Map of Aruba | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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


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Location: Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total area total: 193 km²
Land: 193 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 68.5 km

Maritime claims: 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: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: defense is the responsibility of the Netherlands


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Population: 65,974 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 0.65% (1995 est.)

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%, Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 23% (female 7,377; male 7,726)
15-64 years: 69% (female 24,269; male 21,141)
65 years and over: 8% (female 3,223; male 2,238) (July 1995 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.65% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 14.6 births/1000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 6.17 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.91 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: NA
Current issues natural hazards: lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt
Current issues international agreements: NA

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 8.3 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 76.56 years
Male: 72.89 years
Female: 80.42 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.82 children born/woman (1995 est.)

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%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Aruba

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; 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: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Olindo KOOLMAN (since 1 January 1992)
Head of government: Prime Minister Jan (Henny) H. EMAN (since 29 July 1994)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed with the advice and approval of the legislature

Legislative branch: unicameral
Legislature Staten: elections last held 29 July 1994 (next to be held by NA July 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (21 total) AVP 10, MEP 9, OLA 2

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)
From 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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Tourism is the mainstay of the Aruban economy, although offshore banking and oil refining and storage are also important. The rapid growth of the tourism sector over the last decade has resulted in a substantial expansion of other activities. Construction has boomed, with hotel capacity five times the 1985 level. Additionally, the reopening of the country's oil refinery in 1993, a major source of employment and foreign exchange earnings, has further spurred growth. Aruba's small labor force and less than 1% unemployment rate have led to a large number of unfilled job vacancies despite sharp rises in wage rates in recent years.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 5% (1993 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

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
By occupation: most employment is in the tourist industry (1995)

Unemployment rate: 0.6% (1992)

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)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

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: $1.3 billion (including oil re-exports) (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
Commodoties: mostly refined petroleum products
Partners: US 64%, EC

Imports: $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
Commodoties: food, consumer goods, manufactures, petroleum products, crude oil for refining and re-export
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)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 330 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 4,761 kWh (1993)

Electricity consumption

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system: 72,168 telephones; 1,100 telephones/1000 persons; more than adequate
Local: NA
Intercity: extensive interisland microwave radio relay links
International: 1 submarine cable to Sint Maarten

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
Note: government-owned airport east of Oranjestad accepts transatlantic flights

Airports with paved runways
2438 to 3047 m: 1
914 to 1523 m: 1

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: none

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: drug money laundering center and transit point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe