Chapter 82
Illicit drugs: important gateway for cocaine, heroin, and hashish entering Europe; European producer of illicit amphetamines and other synthetic drugs ______________________________________________________________________
NETHERLANDS ANTILLES
(part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
@Netherlands Antilles:Geography
Location: Caribbean, two island groups in the Caribbean Sea - one includes Curacao and Bonaire north of Venezuela and the other is east of the Virgin Islands
Geographic coordinates: 12 15 N, 68 45 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area: total: 960 sq km land: 960 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten (Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin)
Area - comparative: more than five times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: total: 10.2 km border countries: Guadeloupe (Saint Martin) 10.2 km
Coastline: 364 km
Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm territorial sea : 12 nm
Climate: tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds
Terrain: generally hilly, volcanic interiors
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Scenery 862 m
Natural resources: phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only)
Land use: arable land: 10% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other : 90% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: Curacao and Bonaire are south of Caribbean hurricane belt, so are rarely threatened; Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are subject to hurricanes from July to October
Environment - current issues: NA
Environment - international agreements: party to: Whaling (extended from Netherlands) signed, but not ratified: NA
@Netherlands Antilles:People
Population: 211,093 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 24% (male 26,496; female 25,267) 15-64 years : 68% (male 70,087; female 73,300) 65 years and over: 8% (male 6,694; female 9,249) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.99% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 15.61 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 5.33 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.36 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 8.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.18 years male: 74.89 years female: 79.59 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.86 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality: noun: Netherlands Antillean(s) adjective: Netherlands Antillean
Ethnic groups: mixed black 85%, Carib Amerindian, white, East Asian
Religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Seventh-Day Adventist
Languages: Dutch (official), Papiamento, a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect predominates, English widely spoken, Spanish
Literacy: definition : age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98% male: 98% female: 99% (1981 est.)
@Netherlands Antilles:Government
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Netherlands Antilles local long form: none local short form : Nederlandse Antillen
Data code: NT
Dependency status: part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954
Government type: NA
National capital: Willemstad
Administrative divisions: none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) note: each island has its own government
Independence: none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
National holiday: Queen's Day, 30 April (1938)
Constitution: 29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as amended
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 Wilhelmina Armgard of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Jaime SALEH (since NA October 1989) head of government: Prime Minister Miguel POURIER (since 25 February 1994) cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Staten elections: the queen is a constitutional monarch; governor general appointed by the queen for a six-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually elected prime minister by the Staten; election last held 31 March 1994 (next to be held NA 1998) election results: Miguel POURIER elected prime minister; percent of legislative vote - NA
Legislative branch: unicameral States or Staten (23 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 25 February 1994 (next to be held NA March 1998) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PAR 8, PNP 3, SPA 2, PDB 2, UPB 1, MAN 2, DP 1, WIPM 1, DP-St.E 1, DP-St.M 1, Nos Patria 1 note: the government of Prime Minister Miguel POURIER is a coalition of several parties
Judicial branch: Joint High Court of Justice
Political parties and leaders: political parties are indigenous to each island Bonaire: Patriotic Union of Bonaire (UPB), Rudy ELLIS; Democratic Party of Bonaire (PDB), Broertje JANJA Curacao : Antillean Restructuring Party (PAR), Miguel POURIER; National People's Party (PNP), Maria LIBERIA-PETERS; New Antilles Movement (MAN), Domenico Felip Don MARTINA; Workers' Liberation Front (FOL), Wilson (Papa) GODETT; Socialist Independent (SI), George HUECK and Nelson MONTE; Democratic Party of Curacao (DP), Augustin DIAZ; Nos Patria, Chin BEHILIA Saba : Windward Islands People's Movement (WIPM Saba), Ray HASSELL; Saba Democratic Labor Movement, Steve HASSELL; Saba Unity Party, Carmen SIMMONDS Sint Eustatius: Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius (DP-St.E), Julian WOODLEY; Windward Islands People's Movement (WIPM); St. Eustatius Alliance (SEA), Ingrid WHITFIELD Sint Maarten: Democratic Party of Sint Maarten (DP-St.M), Sarah WESTCOTT-WILLIAMS; Patriotic Movement of Sint Maarten (SPA), Vance JAMES; Serious Alternative People's Party (SAPP) Julian ROLLOCKS
International organization participation: Caricom (observer), ECLAC (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 James L. WILLIAMS consulate(s) general: J.B. Gorsiraweg #1, Curacao mailing address: P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao telephone : [599] (9) 461-3066 FAX: [599] (9) 461-6489
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
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 and the US being the major suppliers. Poor soils and inadequate water supplies hamper the development of agriculture.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $2.04 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 0% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $9,800 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1% industry: 15% services: 84% (1996 est.)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 3% (1996)
Labor force: total: 89,000 by occupation: government 65%, industry and commerce 28% (1983)
Unemployment rate: 13.4% (1993 est.)
