Curacao

The original Arawak Indian settlers who arrived on Curaçao from South America in about A.D. 1000 were largely enslaved by the Spanish early in the 16th century and forcibly relocated to other colonies where labor was needed. The Dutch seized Curaçao from the Spanish in 1634. Once the center of the Caribbean slave trade, Curaçao was hard hit economically when the Dutch abolished slavery in 1863. Its prosperity (and that of neighboring Aruba) was restored in the early 20th century with the construction of the Isla Refineria to service the newly discovered Venezuelan oilfields. In 1954, Curaçao and several other Dutch Caribbean colonies were reorganized as the Netherlands Antilles, part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In referenda in 2005 and 2009, the citizens of Curaçao voted to become a self-governing country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The change in status became effective in 2010 with the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles.

Caribbean, an island in the Caribbean Sea, 55 km off the coast of Venezuela

12 10 N, 69 00 W

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

more than twice the size of Washington, D.C.

waste management, including pollution of marine areas from domestic sewage, inadequate sewage treatment facilities, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff, mismanagement of toxic substances, and ineffective regulations; damage from neglect and a lack of controls at major refinery

tropical marine climate, ameliorated by northeast trade winds, results in mild temperatures; semiarid with average rainfall of 60 cm/year

364 km

Total: 0 km

Agricultural land: 0% (2022 est.)

Arable land: 10% (2018)

Forest: 0.2% (2022 est.)

Other: 99.8% (2022 est.)

Territorial sea: 12 nm

Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

calcium phosphates, protected harbors, hot springs

Curaçao is a part of the Windward Islands (southern) group in the Lesser Antilles

generally low, hilly terrain

Central America and the Caribbean

NA

largest concentration on the island is Willemstad; smaller settlements near the coast can be found throughout the island, particularly in the northwest

Highest point: Mt. Christoffel 372 m

Lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

Total : 444 sq km

Land: 444 sq km

Water: 0 sq km

0-14 years: 19.2% (male 15,069/female 14,337)

15-64 years: 62.3% (male 47,258/female 48,217)

65 years and over: 18.5% (2024 est.) (male 11,428/female 16,980)

At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

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

Total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Curacaoan 75.4%, Dutch 6%, Dominican 3.6%, Colombian 3%, Bonairean, Sint Eustatian, Saban 1.5%, Haitian 1.2%, Surinamese 1.2%, Venezuelan 1.1%, Aruban 1.1%, other 5%, unspecified 0.9% (2011 est.)

Papiamento (official) (a creole language that is a mixture of Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, English, and, to a lesser extent, French, as well as elements of African languages and the language of the Arawak) 80%, Dutch (official) 8.8%, Spanish 5.6%, English (official) 3.1%, other 2.3%, unspecified 0.3% (2011 est.)

Note: Data represent most spoken language in household

Noun: Curacaoan

Adjective: Curacaoan; Dutch

Roman Catholic 72.8%, Pentecostal 6.6%, Protestant 3.2%, Adventist 3%, Jehovah's Witness 2%, Evangelical 1.9%, other 3.8%, none 6%, unspecified 0.6% (2011 est.)

Urban population: 89% of total population (2023)

Rate of urbanization: 0.57% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

144,000 WILLEMSTAD (capital) (2018)

Total dependency ratio: 60.6 (2024 est.)

Youth dependency ratio: 30.8 (2024 est.)

Elderly dependency ratio: 29.8 (2024 est.)

Potential support ratio: 3.4 (2024 est.)

0.96 (2024 est.)

-1.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Total: 37.8 years (2024 est.)

Male: 35.5 years

Female: 40.2 years

1.96 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Total: 153,289 (2024 est.)

Male: 73,755

Female: 79,534

Total: 7.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Male: 8.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Female: 6.7 deaths/1,000 live births

8.9 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

12.9 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Total population: 79.9 years (2024 est.)

Male: 77.6 years

Female: 82.3 years

7.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

0.28% (2024 est.)

