| Dictionary: Netherlands Antilles |
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| Columbia Encyclopedia: Netherlands Antilles |
The majority of the people are of African descent and belong to the Roman Catholic or other Christian churches. Papiamento (a Spanish-based creole with Portuguese, Dutch, and English elements) is the predominant tongue, and English is also widely spoken.
The economy is dependent on tourism, the refining and transshipment of Venezuelan petroleum, and offshore financial services. The Netherlands Antilles have a higher per capita income and a more developed infrastructure than neighboring countries. Poor soil and scanty water resources hamper agricultural production, which is largely limited to aloes, sorghum, peanuts, fruits, and vegetables. There is also some light manufacturing. The monarch of the Netherlands is the titular head of state and is represented by a governor-general. There is a 22-seat popularly elected legislature headed by a prime minister.
When the Spanish arrived in the 16th cent., the region was inhabited by Arawaks and Caribs. The islands were captured by the Dutch in the 17th cent. and were worked by the many African slaves who were brought to their shores. Slavery was abolished in 1863 and the economy faltered until the oil industry began to flourish in the 20th cent. The Netherlands Antilles became autonomous in 1954, and Aruba was separated from the group in 1986. In 2004 a government commission recommended splitting up the Netherlands Antilles, giving St. Martin and Curaçao autonomy and establishing direct Dutch rule over the other islands. In a series of referendums islanders largely seconded this proposal, which has yet to take effect.
| Geography: Netherlands Antilles |
Group of islands, administered by The Netherlands, in the Caribbean Sea, off the northern coast of Venezuela.
| Dialing Code: Netherlands Antilles |
The international dialing code for Netherlands Antilles is: 599
| Local Time: Netherlands Antilles |
| It is 10:30 PM, January 6, in the following region(s) of Netherlands Antilles: Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten. |  |
| Currency: Netherlands Antilles |
| Statistics: 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. |
| 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 |
| Population: | 227,049 (July 2009 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 22.7% (male 26,429/female 25,162) 15-64 years: 67.7% (male 74,183/female 79,434) 65 years and over: 9.6% (male 8,875/female 12,966) (2009 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 33.7 years male: 31.9 years female: 35.5 years (2009 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 0.732% (2009 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 14.19 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) |
| Death rate: | 6.43 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | -0.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) |
| Urbanization: | urban population: 93% of total population (2008) rate of urbanization: 1.6% annual rate of change (2005-10 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: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2009 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 9.09 deaths/1,000 live births male: 9.76 deaths/1,000 live births female: 8.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 76.65 years male: 74.33 years female: 79.09 years (2009 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 1.97 children born/woman (2009 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 |
| 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: | name: Willemstad (on Curacao) geographic coordinates: 12 06 N, 68 56 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Administrative divisions: | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) note: each island has its own government |
| Independence: | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) |
| 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: | 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 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 2010) note: government coalition - PAR, PNP, DP-St. M, UPB, WIPM Saba, DP-St. E |
| 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, PDB 1, WIPM 1 note: the government is a coalition of several parties |
| Judicial branch: | Joint High Court of Justice (judges appointed by the monarch) |
| Political parties and 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 |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | Employers Association (VBC); Unions (AVBO) |
| International organization participation: | Caricom (observer), ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCL, WCO, WMO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands); note - Mr. Jeffrey CORRION, Minister Plenipotentiary for Aruba at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Consul General Robert E. SORENSON consulate(s) general: J. B. Gorsiraweg #1, Willemstad, Curacao mailing address: P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao telephone: [599] (9) 461-3066 FAX: [599] (9) 461-6489 |
