[This material is no longer current. Updated data will be posted.]
Background: Once the center of the Caribbean slave trade, the island of Curacao was hard hit by the abolition of slavery in 1863. Its prosperity (and that of neighboring Aruba) was restored in the early 20th century with the construction of oil refineries to service the newly discovered Venezuelan oil fields. The island of Saint Martin is shared with France; its southern portion is named Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles; its northern portion, called Saint Martin, is an overseas collectivity of France. (Source: CIA—The World Factbook)
Security Assistance Funding: (Source: 2009 Congressional Budget Justifications for Foreign Operations)
The Netherlands Antilles has not been designated to receive Security Assistance Funding in FY 2008.
Direct Commercial Sales: (Source: 2007 Section 655 Report)
In FY 2007, the Department of State authorized the export of defense articles and services valued at $ 12,546,195.
