FACTS

Location: Caribbean, two island groups in the Caribbean Sea - composed of five islands, Curacao and Bonaire located off the coast of Venezuela, and Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius lie east of the US Virgin Islands

Area (only Total) total: 960 sq km

Climate: tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds

Terrain: generally hilly, volcanic interiors

Population: 225,369 (July 2008 est.)

Main Language (only first): Papiamento

Government type: parliamentary

Capital (Name): parliamentary

Capital (Time Difference): UTC-4

Independence: none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

National holiday: Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA and accession to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX), 30 April (1909 and 1980)