| Flag description: | 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 |
| Economy - 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. Most of the oil Netherlands Antilles imports for its refineries come from Venezuela. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, the US, Italy, 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. The Netherlands provides financial aid to support the economy. |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | $2.8 billion (2004 est.) |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | $NA |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 1% (2004 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | $16,000 (2004 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 1% industry: 15% services: 84% (2000 est.) |
| Labor force: | 83,600 (2005) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 1% industry: 20% services: 79% (2005 est.) |
| Unemployment rate: | 17% (2002 est.) |
| Population below poverty line: | NA% |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% |
| Budget: | revenues: $757.9 million expenditures: $949.5 million (2004) |
| Fiscal year: | calendar year |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 2.1% (2003 est.) |
| Central bank discount rate: | NA |
| Commercial bank prime lending rate: | 9.21% (31 December 2007) |
| Stock of money: | $1.133 billion (31 December 2007) |
| Stock of quasi money: | $2.309 billion (31 December 2007) |
| Stock of domestic credit: | $2.927 billion (31 December 2007) |
| Market value of publicly traded shares: | $488.6 billion (2003) |
| Agriculture - products: | aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit |
| Industries: | tourism (Curacao, Sint Maarten, and Bonaire), petroleum refining (Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curacao) |
| Industrial production growth rate: | NA% |
| Electricity - production: | 1.195 billion kWh (2006 est.) |
| Electricity - consumption: | 992 million kWh (2006 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2007 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2007 est.) |
| Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
| Oil - production: | 0 bbl/day (2005 est.) |
| Oil - consumption: | 67,450 bbl/day (2006 est.) |
| Oil - exports: | 206,900 bbl/day (2005) |
| Oil - imports: | 277,600 bbl/day (2005) |
| Oil - proved reserves: | 0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2007 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2007 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2007 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2007 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.) |
| Exports: | $3.71 billion f.o.b. (2006) |
| Exports - commodities: | petroleum products |
| Exports - partners: | US 18.9%, Mexico 13.3%, Panama 11.4%, Singapore 6.9%, Haiti 6.6%, The Bahamas 5.3% (2007) |
| Imports: | $15.74 billion f.o.b. (2006) |
| Imports - commodities: | crude petroleum, food, manufactures |
| Imports - partners: | Venezuela 59.1%, US 17.7%, Brazil 7.1% (2007) |
| Debt - external: | $2.68 billion (2004) |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: | $NA |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: | $NA |
| Currency (code): | Netherlands Antillean guilder (ANG) |
| Currency code: | ANG |
| Exchange rates: | Netherlands Antillean guilders (ANG) per US dollar - NA (2007), 1.79 (2006), 1.79 (2005), 1.79 (2004), 1.79 (2003) |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 81,000 (2001) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 200,000 (2004) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: generally adequate facilities domestic: extensive interisland microwave radio relay links international: country code - 599; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and the Americas-2 submarine cable systems provide connectivity to Central America, parts of South America and the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 8, FM 19, shortwave 0 (2003) |
| Radios: | 217,000 (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 3 (there is also a cable service that supplies programs received from various US satellite networks and 4 Venezuelan channels) (2003) |
| Televisions: | 69,000 (1997) |
| Internet country code: | .an |
| Internet hosts: | 47,597 (2008) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 6 |
| Internet users: | 2,000 (2000) |
| Airports: | 5 (2008) |
| Airports - with paved runways: | total: 5 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2008) |
| Roadways: | total: 845 |
