Curacao

364 km

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

NA

total: 0 km

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

Central America and the Caribbean

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

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

generally low, hilly terrain

total dependency ratio: 61.8 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 30.9 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 30.9 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 3.2 (2025 est.)

0.95 (2025 est.)

total: 7.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 8.3 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.7 deaths/1,000 live births

total population: 79.9 years (2024 est.) male: 77.6 years female: 82.3 years

144,000 WILLEMSTAD (capital) (2018)

total: 38.1 years (2025 est.) male: 35.5 years female: 40.2 years

noun: Curacaoan adjective: Curacaoan; Dutch

-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

breakdown

{"male":{"value":73992,"unit":"people","formatted":"73,992","name":"Male Population"},"female":{"value":79701,"unit":"people","formatted":"79,701","name":"Female Population"}}

meta

{"year":2025}

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.)

1.95 children born/woman (2025 est.)

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

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

agricultural land: 0% (2022 est.) arable land: 10% (2018) forest: 0.2% (2022 est.) other: 99.8% (2022 est.)

urban population: 89% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.57% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

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

name

Willemstad

geo

{"lat":12.1,"lng":-68.9167}

timezone

{"difference":"UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)","note":null,"dst":null}

meta

{}

see 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)

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

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

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

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

parliamentary democracy

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

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

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

blue, yellow, white

total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural); note - excerpted from the Netherlands entry selected World Heritage Site locales: Historic Willemstad

laraha (citrus tree)

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

-$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

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

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.)

2.6% (2019 est.) 2.6% (2018 est.) 1.6% (2017 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

4.2% (2023 est.) 7.9% (2022 est.) 4.2% (2021 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

$4.312 billion (2023 est.) $4.138 billion (2022 est.) $3.834 billion (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

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

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

33 (2022 est.)

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

percent of population: 68% (2017 est.)

total subscriptions: 174,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 94 (2023 est.)

1 (2025)

PJ

total: 57 (2023) by type: general cargo 5, oil tanker 1, other 51

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

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)