from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Aruba
Introduction
Background: Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba was
acquired by the Dutch in 1636. The island's economy has
been dominated by three main industries. A 19th century
gold rush was followed by prosperity brought on by the
opening in 1924 of an oil refinery. The last decades of
the 20th century saw a boom in the tourism industry.
Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986 and
became a separate, autonomous member of the Kingdom of
the Netherlands. Movement toward full independence was
halted at Aruba's request in 1990.
Geography
Location: Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of
Venezuela
Geographic 12 30 N, 69 58 W
coordinates:
Map Central America and the Caribbean
references:
Area: total: 193 sq km
land: 193 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - slightly larger than Washington, DC
comparative:
Land 0 km
boundaries:
Coastline: 68.5 km
Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm
claims:
Climate: tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: flat with a few hills; scant vegetation
Elevation lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
extremes: highest point: Mount Jamanota 188 m
Natural NEGL; white sandy beaches
resources:
Land use: arable land: 10.53%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 89.47% (2005)
Irrigated 0.01 sq km (1998 est.)
land:
Natural lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt
hazards:
Environment - NA
current
issues:
Geography - a flat, riverless island renowned for its white sand
note: beaches; its tropical climate is moderated by constant
trade winds from the Atlantic Ocean; the temperature is
almost constant at about 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees
Fahrenheit)
People
Population: 71,891 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 19.5% (male 7,175/female 6,849)
15-64 years: 68.2% (male 23,894/female 25,140)
65 years and over: 12.3% (male 3,616/female 5,217)
(2006 est.)
Median age: total: 38.5 years
male: 36.4 years
female: 40.3 years (2006 est.)
Population 0.44% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 11.03 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 6.68 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 5.79 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 6.6 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 4.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 79.28 years
expectancy at male: 75.95 years
birth: female: 82.78 years (2006 est.)
Total 1.79 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - NA
deaths:
Nationality: noun: Aruban(s)
adjective: Aruban; Dutch
Ethnic groups: mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80%
Religions: Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, Hindu, Muslim,
Confucian, Jewish
Languages: Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese,
Dutch, English dialect), English (widely spoken),
Spanish
Literacy: definition: NA
total population: 97%
male: NA%
female: NA%
Government
Country name: conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Aruba
Dependency member country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full
status: autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986 upon
separation from the Netherlands Antilles; Dutch
Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs
Government parliamentary democracy
type:
Capital: name: Oranjestad
geographic coordinates: 12 33 N, 70 06 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC
during Standard Time)
Administrative none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
divisions:
Independence: none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
National Flag Day, 18 March
holiday:
Constitution: 1 January 1986
Legal system: based on Dutch civil law system, with some English
common law influence
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive chief of state: Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since
branch: 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Fredis
REFUNJOL (since 11 May 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Nelson O. ODUBER
(since 30 October 2001)
cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Staten
elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general
appointed for a six-year term by the monarch; prime
minister and deputy prime minister elected by the
Staten for four-year terms; election last held 2005
(next to be held by 2009)
election results: Nelson O. ODUBER elected prime
minister; percent of legislative vote - NA
Legislative unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members
branch: elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year
terms)
elections: last held 23 September 2005 (next to be held
by in 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - MEP 43%,
AVP 32%, MPA 7%, RED 7%, PDR 6%, OLA 4%, PPA 2%; seats
by party - MEP 11, AVP 8, MPA 1, RED 1
Judicial Common Court of Justice of Aruba (judges are appointed
branch: by the monarch)
Political Aliansa/Aruban Social Movement or MSA [Robert WEVER];
parties and Aruban Liberal Organization or OLA [Glenbert CROES];
leaders: Aruban Patriotic Movement or MPA [Monica ARENDS-KOCK];
Aruban Patriotic Party or PPA [Benny NISBET]; Aruban
People's Party or AVP [Mike EMAN]; People's Electoral
Movement Party or MEP [Nelson O. ODUBER]; Real
Democracy or PDR [Andin BIKKER]; RED [Rudy LAMPE];
Workers Political Platform or PTT [Gregorio WOLFF]
Political NA
pressure
groups and
leaders:
International ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCL,
organization WMO, WToO (associate)
participation:
Diplomatic none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands);
representation note - Mr. Henry BAARH, Minister Plenipotentiary for
in the US: Aruba at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Diplomatic the US does not have an embassy in Aruba; the Consul
representation General to Netherlands Antilles is accredited to Aruba
from the US:
Flag blue, with two narrow, horizontal, yellow stripes
description: across the lower portion and a red, four-pointed star
outlined in white in the upper hoist-side corner
Economy
Economy - Tourism is the mainstay of the small, open Aruban
overview: economy, with offshore banking and oil refining and
storage also important. The rapid growth of the tourism
sector over the last decade has resulted in a
substantial expansion of other activities. Over 1.5
million tourists per year visit Aruba, with 75% of
those from the US. Construction continues to boom, with
hotel capacity five times the 1985 level. In addition,
the reopening of the country's oil refinery in 1993, a
major source of employment and foreign exchange
earnings, has further spurred growth. Tourist arrivals
have rebounded strongly following a dip after the 11
September 2001 attacks. The island experiences only a
brief low season, and hotel occupancy in 2004 averaged
80%, compared to 68% throughout the rest of the
Caribbean. The newly re-elected government has made
cutting the budget and trade deficits a high priority.