| Merchant marine: | total: 147 by type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 2, cargo 72, carrier 19, chemical tanker 2, container 8, liquefied gas 1, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 27, roll on/roll off 6, specialized tanker 3 foreign-owned: 123 (Belgium 1, Cuba 1, Cyprus 21, Denmark 2, Germany 43, Hong Kong 2, Netherlands 38, Norway 3, Sweden 1, Turkey 10, US 1) (2008) |
| Ports and terminals: | Bopec Terminal, Willemstad |
| Military branches: | no regular military forces; National Guard (2008) |
| Military service age and obligation: | 16 years of age for National Guard recruitment; no conscription (2004) |
| Manpower available for military service: | males age 16-49: 55,365 females age 16-49: 57,060 (2008 est.) |
| Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 46,461 females age 16-49: 47,325 (2009 est.) |
| Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually: | male: 1,920 female: 1,827 (2009 est.) |
| Military - note: | defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands |
| Disputes - international: | none |
| Illicit drugs: | transshipment point for South American drugs bound for the US and Europe; money-laundering center |
| Wikipedia: Netherlands Antilles |
| Netherlands Antilles | ||||||
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| Motto: Latin: Libertate unanimus ("Unified by freedom") |
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| Anthem: Anthem without a title |
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| Capital (and largest city) |
Willemstad 12°7′N 68°56′W / 12.117°N 68.933°W |
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| Official languages | Dutch, English, Papiamentu[2] | |||||
| Government | ||||||
| - | Monarch | Queen Beatrix | ||||
| - | Governor | Frits Goedgedrag | ||||
| - | Prime Minister | Emily de Jongh-Elhage | ||||
| constitutional monarchy | part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands | |||||
| Area | ||||||
| - | Total | 800 km2 (184th) 309 sq mi |
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| - | Water (%) | Negligible | ||||
| Population | ||||||
| - | 2009 estimate | 197,041[3] (185th) | ||||
| - | 2001 census | 175,653 | ||||
| - | Density | 246/km2 (51st) 593/sq mi |
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| GDP (PPP) | 2003 estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $ 2.45 billion (180th) | ||||
| - | Per capita | $ 11,400 (2003 est.) (79th) | ||||
| HDI (2003) | n/a (unranked) (n/a) | |||||
| Currency | Netherlands Antillean guilder (ANG) |
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| Time zone | (UTC-4) | |||||
| Internet TLD | .an | |||||
| Calling code | +599 | |||||
| Spanish, though not among the official languages, is a widely spoken language on the islands. | ||||||
The Netherlands Antilles (Dutch: 
Nederlandse Antillen (help·info)), previously known as the Netherlands West Indies or Dutch Antilles/West Indies, is part of the Lesser Antilles and consists of two groups of islands in the Caribbean Sea: Curaçao and Bonaire, just off the Venezuelan coast; and Sint Eustatius, Saba and Sint Maarten, located southeast of the Virgin Islands. The islands form an autonomous part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The islands' economy depends mostly upon tourism, international financial services, international commerce, shipping and petroleum.
The Netherlands Antilles is scheduled to be dissolved as a unified political entity on October 10, 2010, so that the five constituent islands will attain new constitutional statuses within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.[4]
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Both the leeward (Alonso de Ojeda, 1499) and windward (Christopher Columbus, 1493) island groups were discovered by Spain, but only the leeward islands were settled by them. In the 17th century, the islands were conquered by the Dutch West India Company and were used as military outposts and trade bases. In the late 18th century St. Eustatius became the most prosperous island of the Northeastern Caribbean, earning the nickname "The Golden Rock." Both Curaçao and Sint Eustatius became prominent in the slave trade. Slavery was abolished in 1863.
In 1954, the status of the islands was up-graded from a colonial territory to a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands as a separate country within the kingdom. The island of Aruba was part of the Netherlands Antilles until 1986, when it was granted status aparte, becoming yet another part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands as a separate country within the kingdom.
Between June 2000 and April 2005, each island of the Netherlands Antilles had a referendum on its future status. The four options that could be voted on were:
Of the five islands, Sint Maarten and Curaçao voted for status aparte, Saba and Bonaire voted for closer ties to the Netherlands, and Sint Eustatius voted to stay within the Netherlands Antilles.
