ed; 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 the economy. The islands enjoy a high per capita income and
a well-developed infrastructure compared with other countries in the
region. Unlike many Latin American countries, the Netherlands Antilles
has avoided large international debt. Almost all consumer and capital
goods are imported, with the US being the major supplier.

_#_GDP: $1.0 billion, per capita $5,500; real growth rate 3% (1988
est.)

_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.9% (1989)

_#_Unemployment rate: 20% (1988)

_#_Budget: revenues $454 million; expenditures $525 million, including
capital expenditures of $42 million (1989 est.)

_#_Exports: $959 million (f.o.b., 1988);

commodities--petroleum products 98%;

partners--US 55%, UK 7%, Jamaica 5%

_#_Imports: $935 million (c.i.f., 1988);

commodities--crude petroleum 64%, food, manufactures;

partners--Venezuela 52%, Nigeria 15%, US 12%

_#_External debt: $701.2 million (December 1987)

_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%

_#_Electricity: 125,000 kW capacity; 365 million kWh produced,
1,990 kWh per capita (1990)

_#_Industries: tourism (Curacao and Sint Maarten), petroleum
refining (Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and
Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curacao)

_#_Agriculture: hampered by poor soils and scarcity of water; chief
products--aloes, sorghum, peanuts, fresh vegetables, tropical fruit; not
self-sufficient in food

_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-88), $428 million

_#_Currency: Netherlands Antillean guilder, gulden, or florin
(plural--guilders, gulden, or florins);
1 Netherlands Antillean guilder, gulden, or florin (NAf.) = 100 cents

_#_Exchange rates: Netherlands Antillean guilders, gulden, or florins
(NAf.) per US$1--1.79 (fixed rate since 1989; 1.80 fixed rate 1971-88)

_#_Fiscal year: calendar year

_*_Communications
_#_Highways: 950 km total; 300 km paved, 650 km gravel and earth

_#_Ports: Willemstad, Philipsburg, Kralendijk

_#_Merchant marine: 54 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 431,958
GRT/441,056 DWT; includes 4 passenger, 19 cargo, 8 refrige