(associate), Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, 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 Barbara J. STEPHENSON
consulate(s) general: J. B. Gorsiraweg #1, Curacao
mailing address: P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao
telephone: (9) 4613066
FAX: (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

@Netherlands Antilles:Economy

Economy - overview: Tourism, petroleum transshipment, and 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 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 (1998 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: -0.3% (1998 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $11,800 (1998 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): 1.1% (1998)

Labor force: 89,000

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

Unemployment rate: 14.9% (1998 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - production: 1.02 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1998)

Electricity - consumption: 949 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1998)

Agricultu