent (SI), George HUECK and Nelson
MONTE; Democratic Party of Curacao (DP), Augustin DIAZ; Nos Patria,
Chin BEHILIA
Saba:
Windward Islands People's Movement (WIPM Saba), Will JOHNSON; Saba
Democratic Labor Movement, Vernon HASSELL; Saba Unity Party, Carmen
SIMMONDS
Sint Eustatius:
Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius (DP-St.E), K. Van PUTTEN; Windward
Islands People's Movement (WIPM); St. Eustatius Alliance (SEA), Ralph
BERKEL
Sint Maarten:
Democratic Party of Sint Maarten (DP-St.M), Claude WATHEY; Patriotic
Movement of Sint Maarten (SPA), Vance JAMES
Member of:
CARICOM (observer), ECLAC (associate), ICFTU, INTERPOL, IOC, UNESCO
(associate), UPU, WMO, WTO (associate)
Diplomatic representation in US:
none (self-governing part of the Netherlands)
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Consul General Bernard J. WOERZ
consulate general:
Saint Anna Boulevard 19, Willemstad, Curacao
mailing address:
P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao
telephone:
[599] (9) 613066
FAX:
[599] (9) 616489
Flag:
white with a horizontal blue stripe in the center superimposed on a
vertical red band also centered; five white five-pointed stars are
arranged in an oval pattern in the center of the blue band; the five
stars represent the five main islands of Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint
Eustatius, and Sint Maarten
@Netherlands Antilles, Economy
Overview:
Tourism, petroleum refining, and offshore finance are the mainstays of
the economy. The islands enjoy a high per capita income and a
well-developed infrastructure as compared with other countries in the
region. Unlike many Latin American countries, the Netherlands Antilles
has avoided large international debt. Almost all consumer and capital
goods are imported, with Venezuela and the US being the major
suppliers.
National product:
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $1.8 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
2% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
$9,700 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
16.4% (1991 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
$209 million
expenditures:
$232 million, including capital expenditures of $8 million (1992 est.)
Exports:
$240 million (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities:
petroleum products 98%
partners:
US 39%, Brazil 9%, Colombia 6%
Imports:
$1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities:
crude petroleum 64%, food, manufactures
partners:
Venezuela 26%, US 18%, Colombia 6%, Netherlands 6%, Japan 5%
External debt:
$701 million (December 1987)
Industrial production:
growth rate NA%
Electricity:
capacity:
125,000 kW
production:
365 million kWh
consumption per capita:
1,980 kWh (1992)
Industries:
tourism (Curacao and Sint Maarten), petroleum refining (Curacao),
petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire), light
manufacturing (Curacao)
Agriculture:
hampered by poor soils and scarcity of water; chief products - aloes,
sorghum, peanuts, fresh vegetables, tropical fruit; not
self-sufficient in food
Illicit drugs:
money-laundering center; transshipment point for South American
cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and Europe
Economic aid:
recipient:
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-89), $513 million
Currency:
1 Netherlands Antillean guilder, gulden, or florin (NAf.) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
Netherlands Antillean guilders, gulden, or florins (NAf.) per US$1 -
1.79 (fixed rate since 1989; 1.80 fixed rate 1971-88)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
@Netherlands Antilles, Communications
Highways:
total:
950 km
paved:
300 km
unpaved:
gravel, earth 650 km
Ports:
Willemstad, Philipsburg, Kralendijk
Merchant marine:
113 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 966,797 GRT/1,251,871 DWT, bulk
1, cargo 43, chemical tanker 7, combination ore/oil 1, container 3,
liquefied gas 5, multifunction large-load carrier 18, oil tanker 1,
passenger 4, refrigerated cargo 23, roll-on/roll-off cargo 7
note:
all but a few are foreign owned, mostly in the Netherlands
Airports:
total:
5
usable:
4
with permanent-surface runways:
4
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
1
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
3
Telecommunications:
generally adequate facilities; extensive interisland microwave radio
relay links; broadcast stations - 9 AM, 4 FM, 1 TV; 2 submarine
cables; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
@Netherlands Antilles, Defense Forces
Branches:
Royal Netherlands Navy, Marine Corps, Royal Netherlands Air Force,
National Guard, Police Force
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 48,866; fit for military service 27,421; reach
military age (20) annually 1,595 (1994 est.)
Note:
defense is responsibility of the Netherlands
@New Caledonia
Header
Affiliation:
(overseas territory of France)
@New Caledonia, Geography