Budget: revenues: $209 million expenditures : $232 million, including capital expenditures of $8 million (1992 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 - capacity: 307,000 kW (1995)
Electricity - production: 970 million kWh (1994)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 4,580 kWh (1994 est.)
Agriculture - products: aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit
Exports: total value: $1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: petroleum products 98% partners: US 39%, Brazil 9%, Colombia 6%
Imports: total value: $1.8 billion (f.o.b., 1993) commodities : crude petroleum 64%, food, manufactures partners: Venezuela 26%, US 18%, Colombia 6%, Netherlands 6%, Japan 5%
Debt - external: $1.95 billion (December 1995)
Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $NA; the Netherlands Antilles received a $97 million Dutch aid package in 1996, making it the Netherlands' second largest aid recipient behind India
Currency: 1 Netherlands Antillean guilder, gulden, or florin (NAf.) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Netherlands Antillean guilders, gulden, or florins (NAf.) per US$1 - 1.790 (fixed rate since 1989)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Netherlands Antilles:Communications
Telephones: NA
Telephone system: generally adequate facilities domestic: extensive interisland microwave radio relay links international: 2 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 9, FM 4, shortwave 0
Radios: 205,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 1
Televisions: 64,000 (1992 est.)
@Netherlands Antilles:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 600 km paved : 300 km unpaved: 300 km (1992 est.)
Ports and harbors: Kralendijk, Philipsburg, Willemstad
Merchant marine: total: 106 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 971,002 GRT/1,318,064 DWT ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 33, container 4, liquefied gas tanker 4, multifunction large-load carrier 20, oil tanker 7, passenger 1, refrigerated cargo 26, roll-on/roll-off cargo 8 (1996 est.)
Airports: 4 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m : 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: Royal Netherlands Navy, Marine Corps, Royal Netherlands Air Force, National Guard, Police Force
Military manpower - military age: 20 years of age
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 57,691 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males: 32,406 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 1,640 (1997 est.)
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
Illicit drugs: money-laundering center; transshipment point for South American drugs bound for the US and Europe ______________________________________________________________________
NEW CALEDONIA
(overseas territory of France)
@New Caledonia:Geography
Location: Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia
Geographic coordinates: 21 30 S, 165 30 E
Map references: Oceania
Area: total : 19,060 sq km land: 18,575 sq km water: 485 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 2,254 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid
Terrain: coastal plains with interior mountains
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Panie 1,628 m
Natural resources: nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper
Land use: arable land : 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 12% forests and woodland: 39% other: 49% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: typhoons most frequent from November to March
Environment - current issues: NA
Environment - international agreements: party to : NA signed, but not ratified: NA
@New Caledonia:People
Population: 191,003 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years : 30% (male 29,204; female 28,140) 15-64 years: 65% (male 62,344; female 60,864) 65 years and over: 5% (male 4,972; female 5,479) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.68% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 21.43 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 4.86 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years : 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 13.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.68 years male: 71.4 years female: 78.11 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.5 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality: noun: New Caledonian(s) adjective: New Caledonian
Ethnic groups: Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%, Polynesian 3.8%, Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3%
Religions: Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10%
Languages: French, 28 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 91% male: 92% female: 90% (1976 est.)
@New Caledonia:Government
Country name: conventional long form: Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies conventional short form: New Caledonia local long form : Territoire des Nouvelle-Caledonie et Dependances local short form: Nouvelle-Caledonie
Data code: NC
Dependency status: overseas territory of France since 1956
Government type: NA
National capital: Noumea
Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 3 provinces named Iles Loyaute, Nord, and Sud
Independence: none (overseas territory of France; a referendum on independence will be held in 1998)
National holiday: National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system: the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands; formerly under French law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President of France Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented by High Commissioner and President of the Council of Government Dominque BUR (since NA August 1995) head of government: President of the Territorial Congress Pierre FROGIER (since 31 July 1995) cabinet: Consultative Committee elections: high commissioner appointed by the president of France on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the Territorial Congress elected by the members of the congress
Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial Congress or Congres Territorial (54 seats; members are members of the three Provincial Assemblies or Assemblees Provinciales elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) elections: last held 9 July 1995 (next to be held NA July 2001) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPCR 22, FLNKS 12, UNCT 7, various left parties 7, various right parties 6 note : New Caledonia elects 1 seat to the French Senate; elections last held 27 September 1992 (next to be held NA September 2001); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPCR 1; New Caledonia also elects 2 seats to the French National Assembly; elections last held 21 March 1993 (next to be held 25 May-1 June 1997 - special election); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPCR 2
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel
