Country Name: Curacao (Country of Curacao)

Capital: Willemstad

Government Type: parliamentary democracy

Background: The original Arawak Indian settlers who arrived on the island 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. Curacao was seized by the Dutch from the Spanish in 1634. Once the center of the Caribbean slave trade, Curacao was hard hit economically by the Dutch abolition of 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, Curacao 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 Curacao voted to become a self-governing country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The change in status became effective in October 2010 with the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles.

Continent: Caribbean

Population: 152,849 (2023 est.)

Ethnic Groups: 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.)

Languages: 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.)

Religions: 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.)

Economic Overview: high-income island economy; developed infrastructure; tourism and financial services-based economy; investing in information technology incentives; oil refineries service Venezuela and China; unique COVID-19 stimulus support applied to government debts rather than household support

Currency: Netherlands Antillean Guilder (ANG)

Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $3.467 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2017 dollars

Real GDP Growth Rate: 7.89% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per Capita: $23,100 (2022 est.) note: data in 2017 dollars

Exports: 

• $2.049 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

• Comparison Ranking: 161

Export Commodities: refined petroleum, crude petroleum, petroleum coke, frozen fish, fishing ships (2021)

Export Partners: Switzerland 27%, United States 17%, Spain 14%, Ecuador 7%, India 7%, Antigua and Barbuda 5% (2019)

Imports: 

• $2.904 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

• Comparison Ranking: 161

Import Commodities: refined petroleum, cars, crude petroleum, packaged medicines, perfumes (2019)

Import Partners: United States 35%, Netherlands 24%, China 5% (2019)

Natural Resources: calcium phosphates, protected harbors, hot springs

Agricultural Products: aloe, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit

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

Industrial Production Growth Rate: 

• 4.3% (2014 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

• Comparison Ranking: 73

Labor Force: 73,010 (2013)

Unemployment Rate: 13% (2013 est.)

Natural Hazards: Curacao is south of the Caribbean hurricane belt and is rarely threatened

Geography:

• Total: 444 sq km

• Land: 444 sq km

• Water: 0 sq km

(Country Summary, The World Factbook, CIA.gov)

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