Curaçao is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the southern Caribbean. Its capital is Willemstad.
North America and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Willemstad; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapCuraçao is a relatively dry island near northern South America. Low hills and rocky terrain dominate much of the interior, with higher ground in the west. Its coasts differ between exposed, wave-beaten shores and more sheltered bays.
The Christoffel area contains some of the island’s highest and most rugged land. Elsewhere, small coves, limestone terraces and built coastal areas create varied scenery. Natural surface water is limited compared with wetter Caribbean islands.
Curaçao has a warm, relatively dry tropical climate. Northeast trade winds moderate the heat, and rainfall is limited compared with many other Caribbean islands.
Drought-tolerant shrubs and cacti are characteristic of many inland areas. Reefs and coastal waters support a separate marine ecosystem. Water supply and protection of remaining natural areas are important within a dry island setting.
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
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Government of the Netherlands · Kingdom structure · Central Bank · Caribbean guilder
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The park preserves part of Curaçao’s dry inland landscape.
Photo: -JvL- from Netherlands · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Coastal waters border a developed stretch of the island’s shore.
Photo: Grandmaster Huon · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Papiamentu, Dutch and English are official languages. Papiamentu is the principal everyday language for many residents.
Spanish is also widely used. Papiamentu is a distinct Creole language with historical Iberian and other influences, and its Curaçao spelling conventions differ from those used for Papiamento in Aruba.
Indigenous communities lived on Curaçao before Spanish colonization and Dutch conquest in 1634. The island became a center of the transatlantic slave trade. Slavery was abolished in 1863. Curaçao became an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands on 10 October 2010.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Government of the Netherlands · Kingdom structure · Central Bank · Caribbean guilder
Tourism, financial and business services, port activity and trade are important. Oil refining shaped the island’s industrial history, but refinery activity has varied and is not treated here as a current production total. The Caribbean guilder became legal tender in 2025.
Tourism, port services, international business, trade and construction support the economy.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Government of the Netherlands · Kingdom structure · Central Bank · Caribbean guilder
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
| Year | People | Thousands of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 144,739 | 144.739 |
| 1980 | 148,041 | 148.041 |
| 1990 | 145,400 | 145.400 |
| 2000 | 133,860 | 133.860 |
| 2010 | 148,703 | 148.703 |
| 2020 | 155,482 | 155.482 |
| 2025 | 156,263 | 156.263 |
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2,881,155,240 | 2.881 |
| 2001 | 2,861,109,496 | 2.861 |
| 2002 | 2,872,469,966 | 2.872 |
| 2003 | 2,880,748,042 | 2.881 |
| 2004 | 2,886,753,280 | 2.887 |
| 2005 | 2,906,280,011 | 2.906 |
| 2006 | 2,953,824,854 | 2.954 |
| 2007 | 3,026,783,242 | 3.027 |
| 2008 | 3,093,010,563 | 3.093 |
| 2009 | 3,076,577,143 | 3.077 |
| 2010 | 3,079,109,369 | 3.079 |
| 2011 | 3,094,765,331 | 3.095 |
| 2012 | 3,083,966,122 | 3.084 |
| 2013 | 3,064,361,445 | 3.064 |
| 2014 | 3,044,829,285 | 3.045 |
| 2015 | 3,058,779,218 | 3.059 |
| 2016 | 3,026,120,373 | 3.026 |
| 2017 | 2,987,500,779 | 2.988 |
| 2018 | 2,924,640,437 | 2.925 |
| 2019 | 2,830,872,595 | 2.831 |
| 2020 | 2,308,903,012 | 2.309 |
| 2021 | 2,405,500,822 | 2.406 |
| 2022 | 2,571,624,722 | 2.572 |
| 2023 | 2,679,684,375 | 2.680 |
| 2024 | 2,814,389,433 | 2.814 |
An autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. An elected Parliament and a Prime Minister-led government handle domestic affairs. A Governor represents the monarch; defence and some external affairs are Kingdom responsibilities.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Government of the Netherlands · Kingdom structure · Central Bank · Caribbean guilder
Three questions about Curaçao.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · Government of the Netherlands · Kingdom structure · Central Bank · Caribbean guilder
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.
