Caribbean Netherlands

The Caribbean Netherlands is a territory in the Caribbean, and it is not a sovereign state in its own right. Treaties and official documents call it Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba. It has 3 capitals rather than one: Kralendijk, Oranjestad and The Bottom.

It is home to roughly 30,000 people, placing it 223rd of 250 by population — between the Åland Islands above it and Saint Martin below. Among the 28 entries in the Caribbean it ranks 19th by area and 24th by population.

The land area is 328 km², which ranks it 214th of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind Grenada and just ahead of Malta. Put next to a territory most people can picture, it is a little larger than Malta.

The Caribbean Netherlands on the map

Its reference point sits at 12.2° north and 68.3° west, which puts it in the northern hemisphere, roughly 1,356 km from the equator, in what geographers would call tropical latitudes.

Countries on the same parallel, far away in longitude, include the Philippines, Burkina Faso and Guinea.

No land border connects it to another territory. That puts it among the 85 entries of 250 here with no land neighbours, so everything and everyone arrives by sea or by air.

Who lives in the Caribbean Netherlands

Density comes out at around 91 people per square kilometre, which makes it more crowded than the typical entry on this list. The median across all 250 entries here is about 90 per square kilometre.

3 languages carry official status: Dutch, English and Papiamento. Dutch, the first listed, is shared with 6 other entries worldwide.

The demonym is Dutch, so residents are Dutch.

Against the Americas as a whole it is the 49th most populous of 56 entries, and it accounts for under 1% of everyone living in the Caribbean.

Useful reference details

The currency is the United States dollar ($, USD). Another 19 entries use the same currency — American Samoa, the Bahamas, the British Indian Ocean Territory, the British Virgin Islands and Cambodia among them — so exchange rates move for reasons that have nothing to do with the Caribbean Netherlands.

Note that the Caribbean Netherlands splits capital functions across Kralendijk, Oranjestad and The Bottom, so "the capital" depends on which branch of government you mean.

Its internet country code is .bq. To phone it from abroad you dial +599. In ISO terms it is bq in two letters and BES in three.

The Caribbean Netherlands is not a UN member state. Its official name points to the Netherlands as the administering state. Of the 250 entries here, 57 are territories or observers rather than member states.

Fun facts about Caribbean Netherlands

• In land area it is a little larger than Malta.
• People from the Caribbean Netherlands are known as Dutch.
• It has 3 capitals: Kralendijk, Oranjestad and The Bottom.
• It lies about 1,356 km from the equator, in tropical latitudes.
• Websites based there use the .bq domain.
• It is a territory rather than a UN member state.
• Within the Caribbean it is the 19th largest of 28.
• Ranked by land area, the Caribbean Netherlands is 214th out of the 250 countries and territories on this site.

Caribbean Netherlands — frequently asked questions

What is the capital of the Caribbean Netherlands?

The Caribbean Netherlands has 3 capitals: Kralendijk, Oranjestad and The Bottom. Different branches of government sit in different cities, so the right answer depends on whether you mean the legislative, executive or judicial seat.

Does the Caribbean Netherlands border any other country?

No. The Caribbean Netherlands has no land border with any other country, so every route in or out is by sea or air. 85 of the 250 entries on this site are in the same position.

Where is the Caribbean Netherlands located?

The Caribbean Netherlands is in the Caribbean, part of the Americas. Its reference coordinates are 12.2° north and 68.3° west, roughly 1,356 km from the equator in tropical latitudes.

How big is the Caribbean Netherlands?

The Caribbean Netherlands covers 328 km², ranking 214th of 250 by land area. That makes it a little larger than Malta.

What is the population of the Caribbean Netherlands?

The Caribbean Netherlands has a population of about 30,000, which makes it the 223rd most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. The Åland Islands sits just above it and Saint Martin just below.

What language is spoken in the Caribbean Netherlands?

The Caribbean Netherlands lists 3 official languages: Dutch, English and Papiamento.

What currency does the Caribbean Netherlands use?

The Caribbean Netherlands uses the United States dollar, written $ (currency code USD). It is shared with 19 other entries.

Is the Caribbean Netherlands a country?

Not in the political sense. The Caribbean Netherlands is a dependent territory rather than a sovereign state, and it is not a UN member. The dataset points to the Netherlands as the administering state. It appears on this site because it has its own flag, codes and statistics, but it does not have a seat at the United Nations.