GDP $2.258 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $2.258 billion
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 2.4% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $21,800 (2004 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 0.4% NA%
composition by industry: 33.3% NA%
sector: services: 66.3% NA%
Labor force: 41,500 (2004 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: NA%
by occupation: industry: NA%
services: NA%
note: most employment is in wholesale and retail trade
and repair, followed by hotels and restaurants; oil
refining
Unemployment 6.9% (2005 est.)
rate:
Population NA%
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: NA%
income or highest 10%: NA%
consumption by
percentage
share:
Inflation rate 3.4% (2005)
(consumer
prices):
Budget: revenues: $507.9 million
expenditures: $577.9 million; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2000)
Public debt: 46.3% of GDP
Agriculture - aloes; livestock; fish
products:
Industries: tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining
Industrial NA%
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 770 million kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 100%
production by hydro: 0%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 716.1 million kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 2,363 bbl/day (2003)
production:
Oil - 6,500 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Exports: $80 million f.o.b.; note - includes oil reexports (2004
est.)
Exports - live animals and animal products, art and collectibles,
commodities: machinery and electrical equipment, transport equipment
Exports - Netherlands 33.5%, Panama 16.7%, Colombia 11.9%, US
partners: 11.3%, Venezuela 10.1%, Netherlands Antilles 9% (2005)
Imports: $875 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil for
commodities: refining and reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs
Imports - US 55.9%, Netherlands 12.9%, UK 3.8% (2005)
partners:
Debt - $478.6 million (2005 est.)
external:
Economic aid - $-11.3 million (2004)
recipient:
Currency Aruban guilder/florin (AWG)
(code):
Currency code: AWG
Exchange Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar - 1.79 (2005),
rates: 1.79 (2004), 1.79 (2003), 1.79 (2002), 1.79 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 37,100 (2002)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 98,400 (2004)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: modern fully automatic
system: telecommunications system
domestic: increased competition through privatization;
3 wireless service providers are now licensed
international: country code - 297; 1 submarine cable to
Sint Maarten (Netherlands Antilles); extensive
interisland microwave radio relay links
Radio AM 2, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2004)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 50,000 (1997)
Television 1 (1997)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 20,000 (1997)
Internet .aw
country code:
Internet 11,548 (2006)
hosts:
Internet NA
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 24,000 (2002)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 1 (2006)
Airports - total: 1
with paved 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2006)
runways:
Roadways: total: 800 km
paved: 513 km
unpaved: 287 km
Ports and Barcadera, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas
terminals:
Military
Military no regular indigenous military forces; Royal
branches: Netherlands Navy and Marines, Coast Guard
Manpower males age 18-49: 16,278 (2005 est.)
available for
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 13,219 (2005 est.)
for military
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 520 (2005 est.)
reaching
military
service age
annually:
Military - defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the
note: Netherlands
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - none
international:
Illicit drugs: transit point for US- and Europe-bound narcotics with
some accompanying money-laundering activity