On November 26, 2005 a Round Table Conference (RTC) was held between the governments of the Netherlands, Aruba, the Netherlands Antilles, and each island in the Netherlands Antilles. The final statement to emerge from the RTC stated that autonomy for Curaçao and Sint Maarten, plus a new status for Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius would come into effect by July 1, 2007.[5] On October 12, 2006, the Netherlands reached an agreement with Saba, Bonaire, and Sint Eustatius; this agreement would make these islands special municipalities.[6]
On November 3, 2006, Curaçao and Sint Maarten were granted autonomy in an agreement,[7] but this agreement was rejected by the then island council of Curaçao on November 28.[8] The Curaçao government was not sufficiently convinced that the agreement would provide enough autonomy for Curaçao.[9] On July 9, 2007 the new island council of Curaçao approved the agreement previously rejected in November 2006.[10]
The head of state is the ruling monarch of the Netherlands, who is represented in the Netherlands Antilles by a governor. A council of ministers, chaired by a prime minister, forms the local government. Together with the governor, who holds responsibility for external affairs and defense, it forms the executive branch of the government.
The legislative branch is two-layered. Delegates of the islands are represented in the government of the Netherlands Antilles, but each island has its own government that takes care of the daily affairs on the island.
The Netherlands Antilles are not part of the European Union. Since 2006 the Islands have given rise to diplomatic disputes between Venezuela and the Netherlands. Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez claims that the Netherlands might allow the United States to install military bases that would be necessary for what he views as a planned U.S. invasion of Venezuela.[11] Curaçao is under consideration as a Cooperative Security Location, not a full Main Operating Base.
The Netherlands Antilles is to be disbanded on October 10, 2010.[4] The idea of the Netherlands Antilles as a state never enjoyed the full support of all of the islands, and political relations between islands were often strained. Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986, and formed its own state within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The desire for secession has also been strong in Sint Maarten.
In 2004, a commission of the governments of the Netherlands Antilles and the Netherlands reported on a future status for the Netherlands Antilles. The commission advised a revision of the Statute of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in order to dissolve the Netherlands Antilles.
Two new associated states within the Kingdom of the Netherlands would be formed, Curaçao and Sint Maarten. Meanwhile, Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius would become a direct part of the Netherlands as special municipalities (bijzondere gemeente), a form of "public body" (openbaar lichaam) as outlined in article 134 of the Dutch Constitution. These municipalities will resemble ordinary Dutch municipalities in most ways (they will have a mayor, aldermen and a municipal council, for example) and will have to introduce most Dutch law. Residents of these three islands will also be able to vote in Dutch national and European elections.
There are, however, some derogations for these islands. Social security, for example, will not be on the same level as it is in the Netherlands, and it is not certain whether the islands will be obliged to introduce the euro[12]; they may retain the Antillean guilder pending further negotiations. All five of the island territories may also continue to access the Common Court of Justice of Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles (with the Joint Court probably receiving a new name). The three islands will also have to involve the Dutch Minister of Foreign Relations before they can make agreements with countries in the region.
Originally the term used for Bonaire, Saba, and St. Eustatius to describe their expected association with the Netherlands was "Kingdom Islands" (Koninkrijkseilanden). The Dutch province of North Holland has offered the three new municipalities the opportunity to become part of the province.
Additionally, the Kingdom government would consist of the government of the Netherlands and one mandated minister per Caribbean country. The special municipalities would be represented in the Kingdom Government by the Netherlands, as they can vote for the Dutch parliament.
The Netherlands has proposed that the Treaty of Lisbon allow the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba to opt for the status of Outermost Region (OMR) also called Ultra Peripheral Region (UPR), if they wish.[13]
The Netherland Antilles have no major administrative divisions, although each island has its own local government.
The two island groups of which the Netherlands Antilles consists are:
The windward islands are all of volcanic origin and hilly, leaving little ground suitable for agriculture. The leeward islands have a mixed volcanic and coral origin. The highest point is Mount Scenery, 877 metres (2,828 ft), on Saba (also the highest point in all the Kingdom of the Netherlands).
The Netherlands Antilles have a tropical climate, with warm weather all year round. The windward Islands are subject to hurricanes in the summer months.
Tourism, petroleum transshipment and oil refinement (on Curaçao), as well as offshore finance are the mainstays of this small economy, which is closely tied to the outside world. The islands enjoy a high per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure as compared with other countries in the region.
Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, with Venezuela, the United States, and Mexico being the major suppliers, as well as the Dutch government which supports the islands with substantial development aid. Poor soils and inadequate water supplies hamper the development of agriculture. The Antillean guilder has a fixed exchange rate with the United States dollar of 1.79:1.
A large part of the Netherlands Antilleans descends from European colonists and African slaves that were brought and traded here from the 17th to 19th century. The rest of the population originates from other Caribbean islands, Latin America, East Asia and elsewhere in the world. In Curaçao there is a strong Jewish element going back to the 17th century.
Papiamentu is predominant on Curaçao and Bonaire (as well as the neighboring island of Aruba). This creole descends from Portuguese and West African languages with a strong admixture of Dutch, plus subsequent lexical contributions from Spanish and English. English is the mother tongue of the inhabitants of Sint Eustatius, Saba and Sint Maarten.
After a decades-long debate, English and Papiamentu have been made official languages alongside Dutch in early March 2007.[2] Legislation is produced in Dutch but parliamentary debate is in Papiamentu or English, depending on the island. Due to a massive influx of immigrants from Spanish speaking territories such as the Dominican Republic in the Windward Islands and increased tourism from Venezuela in the Leeward Islands, Spanish is also becoming increasingly known.
The majority of the population are followers of the Christian faith, mostly Roman Catholic. Curaçao also hosts a sizeable group of followers of the Jewish faith, descendants of a Portuguese group of Sephardic Jews that arrived from Amsterdam and Brazil from 1654.
Most Netherlands Antilleans are Dutch citizens and this status permits and encourages the young and university-educated to emigrate to the Netherlands. This exodus is considered to be to the islands' detriment as it creates a brain drain. On the other hand, immigrants from the Dominican Republic, Haiti, the Anglophone Caribbean and Colombia have increased their presence in recent years.
The origins of the population and location of the islands give the Netherlands Antilles a mixed culture.
Tourism and overwhelming media presence from the United States have increased the regional United States influence. On all the islands, the holiday of Carnival has become an important event after its importation from other Caribbean and Latin American countries in the 1960s. Festivities include "jump-up" parades with beautifully colored costumes, floats, and live bands as well as beauty contests and other competitions. Carnival on the islands also includes a middle-of-the-night j'ouvert (juvé) parade that ends at sunrise with the burning of a straw King Momo, cleansing the island of sins and bad luck.
Unlike the metropolitan Netherlands, same-sex marriages cannot be performed here, but those performed in other jurisdictions are recognized.
Article 311 shall be repealed. A new Article 311a shall be inserted, with the wording of Article 299(2), first subparagraph, and Article 299(3) to (6); the text shall be amended as follows:
[...]
(e) the following new paragraph shall be added at the end of the Article:
"6. The European Council may, on the initiative of the Member State concerned, adopt a decision amending the status, with regard to the Union, of a Danish, French or Netherlands country or territory referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2. The European Council shall act unanimously after consulting the Commission."—Treaty of Lisbon Article 2, point 293
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| Translations: Netherlands Antilles |
Dansk (Danish)
n. - Hollandske antiller
Français (French)
n. - Antilles néerlandaises
Deutsch (German)
n. - Niederländische Antillen
Português (Portuguese)
n. - Antilhas Holandesas
Español (Spanish)
n. - Antillas Holandesas
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
荷属安的列斯群岛
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 荷屬安替列斯群島
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - האנטילים ההולנדים
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 | .an (abbreviation) |
| Bonaire (island of the Netherlands Antilles) |
| Saba |
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Copyrights:
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/. Read more |
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| Geography. The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Edited by E.D. Hirsch, Jr., Joseph F. Kett, and James Trefil. Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Dialing Code. © 1999-2009 by Answers Corporation. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Local Time. Copyright © 2009 - Chaos Software. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Statistics. The World Factbook 2009 is prepared by the Central Intelligence Agency. Read more |
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| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Netherlands Antilles". Read more |
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| Translations. Copyright © 2007, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved. Read more |
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