Curacao
The original Arawak Indian settlers who arrived on the island from South America in about 1000, were largely enslaved by the Spanish early in the 16th century and forcibly relocated to other colonies where labor was needed. Curacao was seized by the Dutch from the Spanish in 1634. Once the center of the Caribbean slave trade, Curacao was hard hit economically 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 the Isla Refineria to service the newly discovered Venezuelan oil fields. In 1954, Curacao and several other Dutch Caribbean possessions were reorganized as the Netherlands Antilles, part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In referenda in 2005 and 2009, the citizens of Curacao voted to become a self-governing country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The change in status became effective in October 2010 with the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles.

geography

location

Central America and the Caribbean
12.10° N, 69. 0° W
Caribbean, an island in the Caribbean Sea, 55 km off the coast of Venezuela

area

444 sq km
land
444 sq km
water
0 sq km

land boundaries

0 undefined

coastline

364 km

climate

tropical marine climate, ameliorated by northeast trade winds, results in mild temperatures; semiarid with average rainfall of 60 cm/year

terrain

generally low, hilly terrain

elevation

lowest point
Caribbean Sea
0
highest point
Mt. Christoffel
372

natural resources

  • calcium phosphates
  • aloes
  • sorghum
  • peanuts
  • vegetables
  • tropical fruit

land use

arable land
10 %
permanent crops
0 %
permanent pasture
0 %
forest
0 %
other
90 %

population distribution

largest concentration on the island is Willemstad; smaller settlements near the coast can be found throughout the island, particularly in the northwest

people

population

  • 151,345
  • 188
    global rank

nationality

  • Curacaoan
    noun
  • Curacaoan; Dutch
    adjective

ethnic groups

Curacaoan
75.4 %
Dutch
6 %
Dominican
3.6 %
Colombian
3 %
Bonairean
%
Sint Eustatian
%
Saban
1.5 %
Haitian
1.2 %
Surinamese
1.2 %
Venezuelan
1.1 %
Aruban
1.1 %
other
5 %
unspecified
0.9 %

languages

  • Papiamento
    official; a creole language that is a mixture of Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, English, and, to a lesser extent, French, as well as elements of African languages and the language of the Arawak
  • Dutch
    official
  • Spanish
  • English
    official
  • other
  • unspecified .3%
    2001 census

religions

Roman Catholic
72.8 %
Pentecostal
6.6 %
Protestant
3.2 %
Adventist
3 %
Jehovah's Witness
2 %
Evangelical
1.9 %
other
3.8 %
none
6 %
unspecified
0.6 %

birth rate

  • 13.4
    per 1,000 population
  • 139
    global rank

death rate

  • 8.7
    per 1,000 population
  • 69
    global rank

urban population

89.1 %

major urban areas

  • Willemstad
    pop. 144,000

life expectancy

  • 79
    total population
  • 62
    global rank
76.6
male
81.4
female

government

country name

    conventional

  • Country of Curacao
    long form
  • Curacao
    short form

    local

  • Land Curacao (Dutch); Pais Korsou (Papiamento)
    long form
  • Curacao (Dutch); Korsou (Papiamento)
    short form

government type

parliamentary democracy

capital

Willemstad
12.6 N, 68.55 W

independence

national holidays

  • King's Day
    27 April

legal system

based on Dutch civil law

age of suffrage

18

flag description

on a blue field a horizontal yellow band somewhat below the center divides the flag into proportions of 5:1:2; two five-pointed white stars - the smaller above and to the left of the larger - appear in the canton; the blue of the upper and lower sections symbolizes the sky and sea respectively; yellow represents the sun; the stars symbolize Curacao and its uninhabited smaller sister island of Klein Curacao; the five star points signify the five continents from which Curacao's people derive

national colors

  • blue
  • yellow
  • white

national anthem

Himmo di Korsou (Anthem of Curacao)

economy

overview

Most of Curacao's GDP results from services. Tourism, petroleum refining and bunkering, offshore finance, and transportation and communications are the mainstays of this small island economy, which is closely tied to the outside world. Curacao has limited natural resources, poor soil, and inadequate water supplies, and budgetary problems complicate reform of the health and education systems. Although GDP grew only slightly during the past decade, Curacao enjoys a high per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure compared to other countries in the region. Curacao has an excellent natural harbor that can accommodate large oil tankers, and the port of Willemstad hosts a free trade zone and a dry dock. Venezuelan state-owned oil company PdVSA, under a contract in effect until 2019, leases the single refinery on the island from the government, directly employing some 1,000 people. Most of the oil for the refinery is imported from Venezuela and most of the refined products are exported to the US and Asia. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, with the US, the Netherlands, and Venezuela being the major suppliers. The government is attempting to diversify its industry and trade. Curacao is an Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) of the European Union. Nationals of Curacao are citizens of the European Union, even though it is not a member. Based on its OCT status, products that originate in Curacao have preferential access to the EU and are exempt from import duties. Curacao is a beneficiary of the Caribbean Basin Initiative and, as a result, products originating in Curacao can be imported tax free into the US if at least 35% has been added to the value of these products in Curacao. The island has state-of-the-art information and communication technology connectivity with the rest of the world, including a Tier IV datacenter. With several direct satellite and submarine optic fiber cables, Curacao has one of the best Internet speeds and reliability in the Western Hemisphere.

GDP

3,128,000,000 USD
2012

agriculture products

  • aloe
  • sorghum
  • peanuts
  • vegetables
  • tropical fruit

communications

telephones

    fixed lines

  • 58,805
    total subscriptions
  • 157
    global rank

    mobile cellular

  • 186,390
    total subscriptions
  • 183
    global rank

broadcast media

government-run TeleCuracao operates a TV station and a radio station; 2 other privately owned TV stations and several privately owned radio stations (2019)

internet

.cw
country code

    users

  • 138,750
    total
  • 93.9
    % of population
  • 173
    global rank

energy

electricity access

100%
2016

transportation

air transport

    airports

  • 1
    total
  • 1
    paved

roadways

550 km
total length

military

This entry doesn't have any available military data.