The Netherlands Antilles (previously: Netherlands West Indies) are part of the Lesser Antilles and consist of two groups of islands in the Caribbean Sea: Bonaire and Curaçao, just off the Venezuelan coast, and Saba, St. Eustatius, and St. Maarten, located southeast of the Virgin Islands.

The islands form an autonomous part of the Kingdom of The Netherlands.

Petroleum transshipment, oil refinement (on Curaçao), and tourism are the mainstays of this small economy, which is closely tied to the outside world.

Since 1939, the island of Curaçao has been a major international finance centre. It is one of the preferred locations in the Caribbean for financial transactions and international tax planning.

Businesses that operate in or from the Netherlands Antilles have special access to markets in both the European Union (EU) and the United States (US).

The Netherlands Antilles enjoy a high per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure, as compared with other jurisdictions in the region, and the islands are known for having stable legal and political climates, a superior business infrastructure, professionalism, and flexibility.

At this moment, the Netherlands Antilles are the hundred-and-sixty-first largest economy of the world.