Map of Aruba | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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.


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Location: Caribbean island in the Caribbean Sea north of Venezuela

Geographic coordinates: 12 30 N 69 58 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 193 km²
Land: 193 km²
Water: 0 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
Extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Mount Jamanota 188 m

Natural resources: NEGL; white sandy beaches

Land use
Arable land: 10.53%
Permanent crops: 0%
Other: 89.47% (2005)

Irrigated land: 0.01 km² (1998 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt

Geography
Note: a flat riverless island renowned for its white sand 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)


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Population: 71,891 (July 2006 est.)
Growth rate: 0.44% (2006 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Aruban
Adjective: Aruban; Dutch

Ethnic groups: mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 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: 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.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 38.5 years
Male: 36.4 years
Female: 40.3 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.44% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 11.03 births/1000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 6.68 deaths/1000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2006 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: NA

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male/female
Total population: 0.93 male/female (2006 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 5.79 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 6.6 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 4.95 deaths/1000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 79.28 years
Male: 75.95 years
Female: 82.78 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.79 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: NA
Total population: 97%
Male: NA%
Female: 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: parliamentary democracy

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 divisions: none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

Dependent areas

Independence: none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

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 of the Netherlands (since 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 branch
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 branch: Common Court of Justice of Aruba (judges are appointed by the monarch)

Political parties and leaders: Aliansa/Aruban Social Movement or MSA [Robert WEVER]; Aruban Liberal Organization or OLA [Glenbert CROES]; 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]

International organization participation: ILO IMF Interpol IOC UNESCO (associate) UPU WCL WMO WToO (associate)

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands); note - Mr. Henry BAARH Minister Plenipotentiary for Aruba at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
From the us: the US does not have an embassy in Aruba; the Consul General to Netherlands Antilles is accredited to Aruba

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 small open Aruban 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $2.258 billion (2005 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 2.4% (2005 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $21,800 (2004 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 0.4% NA%
Industry: 33.3% NA%
Services: 66.3% NA%

Agriculture products: aloes; livestock; fish

Industries: tourism transshipment facilities oil refining

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 41,500 (2004 est.)
By occupation agriculture: NA%
By occupation industry: NA%
By occupation services: NA%
By occupation note: most employment is in wholesale and retail trade and repair, followed by hotels and restaurants; oil refining

Unemployment rate: 6.9% (2005 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $507.9 million
Expenditures: $577.9 million; including capital expenditures of $N/A (2000)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt: 46.3% of GDP

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.4% (2005)

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: $80 million f.o.b.; note - includes oil reexports (2004 est.)
Commodities: live animals and animal products art and collectibles machinery and electrical equipment transport equipment
Partners: Netherlands 33.5% Panama 16.7% Colombia 11.9% US 11.3% Venezuela 10.1% Netherlands Antilles 9% (2005)

Imports: $875 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Commodities: machinery and electrical equipment crude oil for refining and reexport chemicals; foodstuffs
Partners: US 55.9% Netherlands 12.9% UK 3.8% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $478.6 million (2005 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar - 1.79 (2005) 1.79 (2004) 1.79 (2003) 1.79 (2002) 1.79 (2001)


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Electricity
Production: 770 million kWh (2003)
Consumption: 716.1 million kWh (2003)
Exports: 0 kWh (2003)
Imports: 0 kWh (2003)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2003 est.)
Consumption: 0 m³ (2003 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 37,100 (2002)
Mobile cellular: 98,400 (2004)

Telephone system
General assessment: modern fully automatic 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

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .aw
Hosts: 11,548 (2006)
Users: 24,000 (2002)

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: 1 (2006)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1 (2006)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 800 km
Paved: 513 km
Unpaved: 287 km

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals: Barcadera Oranjestad Sint Nicolaas


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: transit point for US- and Europe-bound narcotics with some accompanying money-laundering activity