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.

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% (including aloe 0.01%)
Permanent crops: 0%
Other: 89.47% (2001)

Irrigated land: 0.01 km² (1998 est.)

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)

Population: 71,218 (July 2004 est.)
Growth rate: 0.51% (2004 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

Age structure
0-14 years: 20.3% (male 7,429; female 7,051)
15-64 years: 68.2% (male 23,587; female 25,007)
65 years and over: 11.4% (male 3,347; female 4,797) (2004 est.)

Median age
Total: 37.5 years
Male: 35.7 years
Female: 39.1 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.51% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 11.53 births/1000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 6.47 deaths/1000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2004 est.)

Environment
Current issues: NA

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male/female
Total population: 0.93 male/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 6.02 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 6.85 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 5.14 deaths/1000 live births (2004 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.98 years
Male: 75.64 years
Female: 82.49 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.79 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Literacy
Total population: 97%
Male: NA
Female: NA

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

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Oranjestad

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

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

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 28 September 2001 (next to be held by December 2005)
Election results: Nelson O. ODUBER elected prime minister; percent of legislative vote - NA

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 28 September 2001 (next to be held by NA 2005)
Election results: percent of vote by party - MEP 52.4%, AVP 26.7%, PPA 9.6%, OLA 5.7%, Aliansa 3.5%, other 2.1%; seats by party - MEP 12, AVP 6, PPA 2, OLA 1

Judicial branch: Joint High Court of Justice (judges are appointed by the monarch)

Political parties and leaders: Aruba Solidarity Movement or MAS [leader NA]; Aruban Democratic Alliance or Aliansa [leader NA]; Aruban Democratic Party or PDA [Leo BERLINSKI]; Aruban Liberal Party or OLA [Glenbert CROES]; Aruban Patriotic Party or PPA [Benny NISBET]; Aruban People's Party or AVP [Jan (Henny) H. EMAN]; Concentration for the Liberation of Aruba or CLA [leader NA]; People's Electoral Movement Party or MEP [Nelson O. ODUBER]; For a Restructured Aruba Now or PARA [Urbana LOPEZ]; National Democratic Action or ADN [Pedro Charro KELLY]

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
From the us: the US does not have an embassy in Aruba; the Consul General to Netherlands Antilles Robert E. SORENSON 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

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. Construction has boomed 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. Aruba's small labor force and low unemployment rate have led to a large number of unfilled job vacancies despite sharp rises in wage rates in recent years. Tourist arrivals have declined in the aftermath of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the US. The government now must deal with a budget deficit and a negative trade balance.

Real gdp growth rate: -1.5% (2002 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $28,000 (2002 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: NA
Industry: NA
Services: NA

Agriculture products: aloes; livestock; fish

Industries: tourism transshipment facilities oil refining

Industrial production growth rate: NA (2002 est.)

Labor force: 41,500 (1997 est.)
By occupation: most employment is in wholesale and retail trade and repair followed by hotels and restaurants; oil refining

Unemployment rate: 0.6% (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA

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

Budget
Revenues: $135.8 million
Expenditures: $147 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2000)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.2% (2002 est.)

Exports: $128 million f.o.b. (including oil reexports) (2002 est.)
Commodities: live animals and animal products art and collectibles machinery and electrical equipment transport equipment
Partners: Netherlands 33.7% Colombia 12% Netherlands Antilles 12% Panama 12% Venezuela 10.8% US 9.6% (2003)

Imports: $841 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Commodities: machinery and electrical equipment crude oil for refining and reexport chemicals; foodstuffs
Partners: US 55.3% Netherlands 13% Netherlands Antilles 3.1% (2003)

Debt external: $285 million (1996)

Exchange rates: Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar - 1.79 (2003) 1.79 (2002) 1.79 (2001) 1.79 (2000) 1.79 (1999)

Electricity
Production: 531.9 million kWh (2001)
Consumption: 494.7 million kWh (2001)
Exports: 0 kWh (2001)
Imports: 0 kWh (2001)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 37,100 (2002)
Mobile cellular: 53,000 (2001)

Telephone system
General assessment: NA
Domestic: more than adequate
International: country code - 297; 1 submarine cable to Sint Maarten (Netherlands Antilles); extensive interisland microwave radio relay links

Internet
Country code: .aw
Hosts: 923 (2001)
Users: 24,000 (2002)

Airports: 1 (2003 est.)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Merchant marine
Total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,772 GRT/7,068 DWT
By type: cargo 1, petroleum tanker 2
Foreign owned: Germany 1, Russia 1
Registered in other countries: 1 (2003 est.)

Disputes international: none

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