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

Area
Rank: 218
Comparative: slightly larger than Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 68.5 km

Climate: tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain: flat with a few hills; scant vegetation

Natural resources: NEGL; white sandy beaches

Irrigated land: NA (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: hurricanes; lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt and is rarely threatened

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: 107,635 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 190
Growth rate: 1.413% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 87
Below poverty line: NA%

Ethnic groups: mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80% other 20%

Languages: Papiamento (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect) 66.3% Spanish 12.6% English (widely spoken) 7.7% Dutch (official) 5.8% other 2.2% unspecified or unknown 5.3% (2000 census)

Religions: Roman Catholic 80.8% Protestant 7.8% (Evangelist 4.1% Methodist 1.2% other Protestant 2.5%) Jehovah's Witnesses 1.5% Jewish 0.2% other 5.1% none or unspecified 4.6%

Population growth rate: 1.413% (2012 est.)
Rank: 87

Birth rate: 12.76 births/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 155

Death rate: 7.92 deaths/1000 population (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 106

Net migration rate: 9.29 migrant(s)/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 12

Environment
Current issues: NA

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 129

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 85

Total fertility rate: 1.84 children born/woman (2012 est.)
Rank: 152

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

Education expenditures: 5% of GDP (2008)
Rank: 57

Government type: parliamentary democracy

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 (1976)

Constitution: 1 January 1986

Legal system: civil law system based on the Dutch civil code

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)

Judicial branch: Common Court of Justice Joint High Court of Justice (judges 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: Caricom (observer) FATF ILO IMF Interpol IOC ITUC (NGOs) UNESCO (associate) UNWTO (associate) UPU

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 Curacao 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; the star represents Aruba and its red soil and white beaches its four points the four major languages (Papiamento Dutch Spanish English) as well as the four points of a compass to indicate that its inhabitants come from all over the world; the blue symbolizes Caribbean waters and skies; the stripes represent the island's two main 'industries': the flow of tourists to the sun-drenched beaches and the flow of minerals from the earth

Economy overview: Tourism and offshore banking are the mainstays of the small open Aruban economy. Oil refining and storage ended in 2009. 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. Tourist arrivals rebounded strongly following a dip after the 11 September 2001 attacks. The government has made cutting the budget and trade deficits a high priority.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $2.205 billion (2004 est.)
Rank: 188

Real gdp growth rate: 2.4% (2005 est.)
Rank: 135

Real gdp per capita: $21,800 (2004 est.)
Rank: 59

Agriculture products: aloes; livestock; fish

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 41,500 (2004 est.)
Rank: 195

Unemployment rate: 6.9% (2005 est.)
Rank: 75

Population below poverty line: NA%

Budget
Surplus or deficit: -7.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 186

Taxes and other revenues: 25.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 125

Public debt: 46.3% of GDP (2005)
Rank: 73

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4.4% (2011 est.)
Rank: 44

Central bank discount rate: 3% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 103

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 9% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 101

Stock of narrow money: $868.5 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 152

Stock of broad money: $1.762 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Rank: 153

Stock of domestic credit: $1.42 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Rank: 147

Exports: $5.179 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 132
Commodities: live animals and animal products art and collectibles machinery and electrical equipment transport equipment
Partners: Colombia 40.8% Venezuela 20.5% Netherlands Antilles 15.6% US 8.9% Netherlands 4.5% (2011)

Imports: $5.892 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 142
Commodities: machinery and electrical equipment crude oil for refining and reexport chemicals; foodstuffs
Partners: US 50.6% Netherlands 11.6% UK 4.7% (2011)

Debt external: $478.6 million (2005 est.)
Rank: 170

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 880 million kWh (2009 est.)
Production rank: 151
Consumption: 818.4 million kWh (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 154
Exports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 152
Imports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 152
Installed generating capacity: 266,000 kW (2009 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 150
Generation sources fossil fuels: 88.7% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 78
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 33
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 152
Generation sources other renewable sources: 11.3% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 22

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 104
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 71
Crude oil imports: 227,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 29
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2012 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 102

Refined petroleum
Products production: 205,400 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products production rank: 54
Products consumption: 5,661 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 164
Products exports: 205,400 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products exports rank: 32
Products imports: 6,646 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products imports rank: 145

Natural gas
Production: 1 m³ (2010 est.)
Production rank: 95
Consumption: 1 m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 115
Exports: 1 m³ (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 50
Imports: 1 m³ (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 77
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2012 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 106

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 1.241 million Mt (2010 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 162

Telephones
Main lines in use: 35,000 (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 174
Mobile cellular: 131,800 (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 186

Broadcast media: 2 commercial TV stations; cable TV subscription service provides access to foreign channels; about 20 commercial radio stations broadcast (2007)

Internet
Country code: .aw
Hosts: 40,560 (2012)
Hosts rank: 101
Users: 24,000 (2009)
Users rank: 188

Airports: 1 (2012)
Rank: 217

Ports and terminals: Barcadera Oranjestad Sint Nicolaas

Disputes international: none

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