Municipal solid waste generated annually: 24,700 tons (2024 est.)

Legislature name: Parliament of Curacao

Legislative structure: Unicameral

Number of seats: 21 (directly elected)

Electoral system: Proportional representation

Scope of elections: Full renewal

Term in office: 4 years

Most recent election date: 3/19/2021

Parties elected and seats per party: MFK (9); PAR (4); PNP (4); MAN (2); KEM (1); TPK (1)

Percentage of women in chamber: 28.6%

Expected date of next election: 2025

Description: On a blue field, a horizontal yellow band divides the flag below the center; two five-pointed white stars -- the smaller above and to the left of the larger -- appear in the upper left

Meaning: The blue stands for the sky and sea, and yellow for the sun; the stars symbolize Curacao and its uninhabited sister island of Klein Curacao (Little Curacao); the star points represent the five continents from which Curacao's inhabitants originate

Chief of mission: Consul General Ramón “Chico” NEGRÓN (since 9 June 2025); note - also accredited to Aruba and Sint Maarten

Embassy: P.O. Box 158, J.B. Gorsiraweg 1

Mailing address: 3160 Curacao Place, Washington DC  20521-3160

Telephone: [599] (9) 461-3066

FAX: [599] (9) 461-6489

Email address and website:
ACSCuracao@state.gov

https://cw.usconsulate.gov/

Name: Willemstad

Geographic coordinates: 12 06 N, 68 55 W

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

Etymology: The name means "William's Town" in Dutch; named after Prince WILLEM of Orange (1533-84), the first stadtholder of the United Provinces of the Netherlands 

History: Previous 1947, 1955; latest adopted 5 September 2010, entered into force 10 October 2010 (regulates governance of Curacao but is subordinate to the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

Chief of state: King WILLEM-ALEXANDER of the Netherlands (since 30 April 2013); represented by Governor Lucille A. GEORGE-WOUT (since 4 November 2013)

Head of government: Prime Minister Gilmar PISAS (since 14 June 2021)

Cabinet: Cabinet sworn-in by the governor

Election/appointment process: The monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the legislature usually elects the leader of the majority party as prime minister

Most recent election date: 21 March 2025

Expected date of next election: 2029

none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

Highest court(s): Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten, and of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba or "Joint Court of Justice" (sits as a 3-judge panel); final appeals heard by the Supreme Court in The Hague, Netherlands

Judge selection and term of office: Joint Court judges appointed by the monarch for life

Subordinate courts: First instance courts, appeals court; specialized courts

based on Dutch civil law

ACS (associate), Caricom (observer), FATF, ILO, ITU, UNESCO (associate), UPU

King's Day (birthday of King WILLEM-ALEXANDER), 27 April (1967)

Note: King's or Queen's Day are observed on the ruling monarch's birthday; celebrated on 26 April if 27 April is a Sunday

Korsou di Nos Tur or KdnT
Korsou Esun Miho or KEM
Movementu Futuro Korsou or MFK
Movementu Progresivo or MP
Movishon Antia Nobo or MAN
Partido Antia Restruktura or PAR
Partido Inovashon Nashonal or PIN
Partido Nashonal di Pueblo or PNP
Pueblo Soberano or PS
Trabou pa Kòrsou or TPK
Un Korsou Hustu

18 years of age; universal

parliamentary democracy

Conventional long form: Country of Curacao

Conventional short form: Curacao

Local long form: Land Curacao (Dutch)/ Pais Korsou (Papiamento)

Local short form: Curacao (Dutch)/ Korsou (Papiamento)

Former: Netherlands Antilles; Curacao and Dependencies

Etymology: The origin of the name is disputed; many historians now agree that the name derives from a similar-sounding word the original inhabitants used to describe themselves

none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

Title: "Himmo di Korsou" (Anthem of Curacao)

Lyrics/music: Guillermo ROSARIO, Mae HENRIQUEZ, Enrique MULLER, Betty DORAN/Frater Candidus NOWENS, Errol "El Toro" COLINA

History: Adapted 1978; the lyrics, originally written in 1899, were rewritten in 1978 to remove colonial references

laraha (citrus tree)

see the Netherlands

Total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural); note - excerpted from the Netherlands entry

Selected World Heritage Site locales: Historic Willemstad

blue, yellow, white

Netherlands Antillean guilders (ANG) per US dollar -

Exchange rates:
1.79 (2024 est.)
1.79 (2023 est.)
1.79 (2022 est.)
1.79 (2021 est.)
1.79 (2020 est.)

