Map of Aruba | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

top of page


Background: Formerly one of the Netherlands Antilles Aruba became an autonomous part of the Netherlands in 1986.


top of page


Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area

Land boundaries: none

Coastline: 68.5 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain: flat with a few hills; scant vegetation

Elevation

Natural resources: negligible; white sandy beaches

Land use: arable land: 0%; permanent crops: 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: defense is the responsibility of the Netherlands


top of page


Population: 64,052 (July 1991), growth rate 0.6% (1991)

Nationality: noun--Aruban(s; adjective--Aruban

Ethnic groups: mixed European/Caribbean Indian 80%

Languages: Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish

Religions: Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, also small Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, and Jewish minority

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 15 births/1000 population (1991)

Death rate: 6 deaths/1000 population (1991)

Net migration rate: - 4 migrants/1000 population (1991)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 8 deaths/1000 live births (1991)

Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 80 years female (1991)

Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1991)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


top of page


Country name: conventional long form: none

Government type: part of the Dutch realm--full autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986 upon separation from the Netherlands Antilles

Capital: Oranjestad

Administrative divisions: none (self-governing part of the Netherlands)

Dependent areas

Independence: none (part of the Dutch realm; note--in 1990 Aruba requested and received from the Netherlands cancellation of the agreement to automatically give independence to the island in 1996

National holiday: Flag Day, 18 March

Constitution: 1 January 1986

Legal system: based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Executive branch: Chief of State--Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Felipe B. TROMP (since 1 January 1986; Head of Government--Prime Minister Nelson ODUBER (since NA February 1989)

Legislative branch: unicameral legislature (Staten)

Judicial branch: Joint High Court of Justice

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ECLAC (associate), INTERPOL, IOC, UNESCO (associate), WCL, WTO (associate)

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (self-governing part of the Netherlands)

Flag description: blue with two narrow horizontal yellow stripes across the lower portion and a red, four-pointed star outlined in white in the upper hoist-side corner Aruba ArubaAruba

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


top of page


Economy overview: Tourism is the mainstay of the economy, although offshore banking and oil refining and storage are also important. Hotel capacity expanded rapidly between 1985 and 1989 and nearly doubled in 1990 alone. Unemployment has steadily declined from about 20% in 1986 to about 2% in 1990. The reopening of the local oil refinery, once a major source of employment and foreign exchange earnings, promises to give the economy an additional boost.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: poor quality soils and low rainfall limit agricultural activity to the cultivation of aloes, some livestock, and fishing

Industries: tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining

Industrial production growth rate: NA

Labor force: NA, but most employment is in the tourist industry (1986)

Unemployment rate: 1.6% (1990 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $145 million; expenditures $185 million, including capital expenditures of $42 million (1988)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $131.6 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
Commodities: mostly petroleum products
Partners: US 64%, EC

Imports: $496 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
Commodities: food, consumer goods, manufactures
Partners: US 8%, EC

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $81 million (1987)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Aruban florins (Af.) per US$1--1.7900 (fixed rate since 1986)


top of page


Electricity
Capacity: 310,000 kW capacity; 945 million kWh produced, 15,000 kWh per capita (1990)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


top of page


Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs