Curacao

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

12 10 N, 69 00 W

Central America and the Caribbean

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

364 km

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

generally low, hilly terrain

calcium phosphates, protected harbors, hot springs

NA

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

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

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

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.)

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.)

0.25% (2025 est.)

12.71 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

8.91 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

-1.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

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

144,000 WILLEMSTAD (capital) (2018)

1.95 children born/woman (2025 est.)

0.95 (2025 est.)

7.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

parliamentary democracy

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

based on Dutch civil law

see the Netherlands

18 years of age; universal

none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

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

none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

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

laraha (citrus tree)

blue, yellow, white

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.)

aloe, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit

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

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

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

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

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

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

.cw

PJ

1 (2025)

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)