Netherlands Antilles
Details
The Netherlands Antilles are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the islands within were granted full internal-affairs autonomy in 1954, however, the Netherlands is still responsible for their defense.
It includes the individual islands of Bonaire and Curacao, (just off the coast of South America), as well as Saba, St. Eustatius and Sint Maarten in the northeastern Caribbean.
Note that it no longer includes Aruba, as that island seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986, and became a separate (yet autonomous) member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Map of the Netherlands Antilles
Official Name Netherlands Antilles, an autonomous part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Capital City Willemstad, Curacao
Languages Dutch (official), English, others
Official Currency Netherlands Antillean Guilder
Religions Baptist, Catholic, Protestant, others
Population 216,000
Land Area 960 sq km
Economy (article from Wikipedia)
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- See also: Economy of Saba
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.
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