ty Party [Carmen
SIMMONDS]; St. Eustatius Alliance or SEA [Kenneth VAN PUTTEN]; Serious
Alternative People's Party or Sapp [Julian ROLLOCKS]; Social Action Cause
or KAS [Benny DEMEI]; Windward Islands People's Movement or WIPM [Will
JOHNSTON]; Workers' Liberation Front or FOL [Anthony GODETT, Rignald LAK,
Editha WRIGHT] note: political parties are indigenous to each island

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: Caricom (observer), CCC,
ECLAC (associate), Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCL, WMO,
WToO (associate)

Diplomatic representation in the US: none (represented by the Kingdom
of the Netherlands)

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Consul General
Deborah A. BOLTON consulate(s)
J. B. Gorsiraweg #1, Willemstad AN, Curacao mailing address: [599]
(9) 4616489

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

Economy Netherlands Antilles

Economy - overview: Tourism, petroleum refining, and offshore finance
are the mainstays of this small economy, which is closely tied to
the outside world. Although GDP has declined in each of the past five
years, the islands enjoy a high per capita income and a well-developed
infrastructure compared with other countries in the region. Almost all
consumer and capital goods are imported, the US and Mexico being the
major suppliers. Poor soils and inadequate water supplies hamper the
development of agriculture.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $2.4 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: -3.5% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $11,400 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1% industry: 15% services: 84%
(1996 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.8% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 89,000

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 1%, industry 13%, services 86%
(1994 est.)

Unemployment rate: 15% (1998 est.)

Budget: revenues: $710.8 million expenditures: $741.6 million, including
capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)

Industries: tou