USA 39%, Netherlands 24%, China 6%, Colombia 5%, Brazil 3% (2023)

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

high-income island economy; developed infrastructure; tourism and financial services-based economy; investing in information technology incentives; oil refineries service Venezuela and China

$3.281 billion (2023 est.)

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Household consumption: 73.2% (2018 est.)

Government consumption: 14.5% (2018 est.)

Investment in fixed capital: 34% (2018 est.)

Investment in inventories: 7.1% (2018 est.)

Exports of goods and services: 63.2% (2018 est.)

Imports of goods and services: -92% (2018 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

aloe, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit

tourism, petroleum refining, petroleum transshipment, light manufacturing, financial and business services

diamonds, refined petroleum, crude petroleum, gold, petroleum coke (2023)

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

refined petroleum, cars, garments, plastic products, packaged medicine (2023)

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Armenia 57%, USA 15%, Guyana 5%, Dominican Republic 4%, Netherlands 2% (2023)

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

5.4% of GDP (2023 est.)
5.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
5.2% of GDP (2021 est.)

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

$4.312 billion (2023 est.)
$4.138 billion (2022 est.)
$3.834 billion (2021 est.)

note: data in 2021 dollars

2.6% (2019 est.)
2.6% (2018 est.)
1.6% (2017 est.)

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

-$654.688 million (2023 est.)
-$822.667 million (2022 est.)
-$508.758 million (2021 est.)

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

$27,700 (2023 est.)
$27,600 (2022 est.)
$25,200 (2021 est.)

note: data in 2021 dollars

$2.764 billion (2023 est.)
$2.891 billion (2022 est.)
$1.91 billion (2021 est.)

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

$2.107 billion (2023 est.)
$2.046 billion (2022 est.)
$1.363 billion (2021 est.)

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

4.2% (2023 est.)
7.9% (2022 est.)
4.2% (2021 est.)

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Agriculture: 0.3% (2023 est.)

Industry: 11.7% (2023 est.)

Services: 73.3% (2023 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

Percent of population: 68% (2017 est.)

.cw

government-run TeleCuracao operates a TV station and a radio station; 2 other privately owned TV stations and several privately owned radio stations (2019)

Total subscriptions: 172,000 (2022 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 88 (2021 est.)

Total: 61,000 (2022 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 33 (2022 est.)

Total subscriptions: 51,000 (2022 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 27 (2022 est.)

PJ

1 (2025)

Total: 57 (2023)

By type: General cargo 5, oil tanker 1, other 51

Curaçao Militia (CURMIL); Curaçao Volunteer Corps; Curacao Police Force (Korps Politie Curacao) (2025)

defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; the Dutch Government controls foreign and defense policy; local security forces are supported by the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (Gendarmerie), the Dutch Caribbean Police Force (Korps Politie Caribisch Nederland, KPCN), and the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard (DCCG or Kustwacht Caribisch Gebied (KWCARIB)); there are two Dutch naval bases on Curaçao, and the Dutch Army maintains a small unit on a rotational basis (2025)

one of four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 2010; Dutch government responsible for defense and foreign affairs

Note:  The other three constituent countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands are the Netherlands, Aruba, and Sint Maarten

Total ports: 4 (2024)

Large: 0

Medium: 2

Small: 1

Very small: 1

Ports with oil terminals: 3

Key ports: Bullenbaai, Caracasbaai, Sint Michelsbaai, Willemstad