Land area

444 sq km; Curaçao lies in the southern Caribbean Sea, to the north-west of Venezuela and 68 km east of Aruba, outside the hurricane belt

Population

Total population: 150,563 (2011 census)

Main town

Willemstad, the capital

Climate

Subtropical

Weather

Hottest month, September, 25-33°C; coldest months, January-February, 21-31°C (average daily minimum and maximum); driest months, March-April, 16-19 mm average rainfall; wettest months, October-December, 83-99 mm average rainfall

Language

Dutch and Papiamento (official); Spanish and English are also spoken

Measures

Metric system

Currency

Curaçao and Sint Maarten share the Netherlands Antilles guilder (Naf)=100 cents. The exchange rate has been fixed at Naf1.79:US$1 since 1971. The US dollar is in free circulation on both islands

Time

4 hours behind GMT

Public holidays

January 1st, March 3rd (Carnival), Good Friday, Easter Monday, April 26th (King's birthday), May 1st (Labour Day), May 29th, (Ascension Day), July 2nd (Flag Day), October 10th (Curaçao Day), December 25th and 26th, December 31st (half day)