Fast Facts
Incorporated Islands: Curacao, Bonaire, St. Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius
Capital City: Willemstad (Curacao)
Population: 219,958 (July 2005 est.)
Official Language: Papiamento (Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect, 65.4%)
Main Religion: Roman Catholic (85%)
Ethnicities: Mixed African (85%)
Currency: Netherlands Antillean Guilder (ANG)
Exchange Rate: $1.79 ANG = $1 US
Climate: Tropical
The Country
Directly off the coast of Venezuela lie Curacao and Bonaire, with the remaining Antilles islands East of the Virgin Islands. The total area of these hilly and volcanic islands is 960 sq. km. Saint Maarten, the most northern Antilles island, is shared with France. The northern portion is a part of the Netherland Antilles, while the southern portion, referred to as Saint-Martin, remains under the auspices of France.
The Government
The Netherlands Antilles, in 1954, was granted autonomy within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The islands are ruled by a parliamentary system with the chief of state as the Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. Representing the Queen is the Governor General Frits Goedgedrag and the Prime Minister is Etienne Ys.
Economic Performance
The government of the Netherlands Antilles continues to own a number of enterprises, which explains the slow rate of economic growth in the region. In 2004 the Antilles economy only increased by .4 percent. The majority of state-owned enterprises are not profitable, except the telecommunications service company, United Telecommunications and the gas distributor, Curoil. As part of the Caribbean Basin Initiative, the Antilles enjoys several trade benefits with the United States.
GDP: $2.45 billion (2003 est.)
GDP growth rate: 0.5% (2003 est.)
GDP per capita: $11,400 (2003 est.)
Trade Highlights
Imports: Crude petroleum, food, manufactured goods
Total imports: US$2.223 billion (2002)
Imports from the US: $759.9 million (2005)
US Imports Market Share: 34%
Exports: Petroleum products
Total exports: US$1.579 billion (2002)
Exports to the US: US$640 million (2005)
Why Netherlands Antilles?
Trade Incentives: St. Maarten is entirely free of both export and import customs duties. Curacao maintains free trade zones throughout the island. Due to the slow economic growth in 2004, the Netherlands has increased its efforts to attract investors and business to the region.
Acceptance of US products: The Netherlands Antilles islands enjoy the high quality, reliable, low cost goods available in the United States market. The amicable trade relations and ethical business practices maintained by the US with the Netherlands Antilles have also contributed to importers favoring US suppliers.
Best Prospects
Restaurant Equipment: Food supplies are in high demand in St. Martin to support the millions of tourists that visit the island yearly. Therefore, there is a large market for restaurant equipment.
Manufactured goods, electronics, clothing: The Netherlands Antilles have consistenly imported a significant amount of manufactured goods, electronics and clothing from the United States since there is a constant need for these products.
For contacts in the Netherlands Antilles please click here.
Sources used: CIA Worldfactbook 2005; Caribbean-Central American Action, Caribbean Region Profile 2005;Caribbean Basin Initiative.
November 2005
