2 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.6% (FY97 est.)

Transnational Issues Suriname

Disputes - international: area disputed by French Guiana between Riviere
Litani and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa); area disputed
by Guyana between New (Upper Courantyne) and Courantyne/Koetari [Kutari]
rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne); territorial sea boundary with
Guyana is in dispute

Illicit drugs: growing transshipment point for South American drugs
destined for Europe and Brazil; transshipment point for arms-for-drugs
dealing

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002

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Netherlands Antilles

Introduction

Netherlands Antilles

Background: Once the center of the Caribbean slave trade, the island of
Curacao was hard hit 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 oil refineries to service the newly discovered
Venezuelan oil fields. The island of Saint Martin is shared with France;
its northern portion is named Saint-Martin and is part of Guadeloupe,
and its southern portion is named Sint Maarten and is part of the
Netherlands Antilles.

Geography Netherlands Antilles

Location: Caribbean, two island groups in the Caribbean Sea - one
includes Curacao and Bonaire north of Venezuela; 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: 960 sq km note: includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint
Eustatius, and Sint Maarten (Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin)
water: Area - comparative: more than five times the size of Washington,
DC

Land boundaries: total: 10.2 km border countries: Guadeloupe (Saint
Martin) 10.2 km

Coastline: 364 km

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

Climate: tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds

Terrain: generally hilly, volcanic interiors

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point:
Mount Scenery 862 m

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

Land use: arable land: 10% permanent crops: 0% other: 90% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: Curacao and Bonaire are south of Caribbean hurricane
belt