The 2010 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

      Coastline:

      364 km

      Maritime claims:

      territorial sea: 12 nm

      exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm

      Climate:

      tropical marine climate, ameliorated by northeast trade winds, results in mild temperatures; semi-arid with average rainfall of 600 mm/year

      Terrain:

      generally low, hilly terrain

      Elevation extremes:

      lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

      highest point: Mt. Christoffel, 372m

      Natural resources:

      calcium phosphates, aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit

      Land use:

      arable land: 10%

      permanent crops: 0%

      other: 90%

      Irrigated land:

      NA

      Total renewable water resources:

      NA

      Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

      NA

      Natural hazards:

      Curacao is south of the Caribbean hurricane belt and is rarely threatened

      Environment - current issues:

      NA

      Geography - note:

      Curacao is a part of the Windward Islands (southern) group

      People ::Curacao

      Population:

      142,180 (est. January 2010) country comparison to the world: 187

      Age structure:

      0–14 years: 21.1% (males 15,337/females 14,589)

      15–64 years: 66.7% (males 42,896/females 51,998)

      65 years and over: 12.2% (males 6,972/females 10,388) (2010)

      Population growth rate:

      NA

      Birth rate:

      NA

      Death rate:

      8 deaths/1,000 population (2009) country comparison to the world: 106

      Net migration rate:

      1.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008) country comparison to the world: 50

      Sex ratio:

      at birth: 1.15 male(s)/female

      under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

      15–64 years: 0.82 male(s)/female

      65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female

      total population: 0.85 male(s)/female (2010)

      Life expectancy at birth:

      total: NA

      males: 72.4 years

      females: 80.1 years (2009)

      Total fertility rate:

      2.1 children born/woman (2009) country comparison to the world: 120

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

      NA

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

      NA

      HIV/AIDS - deaths:

      NA

      Religions:

      Roman Catholic 80.1%, Protestant 5.5%, none 4.6%, Pentecostal 3.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.7%, Jewish 0.8%, other 1.3%, not reported 0.3% (2001 census)

      Languages:

      Papiamento 81.2% (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect), Dutch 8% (official), Spanish 4%, English 2.9%, other 3.9% (2001 census)

      Government ::Curacao

      Country name:

      Dutch long form: Land Curacao

      Dutch short form: Curacao

      Papiamentu long form: Pais Korsou

      Papiamentu short form: Korsou

      former: Netherlands Antilles; Curacao and Dependencies

      Dependency status:

      constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 2010; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs

      Government type:

      parliamentary

      Capital:

      name: Willemstad

      geographic coordinates: 12 06 N, 68 55 W

      time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

      Administrative divisions:

      none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

      Independence:

      none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

      National holiday:

      Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA and accession to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX), 30 April (1909 and 1980)

      Constitution:

      Staatsregeling, 10 October 2010; revised Kingdom Charter pending

      Legal system:

      based on Dutch civil law system with some English common law influence

      Suffrage:

      18 years of age; universal

      Executive branch:

      chief of state: Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980); represented by Governor General Frits GOEDGEDRAG (since 10 October 2010)

      head of government: Prime Minister Gerrit SCHOTTE (since 10 October 2010)

      cabinet: Executive Council (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually elected prime minister by the parliament

      Legislative branch:

      unicameral parliament or Staten (21 seats; members elected by popular vote for four year terms)

      elections: last held 27 August 2010 (next to be held in 2014)

      election results: percent of vote by party - PAR 30%, MFK 21%, PS 19%, MAN 9%, FOL 7%, PNP 6%; seats by party - PAR 8, MFK 5, PS 4, MAN 2, FOL 1, PNP 1

      Judicial branch:

      Common Court of Justice, Joint High Court of Justice (judges appointed by the monarch)

      Political parties and leaders:

      Frente Obrero Liberashon (Workers' Liberation Front) or FOL [Anthony

       GODETT]; Movimentu Antiyas Nobo (New Antilles Movement)