ice and Marine Corps), Royal Netherlands Air Force,
Royal Constabulary

Manpower availability:
males age 15-49: 4,191,998
males fit for military service: 3,670,253
males reach military age (20) annually: 94,013 (1996 est.)

Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $8.2 billion,
2.1% of GDP (1995)

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@Netherlands Antilles
--------------------

(part of the Dutch realm)

Map
---

Location: 12 15 N, 68 45 W -- Caribbean, two island groups in the
Caribbean Sea - one includes Curacao and Bonaire north of Venezuela
and the other is east of the Virgin Islands

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

Geography
---------

Location: Caribbean, two island groups in the Caribbean Sea - one
includes Curacao and Bonaire north of Venezuela and the other is
east of the Virgin Islands

Geographic coordinates: 12 15 N, 68 45 W

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total area: 960 sq km
land area: 960 sq km
comparative area: more than five times the size of Washington, DC
note: includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint
Maarten (Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin)

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 364 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: none

Climate: tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds

Terrain: generally hilly, volcanic interiors
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Scenery 862 m

Natural resources: phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only)

Land use:
arable land: 8%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 0%
forest and woodland: 0%
other: 92%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Environment:
current issues: NA
natural hazards: Curacao and Bonaire are south of Caribbean
hurricane belt, so are rarely threatened; Sint Maarten, Saba, and
Sint Eustatius are subject to hurricanes from July to October
international agreements: party to - Whaling (extended from
Netherlands)

People
------

Population: 208,9