Political parties and leaders: white-dominated Rassemblement pour la Caledonie dans la Republique or RPCR (conservative) [Jacques LAFLEUR, president] - affiliated to France's Rassemblement pour la Republique or RPR (also called South Province Party); Melanesian proindependence Kanaka Socialist National Liberation Front or FLNKS [Rock WAMYTAN]; Melanesian moderate Kanak Socialist Liberation or LKS [Nidoish NAISSELINE]; National Front or FN (extreme right) [Guy GEORGE]; Caledonie Demain or CD (right-wing) [Bernard MARANT]; Union Oceanienne or UO (conservative) [Michel HEMA]; Front de Developpement des Iles Loyautes or FDIL [Cono HAMU]; Union Caledonian or UC [Francois BURCK, president]; A New Caledonia for All or UNCT [Didier LEROUX]
International organization participation: ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU, SPC, WFTU, WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas territory of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (overseas territory of France)
Flag description: three horizontal bands, blue (top), red, and green, with a yellow disk enclosing a black symbol centered to the hoist side; the flag of France is used for official occasions
Economy
Economy - overview: New Caledonia has more than 20% of the world's known nickel resources. In recent years, the economy has suffered because of depressed international demand for nickel, the principal source of export earnings. Only a negligible amount of the land is suitable for cultivation, and food accounts for about 25% of imports. In addition to nickel, financial support from France and tourism are key to the health of the economy.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.5 billion (1995 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: NA%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $8,000 (1995 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture : 5% industry: 35% services: 60% (1992 est.)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 1.4% (1990)
Labor force: total : 70,044 (1988) by occupation: agriculture 32%, industry 20%, services 40%, mining 8% (1992)
Unemployment rate: 15% (1994)
Budget: revenues: $755.6 million expenditures: $755.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995 est.)
Industries: nickel mining and smelting
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - capacity: NA kW
Electricity - production: 1.12 billion kWh (1994)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 5,744 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: vegetables; beef, other livestock products
Exports: total value: $528 million (f.o.b., 1995) commodities: nickel metal 24.5%, nickel ore partners: France 32.2%, Japan 23.5%, Germany 6.7%, US 3.6%, India 1.2%
Imports: total value : $980 million (c.i.f., 1992) commodities: foods, fuels, minerals, machines, electrical equipment partners: France 46.3%, ECE 14.9%, Australia 10.2%, Japan 6.3%, New Zealand 4.4%
Debt - external: $NA
Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $NA note: important support from France
Currency: 1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1 - 98.48 (January 1997), 93.00 (1996), 90.75 (1995), 100.93 (1994), 102.96 (1993), 96.24 (1992); note - linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc
Fiscal year: calendar year
@New Caledonia:Communications
Telephones: 38,748 (1993 est.)
Telephone system: domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 3, shortwave 0
Radios: 97,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 7
Televisions: 47,000 (1992 est.)
@New Caledonia:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 5,562 km paved: 975 km unpaved: 4,587 km (1993)
Ports and harbors: Mueo, Noumea, Thio
Merchant marine: total: 1 roll-on/roll-off ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,079 GRT/724 DWT (1996 est.)
Airports: 28 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 16 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 12 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total : 12 914 to 1,523 m: 12 (1996 est.)
Heliports: 7 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: French Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie); Police Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: Matthew and Hunter Islands claimed by France and Vanuatu ______________________________________________________________________
NEW ZEALAND
@New Zealand:Geography
Location: Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia
Geographic coordinates: 41 00 S, 174 00 E
Map references: Oceania
Area: total: 268,680 sq km land: 268,670 sq km water: 10 sq km note: includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands
Area - comparative: about the size of Colorado
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 15,134 km
Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: temperate with sharp regional contrasts
Terrain: predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point : Mount Cook 3,764 m
Natural resources: natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone
Land use: arable land: 9% permanent crops : 5% permanent pastures: 50% forests and woodland: 28% other: 8% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 2,850 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: earthquakes are common, though usually not severe; volcanic activity
Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; native flora and fauna hard-hit by species introduced from outside
Environment - international agreements: party to : Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note: about 80% of the population lives in cities
@New Zealand:People
Population: 3,587,275 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 23% (male 424,584; female 403,792) 15-64 years: 65% (male 1,174,945; female 1,167,913) 65 years and over: 12% (male 179,853; female 236,188) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.08% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 15.35 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 7.67 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: 3.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years : 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 6.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.27 years male: 74.16 years female: 80.56 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.96 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality: noun: New Zealander(s) adjective: New Zealand
Ethnic groups: European 88%, Maori 8.9%, Pacific Islander 2.9%, other 0.2%
Religions: Anglican 24%, Presbyterian 18%, Roman Catholic 15%, Methodist 5%, Baptist 2%, other Protestant 3%, unspecified or none 33% (1986)
Languages: English (official), Maori
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% (1980 est.) male: NA% female: NA%
@New Zealand:Government
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: New Zealand abbreviation : NZ
Data code: NZ
Government type: parliamentary democracy
National capital: Wellington