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

444 sq km

444 sq km

0 sq km

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

0 km

364 km

12 nm

200 nm

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

Generally low, hilly terrain

Mt. Christoffel 372 m

Caribbean Sea 0 m

Calcium phosphates, protected harbors, hot springs

0% (2022 est.)

Arable land: 10% (2018)

0.2% (2022 est.)

99.8% (2022 est.)

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

153,289 (2024 est.)

73,755

79,534

Curacaoan

Curacaoan; Dutch

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.)

19.2% (male 15,069/female 14,337)

62.3% (male 47,258/female 48,217)

18.5% (2024 est.) (male 11,428/female 16,980)

60.6 (2024 est.)

30.8 (2024 est.)

29.8 (2024 est.)

3.4 (2024 est.)

38.1 years (2025 est.)

35.5 years

40.2 years

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

89% of total population (2023)

0.57% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

144,000 WILLEMSTAD (capital) (2018)

1.05 male(s)/female

1.05 male(s)/female

0.98 male(s)/female

0.67 male(s)/female

0.93 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

7.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

8.3 deaths/1,000 live births

6.7 deaths/1,000 live births

79.9 years (2024 est.)

77.6 years

82.3 years

1.95 children born/woman (2025 est.)

0.95 (2025 est.)

7.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

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

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

0% (2022 est.)

Arable land: 10% (2018)

0.2% (2022 est.)

99.8% (2022 est.)

89% of total population (2023)

0.57% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

24,700 tons (2024 est.)

Country of Curacao

Curacao

Land Curacao (Dutch)/ Pais Korsou (Papiamento)

Curacao (Dutch)/ Korsou (Papiamento)

Netherlands Antilles; Curacao and Dependencies

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

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

Willemstad

12 06 N, 68 55 W

UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

The name means "William's Town" in Dutch; named after Prince WILLEM of Orange (1533-84), the first stadtholder of the United Provinces of the Netherlands

Based on Dutch civil law

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)

See the Netherlands

18 years of age; universal

King WILLEM-ALEXANDER of the Netherlands (since 30 April 2013); represented by Governor Lucille A. GEORGE-WOUT (since 4 November 2013)

Prime Minister Gilmar PISAS (since 14 June 2021)

Cabinet sworn-in by the governor

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

21 March 2025

2029

Parliament of Curacao

Unicameral

21 (directly elected)

Proportional representation

Full renewal

4 years

3/19/2021

MFK (9); PAR (4); PNP (4); MAN (2); KEM (1); TPK (1)

28.6%

2025

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

Joint Court judges appointed by the monarch for life

First instance courts, appeals court; specialized courts

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

None (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

Consul General Ramón “Chico” NEGRÓN (since 9 June 2025); note - also accredited to Aruba and Sint Maarten

P.O. Box 158, J.B. Gorsiraweg 1

3160 Curacao Place, Washington DC 20521-3160

[599] (9) 461-3066

[599] (9) 461-6489

ACSCuracao@state.gov https://cw.usconsulate.gov/

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)

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

Laraha (citrus tree)

Blue, yellow, white

"Himmo di Korsou" (Anthem of Curacao)

Guillermo ROSARIO, Mae HENRIQUEZ, Enrique MULLER, Betty DORAN/Frater Candidus NOWENS, Errol "El Toro" COLINA

Adapted 1978; the lyrics, originally written in 1899, were rewritten in 1978 to remove colonial references

1 (cultural); note - excerpted from the Netherlands entry

Historic Willemstad

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

$4.312 billion (2023 est.)

$4.138 billion (2022 est.)

$3.834 billion (2021 est.)

4.2% (2023 est.)

7.9% (2022 est.)

4.2% (2021 est.)

$27,700 (2023 est.)

$27,600 (2022 est.)

$25,200 (2021 est.)

$3.281 billion (2023 est.)

2.6% (2019 est.)

2.6% (2018 est.)

1.6% (2017 est.)

0.3% (2023 est.)

11.7% (2023 est.)

73.3% (2023 est.)

73.2% (2018 est.)

14.5% (2018 est.)

34% (2018 est.)

7.1% (2018 est.)

63.2% (2018 est.)

-92% (2018 est.)

Aloe, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit

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

5.4% of GDP (2023 est.)

5.2% of GDP (2022 est.)

5.2% of GDP (2021 est.)

-$654.688 million (2023 est.)

-$822.667 million (2022 est.)

-$508.758 million (2021 est.)

$2.107 billion (2023 est.)

$2.046 billion (2022 est.)

$1.363 billion (2021 est.)

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

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

$2.764 billion (2023 est.)

$2.891 billion (2022 est.)

$1.91 billion (2021 est.)

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

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

Netherlands Antillean guilders (ANG) per US dollar -

1.79 (2024 est.)

1.79 (2023 est.)

1.79 (2022 est.)

1.79 (2021 est.)

1.79 (2020 est.)

100% (2022 est.)

51,000 (2022 est.)

27 (2022 est.)

173,926 (2023 est.)

94 (2023 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

68% (2017 est.)

61,000 (2022 est.)

33 (2022 est.)

PJ

1 (2025)

57 (2023)

General cargo 5, oil tanker 1, other 51

4 (2024)

0

2

1

1

3

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)