Coastline:
364 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
Climate:
tropical marine climate, ameliorated by northeast trade winds, results in mild temperatures; semi-arid with average rainfall of 600 mm/year
Terrain:
generally low, hilly terrain
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mt. Christoffel, 372m
Natural resources:
calcium phosphates, aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit
Land use:
arable land: 10%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 90%
Irrigated land:
NA
Total renewable water resources:
NA
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
NA
Natural hazards:
Curacao is south of the Caribbean hurricane belt and is rarely threatened
Environment - current issues:
NA
Geography - note:
Curacao is a part of the Windward Islands (southern) group
People ::Curacao
Population:
142,180 (est. January 2010) country comparison to the world: 187
Age structure:
0–14 years: 21.1% (males 15,337/females 14,589)
15–64 years: 66.7% (males 42,896/females 51,998)
65 years and over: 12.2% (males 6,972/females 10,388) (2010)
Population growth rate:
NA
Birth rate:
NA
Death rate:
8 deaths/1,000 population (2009) country comparison to the world: 106
Net migration rate:
1.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008) country comparison to the world: 50
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.15 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 0.82 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
total population: 0.85 male(s)/female (2010)
Life expectancy at birth:
total: NA
males: 72.4 years
females: 80.1 years (2009)
Total fertility rate:
2.1 children born/woman (2009) country comparison to the world: 120
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Religions:
Roman Catholic 80.1%, Protestant 5.5%, none 4.6%, Pentecostal 3.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.7%, Jewish 0.8%, other 1.3%, not reported 0.3% (2001 census)
Languages:
Papiamento 81.2% (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect), Dutch 8% (official), Spanish 4%, English 2.9%, other 3.9% (2001 census)
Government ::Curacao
Country name:
Dutch long form: Land Curacao
Dutch short form: Curacao
Papiamentu long form: Pais Korsou
Papiamentu short form: Korsou
former: Netherlands Antilles; Curacao and Dependencies
Dependency status:
constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 2010; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs
Government type:
parliamentary
Capital:
name: Willemstad
geographic coordinates: 12 06 N, 68 55 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
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:
Staatsregeling, 10 October 2010; revised Kingdom Charter pending
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 10 October 2010)
head of government: Prime Minister Gerrit SCHOTTE (since 10 October 2010)
cabinet: Executive Council (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually elected prime minister by the parliament
Legislative branch:
unicameral parliament or Staten (21 seats; members elected by popular vote for four year terms)
elections: last held 27 August 2010 (next to be held in 2014)
election results: percent of vote by party - PAR 30%, MFK 21%, PS 19%, MAN 9%, FOL 7%, PNP 6%; seats by party - PAR 8, MFK 5, PS 4, MAN 2, FOL 1, PNP 1
Judicial branch:
Common Court of Justice, Joint High Court of Justice (judges appointed by the monarch)
Political parties and leaders:
Frente Obrero Liberashon (Workers' Liberation Front) or FOL [Anthony
GODETT]; Movimentu Antiyas Nobo (New Antilles Movement)