Population: 219,958 (July 2005 est.)

Capital: Willemstad; note - located on Curacao, the largest of the islands

Languages: Papiamento 65.4% (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect), English 15.9% (widely spoken), Dutch 7.3% (official), Spanish 6.1%, Creole 1.6%, other 1.9%, unspecified 1.8% (2001 census)

Religions: Roman Catholic 72%, Pentecostal 4.9%, Protestant 3.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.1%, Methodist 2.9%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.7%, other Christian 4.2%, Jewish 1.3%, other or unspecified 1.2%, none 5.2% (2001 census)

Government: parliamentary

Climate: tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds

Terrain: generally hilly, volcanic interiors

Geography: the five islands of the Netherlands Antilles are divided geographically into the Leeward Islands (northern) group (Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten) and the Windward Islands (southern) group (Bonaire and Curacao)

Ethnic groups: mixed black 85%, Carib Amerindian, white, East Asian

Economy: 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 or grown slightly in each of the past eight 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. Budgetary problems hamper reform of the health and pension systems of an aging population.

GDP per capita: purchasing power parity - $11,400 (2003 est.)

GDP real growth: 0.5% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate: 15.6% (2002 est.)

Internet country code: .an

Dial code: +599